Abstracto

Psychosocial stress during labor and delivery

Dr Ylva Vladic Stjernholm

Background: Obstetric labor and childbirth are mostly regarded as a physiological process, whereas social, cultural, psychological and transcendental aspects have received less attention. Planned cesarean sections for psychosocial or non-medical reasons have increased dramatically since the 1990s. Although labor support by a midwife is described as early as in the 13th century BCE in The Book of Exodus (Shemot, Names, Heb.), further understanding about the impact of labor support is still warranted in today