Prenatal education offers an invaluable opportunity for expectant parents

Today, doctors and hospitals encourage parents to opt for prenatal education via various channels, including online and offline classes, workshops, online resources, books, and consultations with healthcare providers to increase the chances of a healthy pregnancy and childbirth.

Why should parents opt for it? 

Women undergo internal and external body changes during pregnancy, which may further lead to many health challenges like postpartum depression. Prenatal education provides parents with important information on the physical and emotional health and changes that occur throughout pregnancy, helping them understand the different phases of pregnancy, labor and childbirth. 

Furthermore, prenatal education prepares them for any complications that may arise during or post pregnancy. It allows parents to interact with healthcare providers, raise and seek solutions for their concerns, and acquire trust in their capacity to care for their infant.

What are its benefits? 

Prenatal education prepares them for any complications that may arise during or post pregnancy. (Source: Freepik)

Prenatal education empowers expecting parents/individuals to be open and honest about raising a healthy child. It enables parents to make educated decisions and actively participate in prenatal care. Furthermore, prenatal education provides parents with vital skills and practices, such as adequate diet, exercise, and stress management, to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Prenatal education also helps reduce anxiety and increases physical and mental/emotional confidence by promoting a greater awareness of the changes in the body and mind throughout pregnancy. 

Potential drawbacks

The pressure to follow stringent norms and suggestions during pregnancy may severely influence expecting parents’ mental health. While it is an essential step during pregnancy, in many cases, prenatal education may not always be available and/or be an expensive affair for the expecting parents/individuals, making it less accessible than others. 

This can lead to variations in understanding and resources, as many expectants resort to consuming information through the internet and/or close friends and family, possibly leaving parents without the facts they need to make educated pregnancy decisions. Moreover, prenatal education can sometimes depict an unrealistic or one-size-fits-all approach, neglecting to meet each pregnancy’s specific needs and challenges.

(Kinjal Popat is the COO and co-founder of R for Rabbit)

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