Forough Mortazavi; Fateme Borzoee
Volume 4, Issue 2 , May and June 2019, , Pages 45-50
Abstract
Background & Objective: Fear of childbirth is an unpleasant and common condition that negatively affects pregnant women’s emotions and undermines the process of natural changes that occur during this period. This study was conducted to determine the relationship of fear of childbirth with the ...
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Background & Objective: Fear of childbirth is an unpleasant and common condition that negatively affects pregnant women’s emotions and undermines the process of natural changes that occur during this period. This study was conducted to determine the relationship of fear of childbirth with the severity of fatigue and the level of mental well-being in pregnant women.
Materials & Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study followed by a correlation design was carried out on 525 pregnant women who referred to Sabzevar healthcare in 2017. Based on a cluster sampling method data collection was performed using demographic characteristics form, the Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (WDEQ-A), the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) scale. The data were analyzed by SPSS 16, using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient.
Results: 19% of the subjects scored above 85 and 6% of them scored higher than 100 on the WDE-Q. Also, 24.8% of these women scored less than 50 on the WHO-5. The studied women’s mean fatigue index was 20.3±12.7. Fear of childbirth had a positive correlation with fatigue (r=0.235) and a negative correlation with well-being (r=0.310) (P < /em><0.05).
Conclusion: Women experience various degrees of fear of childbirth during pregnancy. Providing mental support for pregnant women and using psychological techniques aimed at reducing their fear of childbirth during pregnancy are highly recommended.
Maryam Mehrabadi; Forough Mortazavi; Mohammad Hassan Rakhshani
Volume 4, Issue 2 , May and June 2019, , Pages 69-74
Abstract
Background & Objective: Childbirth preparation classes are planned to make the delivery more pleasant and reduce the number of cesarean sections. This study aimed to examine the effect of attending childbirth preparation classes on prepartum and postpartum maternal mental well-being.
Materials & ...
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Background & Objective: Childbirth preparation classes are planned to make the delivery more pleasant and reduce the number of cesarean sections. This study aimed to examine the effect of attending childbirth preparation classes on prepartum and postpartum maternal mental well-being.
Materials & Methods: This single-blind clinical trial was conducted in Sabzevar healthcare centers. 120 nulliparous women were selected in 2017, applying a convenience sampling method, and randomly divided into two equal groups, intervention and control. The intervention group (at 20 weeks to 38 weeks of gestation) participated in 8, 90-minute sessions of the childbirth preparation classes; however, the control group only received the routine prenatal care. Before and after the intervention and 14 days after the delivery, the maternal mental well-being questionnaire was completed by the mothers and then analyzed by the repeated-measures ANOVA.
Results: Results showed that the mean score of the intervention group’s maternal mental well-being index (73.7±1.8) was significantly higher than that of the control group (65.5±2.1) (P < /em><0.001). Moreover, the trend of changes in the scores of this index was different in the two groups and did not change in the intervention group from pretest to posttest and follow-up, while it decreased in the control group (P < /em><0.048).
Conclusion: Although maternal mental well-being reduces in the second half of pregnancy until after giving birth, attending childbirth preparation classes stabilizes prepartum and postpartum maternal mental well-being.
