Childbirth Experience of a Mother Who Became Pregnant Soon After the Great East Japan Earthquake

The purpose of the interview was to learn about the experience of childbirth in order to consider how to support expectant mothers and postpartum mothers under the stress of radiation anxiety. In May 2012, first-time mothers in their 20s who became pregnant soon after the earthquake were asked, "How was your childbirth experience? " and asked them to describe their childbirth experiences through semi-constructive interviews. The husbands were also present at the interviews, and they were asked to talk freely about their thoughts on childbirth. The birth experiences were converted into data by referring to Berelson's content analysis [1]. As a result, the experiences of childbirth were categorized into the following categories: "experiences in which I was occupied with myself," "experiences in which I was supported by my husband and others," "experiences in which I was occupied with myself," and "experiences in which I worried about the effects of radiation on my child. The case study had concerns about radiation, but her husband and the people around her supported her through the birth, and she was able to positively view the birth as a good experience. It was also suggested that it is necessary for doctors, midwives, and radiation experts at medical facilities to work together to provide continuous support to pregnant women and their husbands from the early stages of pregnancy. Furthermore, the provision of accurate and specific information via the Internet and other information devices would be useful.