3 significant points midwives should take into account when supporting pregnant mothers

Modern sciences have shown that every time an organism finds itself in an environment, there is an exchange of information between this environment and the organism. The organism gets influenced by the environment and the envirnment gets influenced by the organism. Each and every organism is in a constant dialogue with the surrounding environment. Pregnancy is an extremely significant period in our experience for a multitude of reasons. However, we will focus on a very special one: Pregnant mother but pregnant father, too, re-experience all unresolved primal issues. Fears, rejections, loneliness… with all relevant consequences, upset the delicate balance of the emotional life of the parent. Primal imprints get to the surface and ask to be settled for good.

Unfortunately,a midwife, no matter how good intentions she may have, is not adequately prepared to respond to this especially subtle task. She usually leads pregnant mothers’ groups without having any training or without being under any supervision. Certainly, her good intention is a blessing, as her soul moves her towards a significant territory. But the poor training she has received within the field of midwifery -which is another scientific field not psychology- brings her to the unpleasant situation of making three major mistakes among others:

• She focuses on the pregnant mother and forgets about the unborn child. Of course, when we function well, whatever is good for one person is good for all people. But are we funtional, as a general rule, all the time? Thus, the pregnant mothers’/fathers’ wishes, needs and attitudes do not necessarily support the healthy development of the child in gestation. The ignorance of Prenatal Dynamics leads a midewife to a place where she does not act 100% in favour of the unborn child and the consequences maybe be critical for his whole life. POINT 1: FOCUS ON THE UNBORN CHILD 
• To work as a midwife does not ask for a previous personal awareness workto be done or any healing work from her part. This may become a disadvantage when she works with pregnant parents and the unborn child as she risks projections, transference and counter – countertransference. As an example we could think of the possible alianation of the midwife from her inner power which she may have possibly placed in the hands of others eg obstetricians, partners, etc. In such a case, this midwife fails to see the truth or when she sees it she fails to support the thuth. Consequently, the pregnant couples she meets may disconnect from their power, too. POINT 2: HEAL THYSELF
• The “contamination” of pregnant couples from personal experiences of other pregnant couples who narrate specially dramatic labours or difficulties with breastfeeding or parenting. Such narratives bring a lot of toxins to those who are to become parents for a first time. The midwife who does not realize what is going on at those moment and/or has no sense of her responsibility, unfortunately, participates in processes which ask for professional healing skils which – most of the times – she does not have. POINT 3: EMPOWER & NOURISH

Midwives feel a very strong attraction towards facilitating psychological support groups. Unfortunately, their academic training does not include adequate theoretical and practical clinical skills. As we are in a transition period in which the midwife moves from her role of defusing information -maieutic information- to the role of supporting the unborn child and his parents, she needs to respond to the call to update her knowledge and skills so that she can excel in this role too.

Prenatal Sciences and especially Prenatal Psychology provides the indispensable education for her and her clients to thrive.