Mindfulness approaches to childbirth and parenting.
Annie Hughes, Mark G. Williams, Nancy Bardacke, Larissa G Duncan, Sona Dimidjian, Sherryl H Goodman
British journal of midwifery October 1, 2009 DOI: 10.12968/bjom.2009.17.10.44470 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that mindfulness meditation may help parents manage pain during pregnancy and labour, reduce perinatal depression risk, and increase attentional availability for the infant, with potential benefits for both high-risk groups and universal application. |
Abstract
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 of perinatal depression; and increasing 'availability' of attention for the infant. The encouraging evidence to date suggests the possibility that mindfulness has an important contribution to make, both for reducing vulnerability in high-risk groups and as a universal intervention.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Meditation for Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review RAND Corporation eBooks 2015
- Qualities of early caregiving and children's development of self-beyond-self: possibilities at the intersection of developmental and contemplative science Child Development Perspectives January 7, 2026
- Effectiveness of mindfulness training on pregnancy stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in women in China: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology March 2, 2023
- The effect of mindfulness‐based stress reduction on maternal anxiety and self‐efficacy: A randomized controlled trial Brain and Behavior April 23, 2020
- A mindfulness and compassion-based program applied to pregnant women and their partners to decrease depression symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials November 28, 2019
and 2 more in the library
Cites 5
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
- Four-Year Follow-Up of a Meditation-Based Program for the Self-Regulation of Chronic Pain Clinical Journal of Pain 1986
- Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Education: Promoting Family Mindfulness During the Perinatal Period. Journal of Child and Family Studies October 10, 2009
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to prevent relapse in recurrent depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology December 1, 2008