Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting: Cultivating Inner Resources for the Transition to Parenthood and Beyond

Mindfulness-based childbirth and parenting (MBCP) is a formal adaptation of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR; 1982, 1990). Its goal is to promote the physical and mental health of expectant parents during a normative developmental transition. Over the course of 10 sessions during the second half of pregnancy, women and their partners are taught mindfulness skills for working with the stress, pain, and fear that may accompany this transition. Preliminary research shows that participants show significant reductions in depressive mood and pregnancy-related anxiety and increases in positive emotions. They also report using the mindfulness skills taught in MBCP to cope with stressful aspects of the pregnancy, the birth process, and the early period of parenting. This chapter describes the theoretical foundations for MBCP and the structure and content of the program. A case study illustrates the nature of the program and its benefits, and the empirical evidence of its efficacy is reviewed.