Mindfulness approaches to childbirth and parenting
Open accessAbstract
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.
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Mindfulness-based interventions have been identified as stress-reducing and psychological improvement enhancers.
“Consequently, the mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been identified as stress-reducing and psychological improvement enhancers [24].”
From HAPPY MAMA Project (Part 2)—Maternal Distress and Self-Efficacy: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Field Trial (2022) · cites this paper as [24]
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
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“However, despite speculation that mindfulness-based approaches may be beneficial for early parenting [20] no studies were identified that focused on this.”
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Self-citationMindfulness-Based Strategies: A Cost-Effective Stress Reduction Method for Parents in the NICU
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“Consequently, the mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been identified as stress-reducing and psychological improvement enhancers [24].”
Background
- Authors
- Hughes, A., Williams, M., Bardacke, N., Duncan, L. G., Dimidjian, S., & Goodman, S. H.
- Affiliations
- University of Manchester (GB)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- University of Colorado System (US)
- Emory University (US)
- Venue
- British Journal of Midwifery
- Publisher
- Mark Allen Group
- Published
- 2009-10
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 630-635
- ISSN
- 0969-4900 (ISSN-L)
- 2052-4307
- PMC
- PMC3846392
- OpenAlex
- W2087280910
- Cited by
- 48
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- British Journal of Midwifery (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (L60 MD003696)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (K01AT005270)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Keywords
- mindfulness meditation, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, childbirth, parenting, labor pain, perinatal depression, pregnancy, universal interventions
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