Practice shows that psychoprophylactic preparation for childbirth is of great importance for all expectant mothers, regardless of what kind of pregnancy they have. Today it is carried out in all perinatal centers and in private schools for expectant mothers. Consider its main features, as well as the main areas of conduct.
Essence of preparation
Before considering the main directions of this training, it is necessary to determine its essence.
Practice shows that no matter what the ongoing pregnancy is, all women cautiously await the moment the baby is born. In this regard, they experience a lot of excitement, which sometimes develop into real fears and complex experiences. This is especially true for primogenous women who have never experienced fights and are waiting for the moment of their onset, mentally preparing for the hellish torment that their friends and acquaintances told about.
The main role of a midwife in psycho-prophylactic preparation for childbirth is to remove a woman from a state of fear and immerse her in complete relaxation. She should expect the upcoming process of the birth of a child with only positive emotions.
Classes in schools for expectant mothers
An integral element of psychoprophylactic preparation for childbirth of pregnant women is attending classes in schools for expectant mothers. At such classes, lectures are held that will certainly help to prepare for the process of the birth of a child. They tell about what internal psychological state you need to develop in yourself, going to childbirth, and also describes how the process of procreation takes place directly.
After completing the theoretical course, expectant mothers, as a rule, are divided into several groups, and then they begin to provide them with all the necessary information in a dosed manner so that it is best absorbed.
Let us further consider the features of the lessons held in such groups.
First lesson. Course Introduction
In the first lesson, attended as part of the psycho-preventive preparation for childbirth, a woman becomes acquainted with the structure of the genital organs, as well as the basics of the physiological development of the fetus. At the same time, as a rule, an explanation of the nature of pain during contractions occurs.
The goals of the training set in the first lesson include creating the necessary attitude of the pregnant woman for the upcoming birth, as well as explaining how to mobilize her own will. In order to achieve their goals, a woman holds special classes called autogenic training.
During the first lesson, a pregnant woman is taught the intricacies of acupressure: she will need to apply these elements during the course of contractions in order to reduce the level of pain.
The second lesson. Clarification of the features of the birth process
During the second lesson, the most detailed acquaintance with the mechanism of contractions occurs. At this time, as part of the psycho-preventive preparation for childbirth, a woman is taught how to count the duration of spasmodic contractions and pauses observed between them.
At this stage, the main task of obstetricians is to inform the future mother that all women have painful contractions, and in order to ease them, you can use different breathing techniques, as well as muscle control (they are also trained).
The third lesson. Moral training
An integral step in the passage of a program of psychoprophylactic preparation for childbirth is the study of concepts such as attempts and contractions. In accordance with the prescribed program, in the third lesson, expectant mothers are taught how to control the process of trying with the help of special breathing exercises. Also at this time, women are encouraged to master relaxation techniques that will be appropriate between attempts.
It should be noted that during labor attempts by women in labor, as a rule, unpleasant moments such as involuntary urination, discharge of gases or even feces are expected - they are also mentally prepared for this.
In the third lesson, they also explain the fact that it is during the attempts of the woman in labor that she must strictly follow all the recommendations of the obstetrician, and convey to the realization that the clear and correct execution of all commands is the key to a successful outcome of the whole process.
What happens on the eve of childbirth
An important element of psychoprophylactic preparation for childbirth is the correct passage of the last stage of preparation for the upcoming process of childbearing. It should be noted that this period is the most difficult for the expectant mother. As practice shows, at this time, the future woman in labor goes into herself and is more engaged in household chores. At this time, she has to listen to every movement inside the abdomen, with the sensation of which she increasingly succumbs to fears about the upcoming process.
In most recommendations, obstetrician-gynecologists note that the day before birth, the baby seems to freeze: it is not heard, it does not push, and the pain disappears somewhere. They note that this moment is given to the woman by nature so that she can mentally and physically be able to tune in to the upcoming delivery. It is noted that further sensations are replaced by nausea, malaise and a complete lack of appetite, and before the onset of contractions, as a rule, fever and active sweating are observed.
Procedures before delivery
Immediately before the delivery process, a woman must undergo a mandatory examination by a gynecologist, and a conversation is carried out to create the right moral attitude.
Psychoprophylactic preparation for childbirth, carried out at this stage, includes the implementation of certain manipulations, which to some extent will be able to facilitate the process. The woman is reassured and tuned to the fact that if you follow the doctor’s instructions, the process will go smoothly, less painfully and without complications.
Basic methods of psychoprophylactic preparation for childbirth
Modern practice shows that there are a number of methods for the implementation of preventive and psychological preparation for the upcoming process of giving birth to a new life. These include:
- auto-training classes;
- chatting with close friends, relatives, or a loved one;
- distraction for pleasant moments;
- learning techniques to deal with fears;
- doing what you love.
An important element in the preparation for childbirth and in the process of giving birth is the support of a loved one. Many obstetricians recommend attending maternity schools with the baby's future father: there he will also be able to master some methods of dealing with fears so as not to lose his temper at the right moment and be able to support a woman. The spouse can also learn a number of pain-relieving techniques in order to help them in practice at the right time. Specialists in the field of gynecology often note that partner births, which have become quite popular recently, set the woman in labor in the right way, and also help to distract from what is happening, turning her attention to positive emotions.
Among the most popular modern methods of preparing for the upcoming birth, three main ones should be distinguished:
- Lamaz's method, which is based on meditation, in which the expectant mother should model the process of giving birth to a child;
- Nikolaev’s method, which involves rebuilding the consciousness of a pregnant woman so that the process of giving birth to a child is perceived as the main physiological component;
- The Velvovsky method, based on a special way of obstetrician communication with a woman in labor, during which the correct interaction is created between the cerebral cortex and individual subcortical structures.