Table 1.
Main categories and themes of maternal reasons for cesarean birth
| Category | Themes |
|---|---|
| I. Fear of childbirth | - Fear of labor pain |
| - Fear of facing two painful events (failure of vaginal delivery and cesarean section) | |
| - Fear of harming the baby | |
| II. Safety concerns related to health risk perceptions | - Underlying medical diseases (diabetes mellitus, heart diseases and HIV) |
| - Biological risks (advanced maternal age and obesity) | |
| - Reproductive health problem (infertility) | |
| III. Previous negative birth experiences | - Inadequate pain control |
| - Dystocia | |
| - Baby injury | |
| IV. Positive attitudes toward cesarean delivery | - Advantages of cesarean delivery |
| - Disadvantages of vaginal delivery | |
| V. Access to biased information | - Personal advice |
| - Mass media | |
| VI. Superstitious belief in auspicious birth dates | - Good fortune |