Place of delivery in The Netherlands: maternal motives and background variables related to preferences for home or hospital confinement.

The decision-making process regarding the preferred site for confinement was investigated in a total of 170 nulliparous women with initially uncomplicated pregnancies. Of these women, 100 had a preference for delivery at home and 45 for hospital confinement. The remaining 25 women were in doubt about the preferred location. Interviews were held at the 18th week of pregnancy. Motives for choosing either a home or a hospital confinement were analysed. Preferences for either home or hospital confinement were predicted by a stepwise discriminant analysis. Educational level, psychological well-being, anxiety concerning complications at birth, and attitudes towards female social roles accounted for 78.6% of the variance. Fear that something might go wrong during labour together with an older age predicted for 62% the group of women doubtful about the place of confinement.