Perceptions of the birth experience: A cross‐cultural comparison

Abstract

A comparison of 66 Calgary, Alberta and 294 San Francisco, California first‐time mothers’ perceptions of their birth experiences following vaginal and cesarean births found that both populations perceived the surgical birth less positively. The Calgary group of women as a whole tended to be more traditional in their plans and attitudes toward motherhood; they attended prenatal classes more often, and fewer planned to return to work after the birth of the baby. There were no significant differences in the two populations for those choosing to breastfeed; however, within the combined populations, breastfeeders perceived their birth experience more positively.