Prenatal mindfulness programs can improve mental health, yet access to and cultural and linguistic relevance of existing programs in the United States are limited for people who do not speak English and/or face major life stressors such as migration, housing instability, limited income, and racism. In response, mindfulness skills training drawn from Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting...
Abstract Background Childbirth fear is linked with lower labor pain tolerance and worse postpartum adjustment. Empirically validated childbirth preparation options are lacking for pregnant women facing this problem. Mindfulness approaches, now widely disseminated, can alleviate symptoms of both chronic and acute pain and improve psychological adjustment, suggesting potential benefit when...
Mindfulness meditation is increasingly being used as a way of managing pain, reducing stress and anxiety and, in the form of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), as a way of reducing the risk of recurrence in depression (NICE, 2004). This article considers its potential for parents preparing for childbirth focusing on three areas: managing pain during pregnancy and labour; reducing risk...