Table 1 Search strategy in MEDLINE

S1-S4 – first and ‘core’ structure of the search

S1 TX pregnant women OR expectant mothers OR women preparing for birth

S2 TX birth OR childbirth OR labour OR labor OR parturition

S3 TX qualitative* OR focus group OR interview OR phenomenolog* OR grounded theory OR narrative analysis OR descriptive analysis OR thematic analysis OR ethnography

S4 TX Information seeking behaviour OR choice OR decision making OR anxiety OR women’s experience OR women’s perception OR birth plan* OR women’s preparedness for birth

S6- S9 added individually to the core search to generate results

S6 TX Internet OR internet forum OR digital media OR social media OR blog OR podcast OR webcast OR mobile applications OR smart phone OR mobile phone technology

S7 TX TV OR television OR reality television OR documentary film OR television documentary OR movie OR film OR cinema OR motion picture OR visual media OR radio OR entertainment

S8 TX Newspaper OR newspaper articles OR magazine OR magazine articles OR self help books OR childbirth literature OR pregnancy literature OR childbirth magazine OR pregnancy magazine OR pregnancy books OR childbirth books OR news reports

S9 TX Birth stories OR birth narratives OR birth Storytelling OR childbirth stories OR childbirth narratives OR childbirth storytelling OR oral tradition OR social networks OR peer support