Mindfulness childbirth training reduces depression

Nothing is more exciting than the arrival of a new born baby. Expectant mums radiate with hope and happiness during this time preparing for their unborn child’s arrival and keeping themselves healthy.

But new mums-to-be also retain fear of childbirth pain and often go through periods of depression during and after pregnancy.

This leads to the inability to manage childbirth productively and a greater use of pain medication with more unwanted obstetric interventions, as well as an increased risk of postpartum depression.

Mainstream childbirth education is one of the main methods though which pregnant women learn strategies for coping with labour pain. This kind of education has limited efficacy as in some cases women develop even more doubts about their ability to cope with childbirth, thus increasing their fear.

But with mindfulness training, new mums can address that fear of childbirth and improve their childbirth experiences thus reducing their depression symptoms, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

This study compares mainstream childbirth education with mindfulness skills focused childbirth education.

Mainstream childbirth education is one of the main methods though which pregnant women learn strategies for coping with labour pain. This kind of education has limited efficacy as in some cases women develop even more doubts about their ability to cope with childbirth, thus increasing their fear.

In a randomised trial, 30 first-time mothers in their third trimester of pregnancy and their partners were either offered a standard childbirth preparation course or an intensive mindfulness -focussed 2.5 day weekend workshop, called Mind in Labor (MIL): Working with Pain in Childbirth.

The course was developed by a certified nurse-midwife and senior mindfulness teacher and focussed on mindful movement, walking meditation and pain coping strategies.

The participants completed self-reported assessments before and after taking part in childbirth education and after giving birth.

The mindfulness group was also given useful handouts and guided audio material to help them continue the practice at Home.

The researchers also collected medical data from each pregnant woman.

The researchers found that there was a significant reduction in depression symptoms in the mindfulness group and this continued even six weeks after birth. In the control group, researchers found that depression symptoms continued and even worsened.

Although both groups sought the use of epidurals during childbirth at similar rates and reported the same levels of perceived pain, the study found a trend towards lower use of opiad-based medication during labour in the mindfulness group with just 31 percent compared to 62 per cent narcotic use in the control group.

As this was a small study due to limited funding, the researchers propose further investigations to understand the effect of mindfulness and resultant decrease in use of medication during labour.

But this small study certainly proposes a win for new mums, with the possibility of mindfulness transforming how pregnant women and their partners prepare for childbirth and the journey ahead.

Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth