Background Considering the negative health outcomes associated with unplanned pregnancies it is important to identify risk factors associated with such pregnancies. the purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which symptoms of depression predict pregnancy planning, controlling for sociodemographic factors (age, education, marital status, living with partner, number of children living in the home, income, and ethnicity) and obstetric history variables (parity, number of full term pregnancies, and number of abortions). Method Our sample consisted of 386 pregnant women who were recruited from Maternal Health Centers across the state of Iowa and the UIHC OB clinic. These women completed a demographic questionnaire, the Contextual Assessment of the Maternity Experience Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results suggest that when important demographic factors and obstetric history variables were controlled for in the logistic regression, women experiencing depressive symptoms during pregnancy were more likely to report that their pregnancy was unplanned.