Increasing or Decreasing the Level of Anxiety During Labor

Abstract

My research looks at the increase or decrease in the degree of anxiety, during labor, caused
by the way the medical personnel communicate 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, through the unstructured interview method. I observed that in the discussions about
the topic of birth, the main subject was the emotions and feelings experienced resulting from the way
of communication of the medical personnel and the influence on the self-esteem of the mothers, in the
way of perceiving mothers as mothers, women and in the relationship with the newborn as well as with
the partner or the family. Also, due to the fact that I studied at a general nursing school, I did an autopsy
course and I give birth to three children in two different hospitals, I had the chance to use the research
method of participatory observation. My research resulted in the fact that the new medical personnel
are greatly influenced by the old personnel who unfortunately have an acquired disability of
communication because they too suffer from anxiety and stress and their needs are not listened to or
help is offered, and as a result we have a vicious circle that repeats itself for at least two generations.
The main result of this vicious cycle of faulty communication with expectant mothers leads to increased
anxiety, which in turn will lead to lower self-esteem, the onset of postpartum depression, lower birth
rates, lack of bonding between mother and child, lack of affection towards the child due to the anxiety
experienced, which in the future will affect the development of the child, the individual and the society.