Increased or Decreased Anxiety during Labour

Abstract

My research aims at increasing or decreasing the level of anxiety during labour, caused by
the way of communication of the medical staff with the expectant mother. The research is both
qualitative and quantitative, carried out on at least two generations, mothers born in the 1950s and those
born in the 1980s, using the unstructured interview method. We observed that in the discussions on the
topic of birth the main topic was the emotions and feelings treated as a result of the way of
communication of the medical staff and the influence on the self-esteem of the mothers, in the
perception of mothers as mothers, women and in the relationship with the newborn as well as with the
partner or family. Also by studying a school for general nurses, doing a course in autopsies and giving
birth to three babies in two different hospitals, I had the chance to use the participatory observation
research method. My research has resulted in the fact that new health professionals are greatly
influenced by old professionals who unfortunately have an acquired communication handicap because
they too suffer from anxiety and stress and their needs are not listened to or helped, and as a result we
have a vicious circle that is repeated for at least two generations. The main result of this vicious cycle
of miscommunication with mothers-to-be leads to increased anxiety which in turn will lead to decreased
self-esteem, postpartum depression, decreased birth rate, lack of bonding between mother and child,
lack of affection for the child due to anxiety, which in the future will affect the development of the
child, the individual and society.