The effect of mindfulness self-compassion training on the fear of childbirth among first time pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial

Background : Pregnancy is a significant life event for all women, often accompanied by considerable joy; however, fear of childbirth increases as delivery approaches and has adverse effects on maternal mental health. Self-compassion, through the activation of the parasympathetic system, leads to physiological and psychological well-being and may reduce fear of childbirth. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of mindful self-compassion on fear of childbirth in primiparous women under the coverage of comprehensive health service centers in Gorgan in 2024. Method : This randomized controlled trial was conducted as an interventional two-group study with a pre-post design on 42 pregnant women. Sampling was performed in two stages. In the first stage, sampling was done by convenience, and primiparous women with a gestational age of 12 weeks were invited to participate in the study. Eligible individuals were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control groups. The intervention group received eight weekly 90-minute sessions of mindful self-compassion training, while mothers assigned to the control group received no training. Both groups completed the Persian version of the Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire at two stages: once at the beginning of the study and again eight weeks later. The collected data were entered into SPSS version 18 and analyzed. Results : The mean total score of fear of childbirth in the intervention group (77.43±14.70) and control group (77.95±8.12) at the beginning of the study showed no statistically significant difference (P = 0.88). After the intervention, the mean total score of fear of childbirth in the intervention group (46.81±10.83) and control group (81.86±6.87) showed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). Cohen's d indicated that the intervention had a strong effect on reducing the mean total score and subscales of fear of childbirth (Cohen's d = -3.86). Conclusions : In the present study, the mindful self-compassion intervention reduced fear of childbirth in primiparous women. Therefore, it is suggested that this intervention be implemented in health care centers to reduce fear of childbirth so that pregnant women have a pleasant pregnancy experience. Trial registration: http://www.irct.ir/, IRCT20231025059856N1 registered November 19, 2023.