Mindful Motherhood is an educational program developed specifically for pregnant women and new moms. It teaches a set of practices and ways of being based upon the principles of mindfulness.

You can learn about Mindful Motherhood by reading the book Mindful Motherhood: Practical Tools for Staying Sane During Pregnancy and Your Child’s First Year


Stay updated with Cassi Vieten's Mindful Motherhood Blogs:
Psychology Today
Huffington Post

Archives of Women's Mental Health Article (PDF)
Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention during pregnancy on prenatal stress and mood: Results of a pilot study.
Cassandra Vieten, PhD, and John Astin, PhD

FAQ About The Mindful Motherhood Study

• Why mindfulness in pregnancy and early motherhood?
• What is Mindfulness?
• What does the project offer?
• How do I find out if I'm eligible for classes?
• Resources

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Why mindfulness in pregnancy and early motherhood?

Stress and negative mood during pregnancy and postpartum has been associated with a wide variety of adverse outcomes including preterm birth, low birth weight, childbirth complications, and increased risk for postpartum mood disorder. Maternal stress, depression, and anxiety also may interfere with healthy fetal and child development, and secure mom-baby attachment. Training in mindfulness has shown promise for reducing stress, improving mood, and even enhancing immunity and brain activity associated with a positive outlook on life. Our pilot studies have shown that pregnant women attending the training had reduced stress and negative mood in comparison to women who did not attend the training.

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What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness generally means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness of one's present moment experience. The goal of learning mindfulness in this context is to be able to be aware of your experience without necessarily labeling it as good or bad, and to be able to choose your responses rather than reacting out of habit. Mindfulness training also focuses on staying present with whatever is happening, a skill that is important for good parenting.

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What does the project offer?

The purpose of this study is to find out whether participating in a program that teaches mindfulness skills particularly as they relate to pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting, will reduce stress and improve mood both pregnancy and postpartum, and enhance mom-baby attachment. Training sessions include meditation, mindful yoga, and learning acceptance-based approaches to dealing with difficult emotions. Eligible participants will be asked to attend a free 8-week training program, and to complete assessments three times so that the research team can evaluate the effectiveness of the classes.

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How do I find out if I'm eligible for classes?

If this sounds like something you'd like Call the Mind-Body Medicine Research Group at 415.600.3689 or email mindfulmotherhood@sutterhealth.org to schedule a short telephone interview to see if you are eligible to participate.
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Resources

Gayle Peterson, MSSW, LCSW, PhD (Berkeley)
Prenatal and Postpartum Counseling
(510) 594-6801
Drgayle@sbcgobal.net

Nancy Bardacke, CNM (Berkeley and San Francisco)
Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Education Programs
www.mindfulbirthing.org

The Mindful Body - Kari Marble (San Francisco)
Offers prenatal and postpartum yoga and massage.
2876 California St
San Francisco, CA 94115
www.themindfulbody.com

Marin Birth Doulas
www.marinbirthdoulas.com





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