Prenatal Psychology: The Importance Of Forming A Strong Bond With The Baby

Pregnancy is a magical experience for many women. However, we pay a lot of attention to the physical part of pregnancy and forget the mental part. Understanding prenatal psychology is very important. This is an area in psychology that includes the psychological changes women go through from birth to postpartum.

Although pregnancy is a wonderful experience, mothers can feel alone and unprepared, anxious and very stressed. On top of this, a troubled home environment or a traumatic birth can lead to postpartum depression. Prenatal psychology exists to prevent and improve such situations. It gives women clues on how to handle difficult situations and stay healthy, both mother and child.

However, this is not all prenatal psychology has to offer mothers. It also provides tools and mental strategies to forge a healthy bond with the baby and to make life happier and healthier.

Worries and fears during pregnancy and motherhood

Mothers confront a lot of fear when the baby is on its way. “Will everything go well? What if we see something wrong with the ultrasound? The doctor had a strange facial expression, are they hiding something from me? ”

Motherhood is a radical change, but fear, insecurity and stress come with it. There is so much that can go wrong, premature birth, a traumatic birth, problems with breastfeeding, problems related to the baby, miscarriage, problems with thinking…

Prenatal psychology also includes the family

Until now, we have talked about prenatal psychology as if it only concerns the mother. But we must also include the other parent and the family. They are also basic and have an important role to play. They must be open and receptive to learning new supportive strategies.

The mother is in the center. Pregnancy obviously affects her more than anyone else because of the physical changes she goes through. There are also hormonal and emotional changes, and prenatal psychology has a lot to say about it. So, how does it help?

Prenatal psychology helps…

• Before conception:  Maybe a couple has problems getting pregnant and needs to consider fertility treatments. This comes with a lot of pressure and stress. Prenatal psychology affects a couple’s thoughts of having children if it turns out that pregnancy is not an option. It can also help potential parents deal with things from the past, such as abortion.

• During pregnancy: First-time mothers have every right to fear childbirth. After all, they’ve never done it before. They also learn for the first time about the physical and mental changes caused by pregnancy. Anxiety is a common consequence and an area where prenatal psychology can help. It can soothe a mother’s nerves with the help of relaxation and breathing techniques, and also provides tools for dealing with her fears and stress.
• After birth: The  birth can be traumatic if the baby was not in the correct position, if medical staff had to use forceps or if a caesarean section had to be performed after a natural birth attempt. In this case, mental support will be important to avoid postpartum depression and to establish good bonds between mother and child.
• For the family:  Having a baby changes a mother’s life, but also the lives of her partner, and the whole family. Adapting to this change is not always easy. Prenatal psychology offers tools and guidelines to both parents and the family to help them deal with everything and adapt to their new reality.

Develop relationships between mother and child

Prenatal psychology can help a mother establish a good relationship with her baby in a healthy way. The band begins to develop early, while the baby is still in the mother’s womb. From the moment the baby is first placed in its mother’s arms, a special relationship will develop and be strengthened.

There may be problems with breastfeeding or giving the baby what is needed, especially if the mother has postpartum depression. Being in touch with the child is extremely important, as well as identifying and satisfying the baby’s needs.

Prenatal psychology teaches the mother to relate to her child with love, which is the basis of a good relationship. A good connection between mother and child is always the goal.

Prenatal psychology has a lot to offer in all stages of pregnancy, throughout the postpartum period as well. The goal is a happy, healthy baby and a happy, healthy mother. And most of all a good relationship between mother and child.