Home birth in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Background/Aims Various factors can influence a woman's decision on where to give birth, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to a reported increase in home births. This study aimed to explore Iranian couples' experiences of birth at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This qualitative study gathered data from a purposive sample of six Iranian women and four men via in-depth semi-structured interviews. Conventional content analysis was used. Results The main theme, ‘linking dread and joy’, had two subthemes describing factors that influenced participants' experiences: subjective factors, such as faith, motivation and curiosity, and objective factors, such as having an experienced midwife and suitable equipment. Conclusions Home birth planning could be included in safe birth guidelines for Iran. This would need to consider all aspects of health (physical and psychological) and the needs and preferences of women with low-risk pregnancies. Implications for practice It is recommended that further efforts be made to examine the status of home birth across Iran.