This study uses data collected for a randomised controlled trial designed to test the effect of two models of antenatal education, theTUFF-trial (Bergstrom et al., 2009). Participants were randomly allocated to a standard care programme with information on childbirthand parenthood, or to natural childbirth preparation with breathing and relaxation techniques. Recruitment for the trial took place between 2005 and 2007 in 15 antenatal clinics, spread over Sweden. The participants filled in two questionnaires, at baseline in mid-pregnancy and at follow-up three months after the birth. There were neither any differences between the randomised groups regarding the primary outcomes of the trial (labour outcomes, experience of childbirth and early parenthood) (Bergstrom et al.,
2009), nor differences in expectations or experience of childbirth and intrapartum care between men in the randomised groups within the age strata used in this study (data not shown, available on request).
For the purpose of this study it was therefore possible to merge the randomised groups for secondary analyses.