Mindfulness e gravidez: uma revisão integrativa

Abstract

Fear of childbirth and pain is associated with high rates of cesarean section and analgesia. Mindfulness strategies, already widely used for pain management and emotional regulation, may be promising approaches in gestational care. Objective: Identify, from the literature, the intercorrelation between pregnancy, pain, and mindfulness. Method: This is an integrative review, with a search in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) using the descriptors mindfulness AND pregnancy AND pain. Inclusion criteria: full-text studies in English published in the last five years. Exclusion criteria: review studies, paywalled access, and topics outside the scope. Results: The studies indicated that the main benefits of mindfulness during pregnancy are: greater ability to cope with pain, fear, and anxiety related to childbirth; decreased preference for unnecessary obstetric interventions; and strengthening of parental bonds, both in the mother–baby relationship and in the marital relationship. Final considerations: There is a scarcity of research in the area, as well as of public policies that encourage the practice of mindfulness to improve the quality of care for pregnant and birthing women.