Why do women request caesarean section in a normal, healthy first pregnancy?
GROUND AND CONTEXT: a growing number of childbearing women are reported to prefer a caesarean section in the absence of a medical reason. Qualitative research describing factors influencing this preference in pregnant women is lacking. OBJECTIVE: to describe Australian women’s request for caesarean section in the absence of medical indicators in their first pregnancy. DESIGN: advertisements were placed in local newspapers inviting women to participate in a telephone interview exploring women’s experience of caesarean section. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. SETTING: two states of Australia: Queensland and Western Australia. PARTICIPANTS: a community sample of women (n=210) responded to the advertisements. This paper presents the findings elicited from interviews conducted with 14 women who requested a caesarean section during their first pregnancy in the absence of a known medical indication. FINDINGS: childbirth fear, issues of control and safety, and a devaluing of the fe
