Pregnancy-related anxiety among Chinese pregnant women in mid-late pregnancy under the two-child policy and its significant correlates

•The Chinese Pregnancy-related anxiety scale measures three domains, including anxiety on self-care, anxiety on fetal health, and anxiety on delivery process. According to our results, anxiety on delivery process among Chinese pregnant women at mid-late pregnancy was the highest compared to the other two domains.•Unplanned pregnancy and gender of the first child (i. e. for second-time mothers) were significant correlates of pregnancy-related anxiety during mid-late pregnancy.•Living with parents-in-law was not associated with pregnancy-related anxiety among Chinese pregnant women.•Under the two-child policy, pregnant women who already had a daughter would face elevated level of anxieties, as they may experience more pressure from family members with son preference.•Significant correlates of Pregnancy-related anxiety among Chinese pregnant women differed from those among women from western countries, this indicates the important role of culture in shaping pregnancy-related anxiety. Attentions should be paid to identify cultural-specific interventions that might be helpful for pregnant women in China.