Benefits of preparing for childbirth with mindfulness training: a randomized controlled trial with active comparison
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth August 14, 2018 Larissa G. Duncan, Michael A. Cohn, Maria T. Chao et al.
A small randomized controlled trial compared a 2.5-day mindfulness-based childbirth preparation workshop (Mind in Labor) to standard childbirth education for first-time mothers in the late third trimester. Mindfulness training improved childbirth self-efficacy, mindful body awareness, and lowered postpartum depression symptoms through follow-up. Participants showed a trend toward less opioid analgesia use during labor, but did not report lower perceived labor pain or less epidural use. The authors suggest mindfulness tailored to childbirth fear may improve maternal mental health and reduce reliance on systemic opioid pain medication, but a larger trial is needed.