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This was an exploratory study with three aims: (1) to examine the relationship during pregnancy between expectations of birth and symptoms of anxiety; (2) to examine the relationship between expectations and subsequent experience of birth; (3) to examine the effect of parity on expectations and experience. A prospective postal questionnaire study was carried out among 289 pregnant women who completed the measures of expectations of birth (e.g., expectations of obstetric events, emotions, control, support, pain etc.), trait and state anxiety during the 36th week of pregnancy. One week after birth, these women completed a questionnaire about their birth experience. The results found that anxiety in pregnancy was associated with expecting less positive emotion during birth, more negative emotion during birth, less control and less support during birth. Expectations were positively related to the birth experience …