A longitudinal study of women’s memories of their childbirth experiences at five years postpartum

BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated whether women can accurately recall their birthing experiences after a long period. We investigated the consistency of women's memories of their childbirth experiences between those at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. METHODS This prospective cohort study comprised 1,168 women who delivered at a maternity hospital and four maternity homes in Japan between May 2002 and August 2003. Data were collected using structured interviews and transcriptions from medical records. The childbirth experience was assessed using the Childbirth Experience Scale (CBE-Scale) at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. RESULTS We obtained 584 (50.0%) valid responses from women who completed the survey at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. Significant differences were observed in 16 out of 18 items on the CBE-Scale when responses were compared at both time points. Women who answered "yes" to any item on the CBE-Scale at the baseline survey tended to demonstrate a more precise recollection for that item 5 years after childbirth than those who answered "no" for the corresponding item. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that women remember their childbirth experience clearly at 5 years after the childbirth.