Overcoming Somatic and Psychological Difficulties: New Experiences from an Integrated Linkage of Obstetrics and Psychotherapy

In recent years it has been shown that an integrated linkage of gynecology,
obstetrics, and psychotherapy resulted in an astoundingly low rate of premature births
among the pregnant women cared for. Many physical problems in pregnancy should be
regarded within the entirety of physical and emotional processes. Symptoms are not
regarded as problems that have to be got rid of, but are rather to be interpreted as
signals and signposts that point towards more appropriate modes of behaviour and
lead to insights into the inner emotional history of the mother and previous burdens,
arising from her own or her ancestors’ early history.
This leads to suggestions for primary prevention, the encouragement of the
expectant mother to improve her inner emotional and physical state, and to get her
unborn child free from the mother’s so far unconscious impairments. This can be
achieved by early dialogue between mother, father, and (unborn) child, but also
including the child on conscious and unconscious levels between the parents and their
“inner child.”
Knowledge about these interconnections is of great importance for all
professionals in the fields of gynecology, obstetrics, and psychotherapy, for their work
and the general improvement of care of pregnancy. Five different methodological levels
within prenatal psychology and the importance of their inclusion into care of
pregnancy are presented. This psychosomatic and psychotherapeutic access will help to
prevent and treat pregnancy difficulties on an emotional and somatic level.