The Effect on the Birth Process of Endogenous Oxytocin Release Via Coitus at Home in Pregnant Women in the Latent Phase.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine the effect of endogenous oxytocin release via coitus at home on the delivery process in pregnant women who were not hospitalized in the latent phase. BACKGROUND: For healthy pregnant women who can deliver spontaneously, it is recommended to be admitted to the delivery room during the active phase of labor. When the pregnant woman is admitted to the delivery room in the latent phase before the active stage, pregnant women spend more time in the delivery room, which makes medical intervention inevitable. METHODS: 112 pregnant women for whom hospitalization in the latent phase was recommended were included in the randomized controlled study. They were divided into two groups in which sexual activity in the latent phase was recommended (n=56) and the control group (n=56). RESULTS: In our study, the duration of the 1st stage of labor was found to be significantly shorter in the group in which sexual activity in the latent phase was recommended, compared to the control group (p=0.001). Again, the need for amniotomy, labor induction with oxytocin, analgesics and episiotomy decreased. CONCLUSION: Sexual activity can be considered as a natural way to speed up labor, reduce medical interventions, and prevent postterm pregnancy.

The Role of Childhood Trauma on Prenatal Attachment: A Cross-Sectional Study.

ABSTRACT: Although the quality of prenatal attachment is a strong predictor of the quality of postnatal mother-infant attachment and mother-child interaction, little is known about the specific impacts of maternal exposure to childhood traumas, and it deserves more attention. This study was conducted to determine whether there is a relationship between childhood traumas and pren1atal attachment levels. Prenatal attachment and childhood trauma were evaluated in 104 pregnant women using the Prenatal Attachment Scale and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Our results showed that all kinds of childhood traumatic experiences were associated with lower prenatal attachment scores. Also, more severe childhood traumas were strongly associated with weaker prenatal attachment. This study contributes to the very limited literature on the prenatal attachment of expectant mothers with childhood traumas by emphasizing the importance of pregnant women's exposure to childhood traumas as a risk factor for low prenatal attachment.