Maternal adjustment to the birth of a child: Primiparity versus multiparity

• Author(s): Gameiro, Sofia ; Moura-Ramos, Mariana ; Canavarro, Maria Cristina
• Date: 2009
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/11149
• Origin: Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra
• Subject(s): Motherhood; Psychological adjustment; Parity
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

Introduction: The literature has highlighted the birth of a first child as a crisis moment that implies change and reorganisation. None the less, the specificities of maternal adjustment to the birth of another child are not yet completely known. Goals: To understand differences in adjusting to the birth of a child, in primiparous and multiparous mothers. Specifically: (1) identify and describe differences in adjusting at two different moments: 2-5 days after the birth and 8 months post-partum; (2) identify and describe differences or continuities among primiparous and multiparous mothers regarding the temporal evolution of adjustment. Method: 179 mothers (98 primiparous; 81 multiparous) were assessed in two different periods: 2-5 days after the birth and 8 months later, concerning adjustment and need for reorganisation. The assessment protocol included a social-demographic data file, the Emotional Assessment Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, and adjectival scales. Results: Primiparous mothers report greater adjustment difficulties right after the birth. Multiparous mothers show a less positive adjustment trajectory, mainly reflected in increasing levels of negative emotional reactivity. Conclusion: Results support the existence of different adjustment trajectories for primiparous and multiparous mothers, suggesting the need for differentiated psychological intervention strategies regarding each group. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02646830802350898