Saudi Arabian Primigravid Women's Experiences of Mindfulness to Reduce Childbirth Stress: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy is a significant transitional life experience. It can also be one of the most stressful experiences in life and some women go on to develop postpartum depression. Adopting mindfulness techniques during childbirth may allow women to experience less labor pain and require fewer medical interventions, which improve the mother's health. Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness in reducing childbirth stress in primigravid women in Saudi Arabia. Methods: The researcher recruited primigravid women from an antenatal clinic in a government hospital in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The study adopted a qualitative interpretive descriptive design, using individual interviews to collect the data before conducting thematic content analysis using NVivo 10.1 software. Results: Five key themes emerged from the data: (a) stress reduction, (b) recognition of thoughts and feelings, (c) life satisfaction, (d) insufficient knowledge leads to challenges, and (e) empowerment of a spiritual aspect. Conclusions: Mindfulness is an effective technique that supports a mother's physical and psychological well-being.