Table 3.
Categories coding frame part 1
| Main category | Number of quotes | Frequency of total (%) | Subcategory | Number of quotes | Frequency of total (%) | Concept | Number of quotes | Frequency of total (%) |
| Next time I’ll be ready | 3958 | 39.23 | Prepare myself better | 1928 | 19.11 | I will be more confident and knowledgeable | 1015 | 10.06 |
| Hire a doula | 264 | 2.62 | ||||||
| Ensure better personal support | 204 | 2.02 | ||||||
| Prepare more mentally and physically | 191 | 1.89 | ||||||
| Have a plan for my birth | 180 | 1.78 | ||||||
| Prepare the birth environment or use alternate methods | 74 | 0.73 | ||||||
| Choose less intervention | 1078 | 10.68 | Avoid induction or augmentation | 540 | 5.35 | |||
| Avoid other interventions | 326 | 3.23 | ||||||
| Avoid pharmacological pain relief | 212 | 2.10 | ||||||
| Advocate for better support and choices | 665 | 6.59 | Better support postbirth | 186 | 1.84 | |||
| Seek medical support sooner | 145 | 1.44 | ||||||
| Better support and care during pregnancy and birth | 126 | 1.25 | ||||||
| Skin to skin and be with my baby after birth | 80 | 0.79 | ||||||
| Stand my ground for breast feeding | 57 | 0.56 | ||||||
| Ask for physiological third stage or delayed cord clamping | 51 | 0.51 | ||||||
| Advocate for my newborn | 20 | 0.20 | ||||||
| Choose more intervention | 287 | 2.84 | Use pain medications | 172 | 1.70 | |||
| Consider interventions | 115 | 1.14 | ||||||
| I want a specific birth experience | 2872 | 28.47 | Vaginal birth matters | 1735 | 17.20 | Homebirth | 1021 | 10.12 |
| Waterbirth | 236 | 2.34 | ||||||
| VBAC | 207 | 2.05 | ||||||
| Vaginal birth | 155 | 1.54 | ||||||
| Freebirth | 116 | 1.15 | ||||||
| Seek active labour/birth | 458 | 4.54 | I want to be more mobile and sustained | 276 | 2.74 | |||
| I want to be given more time | 94 | 0.93 | ||||||
| Hypnobirthing, calm birth or relaxation techniques | 88 | 0.87 | ||||||
| I’ll choose a caesarean birth | 438 | 4.34 | I’ll choose a caesarean (no details given) | 285 | 2.82 | |||
| Choose a caesarean due to birth trauma, fear or risk of repeat experience | 98 | 0.97 | ||||||
| I need a caesarean due to medical reasons | 34 | 0.34 | ||||||
| I want a caesarean to be more in control | 21 | 0.21 | ||||||
| I’ll choose my labour/birth environment | 241 | 2.39 | Give birth in a birth centre or birth house | 110 | 1.09 | |||
| Labour away from hospital or delay going to hospital | 93 | 0.92 | ||||||
| Give birth in hospital | 38 | 0.38 |
Table 3 list the main categories, subcategories and concepts.