Does mindfulness provide additional strategies to prepare for pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood? An assessment by obstetric professionals

Goal: A growing body of evidence showing the adverse effects of prenatal stress on maternal and fetal health combined with growing numbers of women either afraid of giving birth or suffering the long-term effects of traumatic birth, call for new strategies of childbirth-preparation. Methods and Materials: In a pilotstudy 52 obstetric professionals consisting of 47 midwives, 2 doctors, 1 nurse and 2 trained birthattenders, attended a 2-day compressed Mind-in-Labor-programme, a course-programme for expecting parents, combining mindfulness skills with childbirth- and psycho-education. With a questionnaire quantitav…