Can mindfulness reduce fear of labour and postpartum depression?

Mindfulness is defined as paying attention to the present moment in a purposeful, non-judgmental way. This study, as with previous ones, was small. It included 30 women in the third trimester of pregnancy who were randomly assigned to either mindfulness training or traditional childbirth classes. The lead author, Dr Larissa Duncan, associate professor of human development and family studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that, given the fairly large body of research showing that mindfulness can reduce depression and anxiety, she hypothesised it would protect the mental health of mothers and fathers.