TY - JOUR
T1 - Maternal adjustment to the birth of a child
T2 - Primiparity versus multiparity
AU - Gameiro, Sofia
AU - Moura-Ramos, Mariana
AU - Canavarro, Maria Cristina
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - 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 inadjusting 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 (98primiparous; 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.
AB - 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 inadjusting 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 (98primiparous; 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.
KW - Motherhood
KW - Parity
KW - Psychological adjustment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70249087662&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02646830802350898
DO - 10.1080/02646830802350898
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:70249087662
SN - 0264-6838
VL - 27
SP - 269
EP - 286
JO - Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
JF - Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
IS - 3
ER -