The Effect of Antenatal Education on Fear of Birth, Physiological Ability to Give Birth and Traumatic Birth Perception: A Randomised Controlled Study

Today, pregnancy and childbirth are important life events that involve many challenges and changes for both men and women. During this process, changes occur in the pregnant woman's body, emotional state and family life. These changes often lead to anxiety about the health of the baby and her own health and to the creation of new stressful situations. During antenatal education, deep relaxation and breathing techniques taught to pregnant women during labour and delivery allow the mother to relax and cope with birth pains more easily and on her own. There are not enough studies in the literature to evaluate the effectiveness of online antenatal classes. In cases where face-to-face antenatal education is not possible during pregnancy, online education is an important option. In the literature, there is no study evaluating how antenatal education affects women's fear of childbirth, physiological ability to give birth and traumatic birth perception together. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the effect of antenatal education on fear of childbirth, physiological ability to give birth and perception of traumatic birth. The type of the study is a randomised controlled experimental study with pre-post and control group. The research will be conducted in the form of online training meetings on pregnant women reached through social media. The population of the study will consist of healthy pregnant women who apply to the researchers as a result of the announcements made through social media and who are at the 20th gestational week at the earliest. The sample size was determined by t-test analysis in independent groups in G*power statistical programme, based on two variables, 0.05 significance level, 80% power and medium effect (0.50). Accordingly, a total of 42 pregnant women, 21 pregnant women in each group, are planned to be included in the study. Intention-to-treat analysis will be performed to prevent bias and losses. As an intervention programme, a total of three weeks and six hours of childbirth preparation training will be given, two hours each week. The programme has been prepared by faculty members who have conducted childbirth preparation classes, based on the literature and by making use of childbirth preparation philosophies and methods.