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Being confronted with negative attitudes influences the self-concept of pregnant women. Few women in Sweden give birth at home, and Sweden does not have national home birth guidelines. This study describes women’s experiences concerning reactions to their decision to give birth at home. One in five women experienced negative attitudes to a high extent from health care staff during the study period (1992–2005). Fewer women reported this during the latter part of the period compared to the earlier part. The change in attitudes may be related to the introduction in 2002 of guidelines for planned home births in Stockholm County Council.

Background: Decreased fetal movements are associated with adverse outcome. Besides the frequencies of fetal movements, enhanced knowledge about the quality of fetal movements may contribute to better tools to identify fetus at risk. Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate women’s perceptions of the quality of fetal movements in full term pregnancy and within standard antenatal care. Method: 393 women with uncomplicated pregnancies participate in this study. Data were collected by questionnaires, the women answered one open question: “Describe how you perceive your child's movements usually been during the current week of pregnancy”. The answers were analyzed using content analysis. Results: 315 (78 %) of women in gestational week 37-42 describe the movements in terms of power and in equal words irrespective of parity. Conclusion: A fetal movement anamnesis can besides the frequencies also includes questions about the quality of the movements.

Aim: To investigate the perceptions of fetal movements among women in full term pregnancy.

Methods: A population-based study. Data were collected by distributing questionnaires including one open question: “Please describe your perception of the baby´s movements during this gestational week” to be answered in writing.  All antenatal clinics in one of the counties in Sweden participated. Altogether 505 pregnant women were eligible and fulfilled the inclusion criteria for this study. A matrix, listing seven types of movements was used for the content analysis. Categorization of types of movements was performed with regard to the context described by the women.

Results: 393 (79%) women responded to the open question. Altogether 383 (96%) women perceived fetal movements that were sorted as powerful: firm (78%), slow (24%), stretching (23%), from side to side (18 %) and large (18 %) movements. Most women described movements that corresponded to more than one type of movement. Fifty-three women (13%) also described light movements and seven (2%) startled movements, categorized as non-powerful.  Only ten (4%) women described movements that did not include any of the types of movements in the powerful category. 

Conclusions: In full term pregnancy, fetal movements should include the following three criteria: presence, frequency and intensity.

Objective: Carrying death instead of life is beyond understanding and a huge psychological challenge for a pregnant mother. The period from the time when information is received about the death of an unborn baby until labour is induced has an impact on the mother’s future well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate the mothers’ experiences of the time from the diagnosis of the death of their unborn baby until induction of labour.

Method: In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 mothers whose babies had died prior to birth. The interviews were then analysed using content analysis.

Results: The overall theme that emerged from the mothers’ experiences is understood as “waiting in no-man’s-land”, describing the feeling of being set aside from normality and put into an area which is unrecognized. Four categories were established. ‘Involuntary waiting’ describes the sense of being left without information about what is to come; ‘handling the unimaginable’ concerns the confusing state of finding oneself in the worst-case scenario and yet having to deal with the birth; ‘broken expectations’ is about the loss not only of the baby but also of future family life; and ‘courage to face life’ describes the determination to go on and face reality with strength.

Conclusions The mothers’ experiences were understood as a sense of being abandoned in no-man’s-land. This time period was characterized by waiting – not knowing for what and not knowing for how long.  Information about the process and the forthcoming encounter with the baby is essential and decisions regarding time of induction should be based on the parents’ requests, not on hospital routines.  

Objective: To investigate the perceptions of fetal movements among women in full term pregnancy.

Design: A population-based study.

Setting: All antenatal clinics in one of the counties in Sweden March 1, 2011 to October 31, 2011.

Population: Altogether 505 pregnant women were eligible and fulfilled the inclusion criteria for this study.

Methods: Data were collected by distributing questionnaires including one open question: “Please describe your perception of the baby´s movements during this gestational week” to be answered in writing.  A protocol, listing seven types of movements was used for the content analysis.

Main outcome measures: Perception of fetal movements among women in full term singleton pregnancy.

Results: 393 (79%) women responded to the open question. Altogether 383 (96%) women perceived five different types of fetal movements that were sorted as powerful: strong (78%), slow (24%), stretching (23%), from side to side (18 %) and large (18 %) movements. Most women described movements that corresponded to more than one type of movement. Fifty three (13%) women also described light movements and seven (2%) startled movements, categorized as non-powerful.  Only ten (4%) women described movements that did not include any of the types of movements in the powerful category. 

Conclusion: In full term pregnancy, fetal movements are usually recognized as powerful.

Key Message box: An assessment of fetal movement should include the following three criteria: presence, frequency and intensity.

Objective. To identify whether mothers of stillborn babies had had a premonition that their unborn child might not be well and how they dealt with that premonition.

Design. A mixed method approach.

Setting. One thousand and thirty-four women answered a web questionnaire. Sample. Six hundred and fourteen women fulfilled the inclusion criteria of having a stillbirth after the 22nd gestational week and answered questions about premonition. Methods. Qualitative content analysis was used for the open questions and descriptive statistics for questions with fixed alternatives.

Main Outcome Measure. The premonition of an unwell unborn baby. Results. In all, 392 of 614 (64%) of the women had had a premonition that their unborn baby might be unwell; 274 of 614 (70%) contacted their clinic and were invited to come in for a check-up, but by then it was too late because the baby was already dead. A further 88 of 614 (22%) decided to wait until their next routine check-up, believing that the symptoms were part of the normal cycle of pregnancy, and that the fetus would move less towards the end of pregnancy. Thirty women (8%) contacted their clinic, but were told that everything appeared normal without an examination of the baby.

Conclusions. Women need to know that a decrease in fetal movements is an important indicator of their unborn baby's health. Healthcare professionals should not delay an examination if a mother-to-be is worried about her unborn baby's wellbeing.

Bakgrund Om mamman uppplever att rörelsemönstret hos sitt väntade barn förändras eller uteblir kan det vara ett tecken på att barnet mår dåligt eller har dött i livmodern. Syfte Att studera mammors erfarenheter under den tid som föregick beskedet om att deras barn dött intrauterint. Metod Djupintervjuer med 26 mammor vars barn dött före födelsen, analyserade med innehållsanalys. Resultat Tjugotvå mammor beskrev en föraning om att något kunde ha hänt deras barn, föraningen grundades i ett uteblivet rörelsemönster hos barnet. Sex kategorier som beskriver mammornas väg mot insikten om att deras barn kunde vara hotat identifierades: Inte känna kontakt med barnet; Oro; Något är fel; Inte begripa det ofattbara; Vilja ha besked; Säker på att barnet dött. Det är något som inte stämmer; formulerades som ett sammanfattande tema på mammornas föraning och processen mot insikten skildras som steg nedåt i en trappa. Konklusion Mammorna försökte tygla sin oro genom att normalisera barnets uteblivna rörelser. Lugnande besked både från anhöriga och från sjukvården, fördröjde en undersökning av barnets hälsotillstånd. Mammorna kunde inte förstå det ofattbara; att barnet hade dött intrauterint. Implikationer: Blivande mammor bör uppmans att lita på sin instinkt och att kontakta sjukvården direkt om de är bekymrad över att barnet rör sig mindre i livmodern

The aim of this study was to describe fathers' experiences of being present on a postnatal ward and during the first days at home following a complicated birth. Fifteen fathers were interviewed, and content analysis was used for the analysis. The theme illustrated that fathers were a resource for both mother and child through practical and emotional engagement. The categories describe how the father empowers the mother and illustrates adapting to new family roles. Following complicated birth, fathers should be invited to stay around-the-clock on postnatal wards because it gives them the opportunity to place their resources at the disposal of mother and child. In antenatal courses, fathers should be prepared for their empowering role after a complicated birth