Explaining of pregnant women's experiences of pregnancy concerns: Fetal Health Phobia

Mothers face many concerns during pregnancy and recognition of the concern reasons can help to find the strategies to reduce the concerns during pregnancy. Therefore, this qualitative study was performed with aim to explain the Iranian women's experiences of concerns during pregnancy.
In this qualitative study which was performed by content analysis approach, 20 pregnant women and 3 experienced midwifes and 3 fathers were selected by purposive sampling of Gorgan’s health center and semi-structural interview was performed. To reach maximum diversity in the participants, the sampling was selected from different ethnic groups and socioeconomic status. Interviews were performed during one year (2014-2015). All interviews were hand-written and were analyzed by content analysis of Graneheim & Lundman method (2004) and using the MAXQDA software.
Data analysis led to 849 open codes which were placed in four categories: concerns: concern about the health of the fetus, disturbing the normal passage of birth, inability in acceptance of parental roles and marital-threatening. Majority of mothers worried about fetal health.
The main concern of mothers during pregnancy is concern about fetal health; even the choice of cesarean delivery is due to fetal protection from trauma during childbirth.