The childbirth expectations of a self-selected cohort of Western Australian women

the findings of the study challenge the anecdotal evidence that many contemporary western women willingly and knowingly choose or expect birth to be a medicalised event. Although midwives and other maternity healthcare providers need to help women develop realistic expectations, there is also a need to examine the influence of healthcare professionals in perpetuating a technical approach to birth. The findings do, however, confirm that some women are anxious, scared and frightened of the childbirth experience. It is essential that research continues to focus on developing strategies to assist women confront and deal with these fears.