Abstract
This study of pregnant woman whose pregnancies extended beyond their expected dates of delivery had as its objectives to determine the subjects' feelings before and after their due dates, up until the actual delivery, and to examine effective ways of satisfying their needs during this period. Semi-structured interviews were conducted 3-5 days aiter delivery of 8 primaparas whose deliveries had occurred on or after 40 weeks and 5 days. The study found that although each of the subjects understood that the due date is only an approximation, they were in fact greatly affected by the existence of this standard. Characteristics of the pregnant woman own personalities interacted with external stimuli, resulting in feelings of stress or pressure when they were past the due date and still waiting for delivery. It was also found that the pregnant woman were each dealing wil:h these feelings in their own ways in order to avoid them. These findings demonstrated that in order to provide the pregnant woman with support in maintaining their equilibrium despite such environmental stimuli it is necessary to (1) promote an attitude of acceptance, as by explaining what to expect and (2) exercise control over the pregnant woman environment to the extent possible.
