Perinatal coaching: program development.

Perinatal Coaching is a training/educational program introduced to new parents in the first days following the birth of their baby. This program provides support while teaching new parents skills to communicate and interact with their newborn following birth. The article gives an overview of the content of the Perinatal Coaching Program, a review of the newborn's capabilities and their relationship to perinatal coaching, important features of some ongoing programs, early identification and selection of parents, and speculation for future development.

Effects of perinatal coaching on mother-infant interaction.

Perinatal coaching, a skill-training program designed to promote and enhance parent-infant interactions, was evaluated through a controlled design. Forty-two first-time mothers and their clinically well newborns from one private pediatric practice in central Michigan were the sample. Twenty-one of the mothers received perinatal coaching on days 1, 2, and 7 post partum, while the remaining 21 served as the control group.