Pregnancy Anxiety and Beliefs Surrounding Motherhood in Latinas: A Qualitative Study

Public Significance Statement This qualitative study of Latinas living in the western United States indicates that the childbirth process, losing the baby, and the baby being born with a defect were the main sources of pregnancy anxiety. The results of this study provide new directions that will be important to consider in future work on the Latina pregnancy experience, such as feeling lucky to be pregnant, believing that pregnancy is a blessing from God, and the importance of family involvement in maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Raising awareness about maternal mental health in Latinas may help public health researchers and clinicians reduce the risk of adversity that pregnancy anxiety can confer during pregnancy and in the transition to motherhood. Prior research indicates that Latinas are at risk for experiencing high levels of anxiety during pregnancy. Pregnancy anxiety is a specific affective experience involving fears and worries about one's current pregnancy and it has been linked to heightened risk for preterm birth and developmental effects. Despite this concerning pattern, research has rarely examined Latina beliefs about the transition to motherhood and little is known about specific sources of pregnancy anxiety in Latinas, including whether fears are rooted in cultural concerns. The present study investigates the experiences of pregnancy anxiety among Latinas and explores their broader cultural beliefs surrounding pregnancy. Fourteen pregnant Latinas articulated their experience of pregnancy anxiety, how they coped with their anxiety, and the beliefs they held surrounding pregnancy in 11 individual interviews and one focus group of three participants, all conducted in Spanish. Thematic analysis revealed that overall, Latinas felt that anxiety during pregnancy was normal, and that they worried about labor and delivery, losing their baby, their baby being born with a birth defect, and felt affected by the broader sociopolitical climate. Latinas felt lucky to be pregnant, believed that pregnancy was a blessing from God, and stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Themes about family involvement and culturally driven privileged status also emerged. The present study highlights specific themes that may be important to consider in the context of Latina perinatal health. Such findings set the stage for future investigations examining the experience of anxiety specific to pregnancy in Latinas.