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Unexpected birth outcomes

The necessity for including the topic of “unexpected outcomes” in prenatal programs for parents was explored in the London workshop over the weekend. It is an issue that is often difficult to raise and hard to present in a positive way, yet it is a worry that will concern almost every woman at some point in her pregnancy and to ignore it would be to send a message that this topic is not important.

Labour and birth is an unpredictable event in every respect. Coming to terms with this uncertainty is often difficult for parents, especially in today’s society where organisation, predictability and forward planning are such hallmarks of modern life. Many women, used to carefully constructed diaries and routine appointments with friends, family and the gym can find the chaos of trying to meet the needs of a new baby completely overwhelming. If there are other surprises, such as a sick child or perhaps the death of the baby to factor in (with all the resultant emotional turmoil), depression and anxiety can be major outcomes for both parents.

These topics must be included in the prenatal education program, not necessarily with a heavy emphasis on detail, but with at least enough time to enable reflection and acknowledge the reality of these tragic events. I have written about how this can be achieved with sensitivity and realism in my article “Mentioning the unmentionable”.

It was an interesting weekend and the diversity of the group provided some useful perspectives as we shared ideas and developed plans for improving the variety of prenatal programs currently on offer. For the next two days I will be in Birmingham (Solihull), presenting my last Active Birth workshop for this current tour.

Posted by andrea at June 28, 2004 06:18 PM

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