What does a birth psychologist do and how does he work?
There are psychologists around the world who work before and after birth. However, unlike this, Turkey is the first in the world to employ psychologists who attend birth at the time of birth. A birth psychologist is a psychotherapist who handles all aspects of birth during labor and protects the mental health of the birth team, the pregnant woman and the baby. When we look at the needs part, you may wonder how can I find a birth psychologist, how necessary it is, since it is a very new field. Will he be with me? If so, will he/she support me?You may think of questions like...
Here, the story begins during the pregnancy process. Psychologists recommend that, if possible, the woman should work with her own processes before getting pregnant, but this may not always be possible. That's why we start working with the pregnant woman during the pregnancy process. Therapies last 3-4 sessions, and the expectant mother, father-to-be and even the grandmother are also interviewed. The reason for this is that there are intergenerational transfers, which we call RNAs. So, when your grandmother was pregnant with your mother, you were a small cell in your grandmother's womb. Because women's ovaries begin to form in the womb. How your grandmother went through her pregnancy also affects you. Pregnancy is actually a process that affects all three generations. The reason for meeting with the grandmother is to collect the records from here because all those fears, anxieties and traumas tend to emerge more at the time of birth. By doing this study, we are trying to prevent it from being transferred to the baby. If the doula does not meet the doctor, she goes to an examination with the pregnant woman, because birth is not only about the pregnant woman, the father and the baby, but she also has to meet them as she will support the birth team.
Then, she puts all the information about the process and the family in her pocket, It uses that information for the benefit of the birth in cases such as any obstruction that may occur during birth, prolongation of labor, or cessation of labor. Sometimes he intervenes in situations that stop the birth or disrupt its flow by doing small sessions, relaxations, and mind field exercises. It ensures that the birth team leaves comfortably, peacefully and without regrets.
What does a birth supporter (doula) do?
Literally, it is the person who is with the mother at birth and supports her. When you remember past births, experienced people who had given birth next to the mother would come and lend a hand and support her like you can do it. There were even rituals in which women who had given birth easily shared their experiences with women who were about to give birth. Now, unfortunately, this one-to-one support is a great need in the hospitals in the cities where modern birth is busy and cannot be met. With the training they receive, people called doulas learn birth information and non-drug relaxing techniques during birth. And they support families. They have no medical responsibility. They don't get involved in anything medical. Their only goal is to support the family one-on-one and uninterruptedly throughout the birth, while respecting their birth preferences. They massage, do breathing exercises, and sometimes use aromatherapy. Sometimes they show some positions. They are non-healthcare people who work with midwives and doctors. It has been observed that cesarean section rates decrease when they attend birth.
How should one prepare for birth psychologically?
In preparation for birth, along with physical and mental preparations, the most important preparation is psychological preparation. Sometimes, the psychology of the pregnant woman can even negatively affect all physical and mental preparation. That's why psychological preparation is very important.
Some think that preparation for birth should be done during pregnancy or even close to birth. But the real preparation should start even before pregnancy.
Psk. Aslı Çağla Döner
Clinical Psychologist and Family Counselor
Private Optimed Hospital
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