OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy represents a significant major life experience and a major rite of passage encompassing physiological and psychological change, as well as social adjustment and adaptation. This study reports the measurement characteristics of a short (9-item) multi-dimensional measure of worry concerning labour and birth, the Oxford Worries about Labour Scale (OWLS-9) and the use of the measure in a large scale study of women’s experience of care. METHODS: Data were collected from a UK national survey of women’s experiences of maternity care (n = 2960).  Exploratory factor analysis, convergent validity analysis, convergent validity analysis and internal consistency approaches were used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the tool.  RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis revealed three sub-scales embedded within the instrument.  The three sub-scales assessed specific concerns: labour pain and distress, pre-labour uncertainty and interventions.  Good divergent and discriminant validity was revealed for each sub-scale.  The labour and distress sub-scale score was found to be significantly associated with both self-reported ‘baby blues’ and postnatal depression were found to be significantly associated with the labour and distress sub-scale score. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the three sub-scales can be utilised as independent self –report measures or the OWLS-9 may be used as a full-scale instrument.  The OWLS-9 and OWLS sub-scales offer a valuable and clinically useful measure of birth and labour worry within the context of a short and acceptable self-report questionnaire.