The relationship between self-compassion and fear of childbirth in pregnant women with gestational diabetes.

BACKGROUND

Fear of natural childbirth has become a common concern among women. One of the most important risk factors for fear of childbirth is gestational diabetes. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between self-compassion and fear of childbirth in pregnant women with gestational diabetes.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 primiparous pregnant women with gestational diabetes referred to health centers in Kermanshah city, Iran in 2023, who were selected through multi-stage random sampling. Data collection was performed from May to October 2023. Data were collected using a demographic form, the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire Version A and the Self-Compassion Scale, and were analyzed using SPSS version 25 with Kruskal Wallis test, ANOVA, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and the multiple linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

The mean fear of childbirth score in pregnant women with diabetes was 89.77 ± 32.99. 7 participants (9.3%) had moderate fear (score 38-65), 12 participants (16%) had severe fear (score 66-84), and 47 participants (62.7%) had clinical fear (score 85 or higher) of childbirth. According to the study results, there was a significant negative correlation between the total fear of childbirth score and the total self-compassion score, as well as its subscales including self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness, and over-identification.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated a significant negative relationship between fear of childbirth and self-compassion. Therefore, specific interventions or training for providers to help women build self-compassion, and culturally tailored interventions are recommended.