Family-centered perinatal education.

Family-centered perinatal education is a health education service focused on the family unit during the childbirth period and is supportive to all family members as the family moves from one stage of development to the next. It is distinct from traditional childbirth education and family-centered maternity care by being a single educational intervention that addresses the needs of the entire family during the prenatal and postpartum periods. The advantages of family-centered perinatal education are discussed from the consumer's and educator's perspectives. Such education emphasizes extending social support into the postpartum period as a buffer against the effects of stress on new parents. Teaching and learning occur in a more timely manner. Family members learn what is most needed when it is most needed and avoid the feeling of being "cut loose" from the health care system right after the birth. Family-centered perinatal education is likely to become an increasingly popular consumer option as hospitals compete to provide the best obstetric/neonatal care.