63 Japanese mothers were interviewed with a questionnaire during a return visit to their maternity hospital in Tokyo, four weeks after having given birth. Most mothers expressed a desire for a "natural" birth, preferring a spontaneous start of labour, and no drugs to relieve pain. Although the majority preferred birth to take place in hospital (and not at home), there 'was a considerable demand that husbands should participate more actively during the actual time of birth.
Only very few mothers experienced their pregnancy, birth, and the subsequent weeks, as a completely happy period. Most of them had at times suffered from either physical or mental symptoms, e.g. sickness, tiredness, or moodiness. Some evidence was found that a considerable number of Japanese mothers had gone through spells of postnatal depression, and that probably a few actually needed some medical or psychological help to relieve the symptoms.