Perinatal psychology is a science that studies the mental life of an infant in the womb of a mother. This area of knowledge not only examines the early stages of life, but also establishes their influence on the adult existence of man.
The history of the psychology of perinatal development
The founder of this area of psychology is Gustav Hans Graber. It was he who in 1971 formed the first group in the world to study the psychology of a child before he was born.
Pre- and perinatal psychology uses the concepts of developmental psychology and embryology, as well as psychoanalytic models. It is worth noting that it was perinatal psychology and parenting psychology that in many ways served as a link between medicine and psychology. It is thanks to this fusion of sciences that the same problems can be viewed from different points of view by neurologists, geneticists, gynecologists, pediatricians and psychologists.
Problems of perinatal psychology
At the present time, perinatal psychology involves consideration of the psychology of the mother, the baby in the womb and the newborn baby. The perinatal psychologist conducts the following types of consultations:
- Mandatory classes with pregnant women, which raise issues such as a healthy mood for natural childbirth and lactation, the correct preparation for childbirth and maternity, the creation of normal conditions for the fetus, the elimination of problems in the course of working with the mother or a couple.
- Consultation of the husband of the pregnant woman, development in it of a correct position in relation to the wife and the child.
- Help in overcoming postpartum depression and the effects of births on the woman's body.
- Assistance in the adaptation of the child to a new environment of life, the organization of lactation and recommendations for the proper care of the baby.
- Consultations on the development of the baby, monitoring its development, regulating its behavior, as well as consulting the mother regarding proper care.
- Supervision of the child from 1 to 3 years, consultations of his parents.
- Teaching the mother the most important skills of communicating with the baby, the methods of education and interaction that allow you to grow a mentally healthy child.
Do not forget that pregnancy is a difficult period in the life of any woman, who, of course, is accompanied by big changes in her life. The activities of the perinatal psychologist are aimed at helping a woman to accept her new condition and teach her the right attitude to all the updates in life.