The prenatal period has become a valuable field of research in mental health and neuropsychology, focusing on perinatal preparation, the mental well-being of the expectant mother, and the effects on the baby’s biopsychosocial development. Believing that its importance is not yet fully understood, I would like to explain this period and hope that expectant mothers will be better equipped and more aware of this issue.
How Is The Perinatal Period (Prenatal Period) Experienced?
It covers the period from the beginning of pregnancy until birth. While the baby’s physiological, emotional, and hormonal development takes place inside the womb, the mother also undergoes a process of change during this period—not only physiologically and hormonally, but also mentally (internally) and socially (externally).
The hormonal changes, emotional state organization, expectations, and anxieties experienced by the mother during this period encompass both the adaptation process to pregnancy and possible risk factors.
Is The Baby’s First Place Of Birth The World Or The Mother’s Womb?
The important point here is that the baby’s psychological development begins before birth, and its foundations are laid in the mother’s womb. It has even been observed that life events prior to this period—such as whether the mother wanted the pregnancy, whether she was unprepared, whether she became pregnant during a period of grief or depression, whether she was pressured into the pregnancy, or whether she experienced weak partner support—also have an effect on this process.
As The Mother Changes During Pregnancy, The Baby Begins To Build Its Existence
When we consider pregnancy and its effects on the baby physiologically and emotionally: as the baby prepares to leave the womb and enter the outside world into its mother’s arms, its intestines, brain, and all sensory systems fall into a rhythmic pattern; its hormones and nervous system develop. Breathing, heart rate, and the stress response system are regulated.
These formations are transferred from the mother to the baby through emotional, biological, and physiological transmission via the placenta, and the baby continues to synchronize its activities with the mother as it develops. When the mother is afraid, the baby may tense up inside; when she feels happy and excited, the baby may move, kick, or relax.
The neural tube forms in the first months while the baby is in the womb; brain connections accelerate and grow around the 20th week; and in the last three months before birth, the sensory systems develop. Hearing becomes active, the baby begins to recognize the mother’s voice, and responds in parallel with her heartbeat. These processes demonstrate how early maternal-fetal attachment and emotional regulation mechanisms begin to form.
Possible Behaviors Observed In Newborns Of Stressed Mothers
Especially in mothers who have had a restless and stressful pregnancy, the baby may experience colic, difficulty sleeping, refusal to breastfeed, inability to let go of the breast, difficulty defecating, gas pain, and increased need for physical contact during this period. These outcomes are frequently discussed within the framework of prenatal stress and its impact on early development.
The Relationship Is Always Two-Way: What Should Be Done?
While the baby is in the womb, the mother can establish mental and emotional contact with it, imagine it, talk to it, and give it meaning. Sounds and music heard in the womb can have a soothing effect after birth. The mother can eat foods she loves and craves. Since the senses of taste and smell begin to develop during the prenatal period, the baby may feel more comfortable with familiar tastes and smells after birth.
These practices strengthen prenatal bonding and support emotional attunement between mother and baby.
Conclusion
When the newborn baby first comes into contact with its mother as separate beings after birth, the symbiotic bond can be experienced in a warmer and more intimate way. This positively affects secure attachment, emotional regulation, and the immune and nervous systems in both the mother and the baby.
It has been observed that the mother’s emotional and social support from her partner is a protective factor for attachment and mental health in both partners and within the mother-baby-father relationship. The prenatal period is not only a biological preparation for birth, but also the beginning of a profound psychological relationship that shapes lifelong development.
Bibliography
Gebelikte Psikososyal Sağlık Düzeyi ile Prenatal Bağlanma Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi, DergiPark.
Van den Bergh, B. R. H. et al. (2005). Antenatal maternal anxiety and stress and the neurobehavioral development of the fetus and child. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
O’Connor, T. G. et al. (2002). Maternal antenatal anxiety and behavioural/emotional problems in children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
DeCasper, A. J., & Spence, M. J. (1986). Prenatal maternal speech influences newborns’ perception of speech sounds. Infant Behavior and Development.
Mennella, J. A. et al. (2001). Prenatal flavor exposure and postnatal food preferences.
Alhusen, J. L. (2008). A literature update on maternal-fetal attachment. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing.