Mental training during pregnancy. Feelings and experiences during pregnancy and birth and parental stress 1 year after birth - a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Parental stress has been recognized as a problem despite governmental support of parent education programs aiming to prepare parents for parenthood.


OBJECTIVE
to compare parents who underwent a mental training program during pregnancy with a control group to measure feelings and experiences during pregnancy and birth and perceived parental stress.


METHODS
A comparative pilot study of 46 self-selected parents who underwent a mental training program during pregnancy, and 1408 parents living in the same catchment area (control group). Data was collected in mid-pregnancy, 2 months and 1 year after birth. The main outcome was parental stress.


RESULTS
Parents in the mental training group were more often expecting their first baby and had a higher level of education compared to parents in the control group. Parents participating in the mental training program had less positive feelings about expecting a baby (OR 14.0; 6.7-29.3), the upcoming birth (OR 2.0; 1.1-3.8) and the newborn baby (OR 3.1; 1.6-6.2). Parents who attended the mental training program attended an antenatal parent education to a higher degree (OR 2.0; 1.6-2.4) and were more likely to stay in contact with other participants in the antenatal education (OR 4.1; 1.9-8.6). Mothers in the mental training program used psycho prophylaxis to a higher extent (OR 3.0; 1.2-7.1) There was no difference in the birth experience or the perceived parental stress.


CONCLUSIONS
Participating in a mental training program for birth and parenthood was not associated with the birth experience or the assessment of parental stress 1 year after birth.
Mid Sweden University, Department of Health Science, Sundsvall, Sweden. ingegerd.hildingsson@miun.se
Ingegerd
I
Hildingsson
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D036801:Parturition / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*