Are Future Midwives Afraid of Vaginal Deliveries?

Background: Knowing the birth fears of student midwives is very important for their own childbirth experience and to improve the birth experience of the women they care for. Objectıve: This study investigated the childbirth fears of student midwives who will later become most important care providers for women during pregnancy and childbirth Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study of 346 of 368 students (94% of the population) in the Department of Midwifery in XXX University, Turkey, enrolled in the 2019-2020 academic year. Data was collected using an Introductory Information Form prepared by the researchers and the Childbirth Fear Prior to Pregnancy (CFPP) scale. Results: The participants mean age was 20.45±1.57 years. Their mean CFPP score was 34.89±10.49 while 80.1% stated that they would prefer vaginal birth. The reasons given were it is healthier and more natural (72.3%) for the woman (79.2%) and her baby (78.9%), recovery is quicker (59.5%), and there is a stronger sense of motherhood (48.8%). Of the few students (2.6%) who stated that they would prefer a cesarean delivery, the reasons were fear of labor pain (22%), that it is easier than vaginal delivery (11%), or if the doctor recommended it (18.5%). Conclusion: Overall, these midwifery students showed moderate fear of childbirth, with most stating that they would prefer vaginal birth themselves.