Effects of Psychoeducation on Pregnant Women With Traumatic Birth Perception

Pregnancy and birth are one of the most important experiences in a woman's life. This experience has many physical, hormonal and psychosocial effects on women. The perception of birth varies depending on the culture in which women live. In most societies, birth and motherhood are perceived positively. While some women perceive the experience of giving birth as a positive life experience that strengthens them and helps them grow, some women perceive it as trauma.

The perception of traumatic birth negatively affects the health of mother and baby during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. The perception of trauma towards birth causes stress and anxiety disorders, fear of birth, weakening of the bond between mother and baby and the relationship between spouses during pregnancy. During the birth process, it paves the way for increased medical interventions, prolonged labor, decreased success of labor management, and an increased desire for cesarean section. Postpartum problems include failure to participate in infant care, inadequate breastfeeding, decreased breast milk supply, poor mother-infant bonding, postpartum depression, deterioration in family relationships, reluctance to consider future pregnancy, and a tendency toward cesarean section in subsequent pregnancies Removing the perception of birth as traumatic and establishing a positive perception of it is crucial for maternal and infant health. Support should be provided to women who perceive birth as traumatic with practices that have been successful in preventing negative birth experiences. This support allows for the elimination of potential problems resulting from birth trauma . Psychoeducation is one of the most successful practices that will eliminate the perception of traumatic birth. Psychoeducation is one of the most effective evidence-based practices emerging in both clinical research and community settings. It is an educational intervention that includes disease-specific information as well as techniques for managing the current situation. Its flexibility allows it to be used across a wide range of illnesses and life challenges. Studies show that psychoeducation intervention reduces pain levels during labor, increases vaginal birth rates, shortens labor duration, positively affects mother-baby bonding and breastfeeding, and reduces postpartum depression rates.

Inclusion criteria

• Primigravida
• Between 22 and 32 weeks gestation
• Experiencing a healthy pregnancy
• Spontaneously pregnant
• No psychiatric illness
• Scored 79 or higher on the Traumatic Birth Perception Scale were included in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• High-risk pregnant women
• Without a smartphone, tablet, computer or internet access