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

Sofia Gameiro, Mariana Moura-Ramos, Maria Cristina Canavarro

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)269-286
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
Volume27
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Motherhood
  • Parity
  • Psychological adjustment

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Maternal adjustment to the birth of a child: Primiparity versus multiparity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this