Birth Plans and Perceptions of College Students

Abstract

This thesis aimed to discover what the future birth plans and perceptions surrounding the birth process of college age females were so as to formulate a direction for future efforts to address the false and oftentimes negative stigmas surrounding the labor and delivery process. A prospective, descriptive study design was used with an online survey distributed to a sample of 176 participants. Results indicated that college age females who had not yet had children held opinions in regards to childbirth, highlighted by fear of pain and their own capabilities, as well as lack of knowledge regarding birth location and attendants. The results of this study chimed in with similar studies conducted among this demographic, and began looking into how age, area of postsecondary study, and maternal influence work together to form strongly held beliefs in regards to labor and delivery. Knowing what the gaps in knowledge and misconceptions of young women are can help health care providers to promote more education and conversation about childbirth earlier on, so as to promote the most individualized, safe, and positive experience for women and newborns.