Abstract
This study aimed to find out why some mothers choose to have fewer children than they would really like. The significance of this study was to offer suggestions for maternity service so that mothers would be encouraged to have more children. 1,800 questionnaires were distributed to mothers in A Prefecture. Out of 499 respondents. 14.6% of mothers answered that they did not want to have more children. The biggest influence was economic circumstances. The desire to have no more children was also correlated to the fact that the last pregnancy childbirth was unwanted. From a maternity service point of view, the following are suggested to encourage mothers to have more children. 1. Mothers with an unwanted pregnancy should be encouraged to feel the joy of having a child. 2. For mothers who feel that earlier experiences of pregnancy and childbirth were traumatic, early detection and prevention of abnormalities, and client satisfaction are important. 3. Mothers who feel that child rearing is stressful should be encouraged to have more confidence. 4. Since economic circumstances are an important factor, the situation of the client should be considered when care and service are provided. The results of this study suggest that for the mothers with a reasonable income, support for a satisfying delivery is most likely to encourage them to have more children. For the mothers on a low income, economic support for child-rearing expenses would be the most helpful factor.
