Psychological changes of pregnancy

2. Psychological Changes
of Pregnancy
Reynel Dan L. Galicinao

3. A woman‟s attitude toward a
pregnancy depends a great deal
on psychological aspects:
• The environment in which she
was raised
• The messages about pregnancy
her family communicated to her
as a child

4. • The society and culture in
which she lives as an adult
• Whether the pregnancy
came at a good time in
her life

5. Psychological Changes of
Pregnancy
• Social Influences
• Cultural Influences
• Family Influences

6. SOCIAL
INFLUENCES

7. In the past: Today:
• The pregnancy was • Our society view
conveyed as a 9- pregnancy as a time
month-long illness of health
• The pregnant woman • Women bring their
went alone to a families for prenatal
physician‟s office for care
care

8. In the past: Today:
• At the time of birth, • Instead of general
she was separated anesthetics to “sleep
from her family and through” labor and
admitted to a hospital birth, they are urged to
actively participate in
• She was hospitalized the experience
in seclusion from
visitors and even • Birthing rooms and
from the new baby for family-centered care
a week afterward helped involved families
in childbirth

9. • The couple‟s outlook about
pregnancy and childbirth are
affected by:
 Their cultural background
 Their personal experiences
 Experiences of friends and
relatives
 Current public philosophy of
childbirth

10. • People‟s opinion about the
following have changed:
 Adolescent pregnancy
 “Late in life” pregnancy
 Lesbian pregnancy

11. • Nurses can make pregnancy
and childbirth more enjoyable
for clients and their families by:
 Informing women about their
new health care options
 Continuing to work with
other health care providers to
“demedicalize” childbirth

12. CULTURAL INFLUENCES

13. • Certain cultural beliefs and taboos
may place restrictions on a woman‟s
behavior and activities regarding her
pregnancy
• During prenatal visit, ask the woman
and her partner if there is anything
they believe that should or should
not be done to make the pregnancy
successful and keep the baby
healthy.

14. • Examples:
 Lifting your arms over your head
during pregnancy will cause the
cord to twist.
 Watching a lunar eclipse will
cause birth deformities

15. • Listen to such “tell tales” to show
respect for the person‟s beliefs, but
encourage the woman to ask her
health care provider to find out if
there is any substance to them.

16. FAMILY
INFLUENCES

17. Positive Influence
• Woman and her siblings were loved
and seen as a pleasant outcome of a
happy marriage
• Pregnancy is natural and simple

Positive attitude toward her pregnancy

18. Negative Influence
• Woman and her siblings were seen
as intruders or were blamed for the
break-up of a marriage
• Excruciating pain and endless
suffering in labor
• “If you hadn‟t come along:
 I could have had gone to college.”
 I could have had a career.”

19. 
View pregnancy as a disaster

20. • „People love as they have been
loved.‟
• If a woman had difficulty
loving others because she has
not received love, she may
worry that she will have
difficulty loving and accepting
the fetus growing within her

21. • To mother her baby well, she should
be able to feel pleasurable
anticipation at the prospect of
rearing a child.
• Becoming a mother is a second
adjustment above and beyond being
pregnant
• The mother who views mothering as
a positive activity is more likely to be
pleased when she becomes pregnant
than one who devalues mothering