We examined parents' expectations of many aspects of the birth experience and compared them with the importance they attached to these aspects. Expectation was defined as a respondent's rating that a given practice would be reality, and importance was defined as a respondent's rating of the personal importance of a practice were all options possible. Subjects in the last 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy were asked by their obstetricians to complete a questionnaire; 231 mothers and 227 fathers responded, for a response rate of 95%. In each of six subcategories parents' importance ratings significantly exceeded their expectation ratings. Certain items were rated as relatively less important postnatally than prenatally and by multigravid women than by primigravid women. Parents' perceptions of available options reflect consistent discrepancy with what they wish were possible. However, increased efforts to inform parents of existing options and to provide the rationale for specific practices may reduce the discrepancy between importance and expectations. This would in turn heighten the likelihood of a psychologically positive birth experience for parents.