Anxiety among expectant mothers over giving birth has increased markedly, some maternity clinic workers report. Staff at Kajaani’s central maternity clinic say that young mothers are also now more likely to suffer mental health problems than in the past, such as panic attacks and depression.
Nurse Marja Karppinen claims that social problems and isolation are to blame, as well as mothers’ insecurity over the future. But she also believes that the wealth of information available online - some of it dangerously misleading or incorrect - is fuelling the fears of parents-to-be.
"It creates tension or outright fear when people read about how awful giving birth is," she says.
Social anxiety
However, Karppinen believes that mothers nowadays also suffer from increased social anxiety before and after giving birth.
She says: “Many seem to wonder, ‘Is Kajaani a good place to live, are there jobs and houses here?’ as well as pondering the bigger questions like, ‘Can I bring a child into the world? Is there a future?’”
”If a mother’s on her second, third or more pregnancy, the anxiety increases. Knowldege adds to the pain. But in my opinion mothers are generally positive and they trust in Kainuu and the future.”
Midwives do a lot of work with expectant mothers addressing birthing fears. Karppinen says that most often mothers end up giving birth through vaginal delivery, despite many originally making plans for a Caesarean section.
”Screening for Down’s syndrome also causes a lot of anxiety. People start wondering what will happen if it brings bad news, and not everyone wants to have the test,” Karppinen says.
Changing family make-up
The changing demographics of family life, including increasing numbers of same-sex partnerships and rising divorce rates are also felt within the clinic.
Nowadays families coming through the maternity clinic’s doors are increasingly likely to consist of children from different partners, or families where the parents have separated, Karppinen says.
This can pose particular challenges in terms of making sure both parents are invited to a child’s health checkups, for example, and can also present data protection issues, Karppinen says.
Let us know what you think: Is the internet a help or a hindrance for parents-to-be? Is there more pressure on expectant mothers nowadays? Or have developments in pre- and post-natal care helped alleviate the stress of giving birth?
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