The pregnancy and childbirth are always emotional process. As the parents is going through a cocktail of emotions by one range of emotions from fears and anxiety for the growing up and the health of the child to the euphoria, joy, wonder, impatience for meeting the baby… and more.

In Poreč, in the past eleven years, has been taken the preparatory program for the pregnant women and the future daddies and the acceptance of the new member of the family. The program allows the young couples the psycho-physical preparation for the childbirth (to the pregnant women and future daddies that want to participate during the childbirth). In this context, the course’s goal is to motivate the mastery of techniques of the control of the behavior during the childbirth, to decrease the fear of pain during the childbirth and increase a good-desire for the beautiful experience of the coming of new member of the family (according to the principles of the Theory of choice and of the Therapy of reality). Likewise, it allows the parents to deal with the situation during the childbirth as a completely natural event in base of objective information of the steps that will be taken in their immediate vicinity or related of their hospital conditions.

The program takes place by 5 workshops in which are elaborated the medical and psychological aspects of childbirth, people can learn relaxing and breathing exercises during the childbirth and it’s made the physical preparation for the childbirth. The pregnant women are preparing themselves for the active participation during the childbirth so they can help themselves in a best possible way and the child who is coming to the world, by the choice of the behaviors that are effective in various stages of childbirth. Psychological preparedness is achieved by methods of controlling direction of the behavior, learning the relaxing techniques and increasing the level information about the all steps that the pregnant woman absorbs during the childbirth. The medical topics are indicated to teach about the physiology of the childbirth, the new possibilities of the childbirth (the childbirth in the tub, on the chair…) and the indications for breastfeeding and nutrition during the lactation. The pregnant women and their partners are activated in the workshops by their choice.

Today, in connection with the start of the courses 11 years ago, partners are being prepared near the pregnant women. Near the 80% of the pregnant women who annually follow the course, there are future daddies that are prepared themselves for the childbirth. In this way, the education of the course gives the opportunity to work with young families (couples) with the goal to:

  • fortify the partnership in the relationship,
  • establish the accordance in their relationship,
  • partners’ accordance in the preparations that concern their life in common,
  • preparation for the acceptance of the new role for child care.

The couples will have the support needed so they can matured together for the partners role and then for the first arrival on the planet, they are activated together in the parents roles for the child.

This authentic program has been started, designed and implemented in all these years by the Healthy City project of Poreč. It takes place through the year and the groups are formed according the subscription of pregnant women and depending on the date of birth. In the Healthy City of Poreč environment, the program will be realized by a psychologist, a doctor and physiotherapist.

After the childbirth, in the environment of the Healthy City, are gathered together groups of women, men and children (chosen at random) that are carried out the course with a goal:

  • evaluation of the preparation program for childbirth (couples express their experiences and evaluate the benefits of the course),
  • encouraging the socialization of the children and their parents, to made new friends in the family and outside the Healthy City environment,
  • opening the possibilities to the young families to further contact with the Healthy City in various occasions (as active inhabitants in the project, volunteers, situations when the young family notes that is needed the support and similar).

The program is focused on:

  • at the individual level, the protection of each couple and the fortification of personal skills to identify changes and new roles in the family cycle phases;
  • the immediate environment of all the members of the family, in which the fortification of the family role and the protection of each member, as well as of the one that is about to arrive, in the frame of the young family.