FAMILY RELATIONS IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD (LITERATURE REVIEW)

Abstract

From sociological point of view, a family is a structure dedicated for human reproduction that unites people with mutual life conditions and responsibility and based on consanguinity and marriage. In addition, the family is a psychological community of separate individuals with complex relationships. The aim of this work is to describe and systematize the psychological aspects of the structure of the family, which plans the birth of a child, the peculiarities of its functioning and dynamics. Breaking points for the family can be identified by the following signs: - Possibility to date and localize breaking points in time and space, that differs them from chronic psychological traumatic experience; - Persistent emotional reaction in response; - Spending more time and efforts to adapt comparing to response to everyday overloads. Pregnancy and delivery completely meet these criteria despite their physiology. The implementation of the reproductive function is associated both with the creating of a family and profound reorganization of its system. Pregnancy initiates the cascade of serious transformations in a body and mental state of a pregnant woman. These processes mostly define the functionality of a family and mutual relations of its members and secondly influence the state of a mother-to-be. Each stage of family development may have some influence on pregnancy as start for a new life. The family development consists of the following stages: 1. Premarital relations. 2. Confrontation. 3. Compromise. 4. Stable marital relations. 5. Experiments with independence. 6. Renaissance. The pattern of alternation of these stages can be traced in most cases of studying the dynamics of family relations.Perinatal psychologists and psychotherapists can hardly solve their professional tasks without knowing the structure of a family planning the childbirth as well as family functioning and dynamics. Perinatal psychologist should be able in a timely manner to recognize possible scenarios of disharmonic family relations and to prevent conflict or help constructively solving it.

Keywords

• woman,baby,perinatal period,family relationships.