| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺北護理健康大學 === 護理助產及婦女健康系護理助產研究所 === 107 === Background: Fear of childbirth can hinder maternal-fetal attachment and affect the course of labor. Fear may escalate and prolong labor, one of the indications for cesarean delivery. Furthermore, low maternal-fetal attachment may impair bonding after birth, which adversely affects a child’s development. Prenatal Gentle Yoga is a program developed in Indonesia to promote wellbeing during pregnancy that may encourage maternal-fetal attachment and reduce childbirth fear. However, research about its benefits has been limited. This study therefore evaluated the effect of Prenatal Gentle Yoga on maternal-fetal attachment and fear of childbirth. It also identified predictors of both.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional case-control study with a convenience sample of 130 pregnant women conducted from July to August 2018 in Central Java Province. The women were divided into two groups: those who did and those who did not participate in Prenatal Gentle Yoga classes. After obtaining informed consent, the study collected data using the Prenatal Attachment Inventory, the Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire and a demographic questionnaire. Data analysis used SPSS software version 20.0.
Results: Participation in Prenatal Gentle Yoga classes increased maternal-fetal attachment (p = .001) among women who participated in yoga classes. Findings also showed Prenatal Gentle Yoga significantly reduced fear of childbirth; pregnant women who attended eight hours or more of Prenatal Gentle Yoga classes scored lower on childbirth fear than those who did not (p<.001). Education level and participation in Prenatal Gentle Yoga were the strongest predictors of maternal-fetal attachment (R2=.142). Participation in Prenatal Gentle Yoga was the only factor that strongly predicted childbirth fear (R2=.26).
Conclusions: This study concluded that Prenatal Gentle Yoga can increase maternal-fetal attachment and decrease childbirth fear. Midwives should therefore widely promote it to pregnant women in Indonesia and around the world. The health system in Indonesia should consider supporting it as part of routine antenatal care.
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