Table 3.

Table of Paper Characteristics (below)

AUTHORS	TITLE	AIMS	METHODS	POPULATION/PARTICIPANT	ANALYSIS	QUALITY ASSESSMENT TOOL	FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS
Carolan M 2007 Australia	Health literacy and the information needs and dilemmas of first-time mothers over 35 years	To highlight information based dilemmas for women over 35.	1:2:1 interviews 35 weeks, 10–14 days postnatal and 6–8 months postpartum 3 focus groups	22 first time mothers > 35 years, antenatal/ postnatal 19 Women	Thematic content analysis	+ + Study design and methodologically appropriate. Useful insight into area of interest. Elements of analysis unreported.	Mothers were given large amounts of clinical information, despite common perceptions of empowerment these women often found the amount of information overwhelming.
Dahlen H, Barclay L, Homer, C 2008 Australia	Preparing for the First Birth: Mother’s Experiences at Home and in Hospital in Australia,	To explore experiences of first-time mothers who had given birth in Australia.	In depth interviews postnatally.	19 women 19–37 interviews lasting 20 mins – 3 h 17 primip, 2 multip Interviews From 6 to 26 weeks (mean 15 wks) Postnatal	Grounded theory One category from the overall analysis ‘preparing for birth’ was the content of this article.	+ + Study design and methodology appropriate.	Women cite that the period of preparation for birth has significant influence on and being an important part of their entire birth experience. Women who planned home births felt more prepared and better supported than those planning hospital births.
Fenwick J, Staff L, Gamble J, Creedy D, Bayes S 2010 Australia	Why do women request a caesarean in a normal healthy first pregnancy?	To describe Australian women’s request for cesarean section in the absence of medical indicators in their first pregnancy.	An explorative descriptive approach interview guide based on previous work	14 women 1:2:1 interviews 45–60 min postnatal had caesarean in the last 5 years	Thematic analysis	+ Methodologically cogent Data not particularly rich.	Fear, safety, control and devaluing the female body and vaginal birth were contributing factors to women’s decision for caesarean birth.
Fenwick J, Hauck Y, Downie J, Butt J 2005 Australia	The childbirth expectations of a self-selected cohort of Western Australian women	To explore/describe women’s expectations of labour and birth and to identify influencing factors	qualitative study using an explorative descriptive design and techniques associated with constant comparison.	202 women pregnant or birthed within the last 12 months. 19–45 yrs. mainly middle class	Thematic analysis	+ Data not particularly rich Analysis, remained at the descriptive level	Particularly influential on women’s expectations of childbirth were private and public discourses of birth exemplified by books magazines and stories from mothers and sisters.
Flemming S, Vandermause R, Shaw M 2014 USA	First-time mothers preparing for birth in an electronic world: internet and mobile phone technology	Uncover the meaning of how mothers self prepare with electronic media	sequential mix of two qualitative designs: focus groups of professional for preliminary study 1:2:1 interviews for secondary	All low income 7 first time mothers 1:2:1 postnatal interviews 45 mins to 2 h field notes mostly unplanned birth (6/7)	primary hermeneutic (interpretive) design one-to-one in-depth interviews from a purposive sample (n = 7) of young first-time mothers (FTMs) hermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenological approach	+ + Rich description of data Methodologically appropriate and coherent.	FTMs were preparing for birth ‘what ifs’ with electronic media based on what is ‘known’ about birthing. Mothers became educated but also this increased levels of fear and anxiety.
Freeze R 2008 USA	Born free: Unassisted childbirth in North America.	To explore reasons women, choose to have unassisted birth. Exploring why women make this choice; the knowledge sources they privilege; how they understand the concepts of safety, risk, and responsibility, and their complex and sometimes contradictory relationship with midwifery.	interviews and personal correspondence, surveys, and archives of internet discussion groups and forums. Internet was the primary means of gathering participants. Telephone interviews 30–90 min 4 professionals interviewed followed the discussions on many UC and birth-related Yahoo groups read over 100,000 posts	sixty-one survey responses 17 telephone interviews mostly middle class	Thematic Analysis? – not clearly stated but approach was documented as thematic	+ + Methodologically appropriate, very rich use of data	The process of freebirth is complex and an understanding of why women free birth is needed to identify why some women are driven away from certain models of care offered by professionals. The study highlights the abuses and limitations of current paradigms of care UC bridges the gap drawing from professional practices but acknowledging women’s need for autonomy in the birthing process.
Lagan B, Sinclair M & Kernohan G 2011 UK	What Is the Impact of the Internet on Decision-Making in Pregnancy? A Global Study	To build on studies to explore women’s experiences and perceptions of using the internet for pregnancy related information and influences this has on decision making.	Interpretative qualitative Thirteen asynchronous online focus groups across five countries Pilot study tested first	92 women who had accessed the Internet for pregnancy-related information over a 3-month period.	Framework analysis	+ + Methodologically appropriate Insightful regarding stories	The internet has a marked impact on women’s decision making across the entirety of their pregnancy, highlighting a great need for information.
Miller A 2009 USA	‘Midwife to myself’: Birth narratives among women choosing unassisted homebirth	Detailed women’s narratives created by women choosing to birth unassisted	127 unassisted homebirth stories sourced from Yahoo and google 10 face to face in depth interviews to check findings coherence	10 participants	Grounded theory Constant comparison	+ + Strong insights into internet and us of books Methodologically appropriate but some lack of detail in analysis	Women rely on both medical and midwifery models and wider understandings from unassisted childbirth circles to formulate agency around birth. They reference formal models of care whilst seeking to liberate themselves from it.
Munro S, Kornelson J & Hutton E 2009 Canada	Decision-making in Patient-Initiated Elective Cesarean Delivery: The Influence of Birth Stories	Exploring birth stories and cultural knowledge that women use to inform decisions for elective cesarean without medical indication.	Explorative in depth interviews with 17 women One branch of the total research findings are represented. 7 sites 2003–2005	17 primiparous women interviewed by 2 researchers 30–90 min	Grounded theory Constant comparison	+ Methodologically appropriate Some insights but limited in terms of data richness and analysis	Women drew heavily from social and cultural knowledge in forming their decisions to birth by caesarean.
Regan M, McElroy KG, Moore K 2013 USA	Choice? Factors That Influence Women’s Decision Making for Childbirth	Filling the gap in knowledge investigating factors that influence women’s decisions about birth	Mixed method 13 focus groups over 12 months	49 primiparous women 21–36 yrs. majority white	Consensual Qualitative Research method	++ Methodologically appropriate Insightful and rich data about sources of information	Four major categories were found but only birth stories and attending a birth have lasing effect on influencing birth choices
Rodger D Skuse A, Wilmore M, S. Humphreys S Dalton J Flabouris M & Clifton V.L 2013 Australia	Pregnant women’s use of information and communications technologies to access pregnancy-related health information in South Australia.	Examines how pregnant women living in South Australia use information and communication technologies (ICTs), principally Internet and mobile phones, to access pregnancy-related information.	35 semistructured interviews conducted as part of the larger ‘Health-e Baby’ project, a qualitative study	35 women aged between 19 and 40 yrs.	unstated	+ methodologically limited –no discussion of analysis data richness limited some useful insights	Shows that ICTs have great potential for health promotion communication high levels of access not easy to predict personal choices pregnant women make for mode of communications they access, prefer & trust
Seibold C 2003 Australia	Young single women’s experiences of pregnancy, adjustment, decision-making and ongoing identity construction.	To examine young pregnant women’s experiences of embodiment, identity construction decision making and how these are influenced.	Explorative descriptive study using feminist principles	5 women 17–23 yrs. interviews both antenatal and postnatal telephone interview at six months post birth. Women also kept diaries	Techniques of grounded theory were used	+ + methodologically appropriate rich data	All women welcomed the physical changes of pregnancy. Acceptance of pregnancy was assisted by supportive families, friends and sympathetic healthcare professionals, as well as exposure to opinions via classes, information and educational opportunity.
Song F, West J, Lundy L, Dahmen N 2012 USA	WOMEN, PREGNANCY, AND HEALTH INFORMATION ONLINE: The Making of Informed Patients and Ideal Mothers	To explore how white middle class women use the internet during experiences of conception, pregnancy and childbirth to ascertain how internet usage challenges, and medical paradigms shape women to make decisions	Part of a descriptive study on the information-seeking habits of women in five areas of early mother- hood: conception and fertility; pregnancy; labor and delivery; child’s feeding and nutrition; child’s health and safety products.	32 mothers interviewed November 2008 and March 2009 24 to 36 years all but one Caucasian 1/3 multiparous women complex and un-complex health experiences	Grounded Theory Feminist approach	+ Level of analysis unreported in places, methodologically appropriate	Internet enables socially privileged women to perform an informed patient role ad demonstrate their competencies as mothers.
Weston C, Anderson J 2014 UK	Internet use in Pregnancy	Perceived Value of internet in pregnancy from the view points of midwives, pregnant women and postnatal women.		Thirteen midwives, seven antenatal women and six postnatal women three focus groups and seven in-depth interviews.	Appropriate internet use was valued by all groups	+ Useful despite methodological weaknesses useful discussion of ‘apps’ although analysis appears on a surface level	Appropriate internet usage during pregnancy was positively valued by all groups. Greater collaboration between midwives and pregnant women is required to enable access to consistent, verified internet information which can be used appropriately and confidently.