Intergenerational relations, circumstances, and changes in mothers’ marital quality during two years following childbirth

Intimate relationships after receiving versus being denied an abortion: A 5‐year prospective study in the United States

“…These findings are consistent with women's expectations and partner‐related reasons for having an abortion 1,2 . Additionally, they are supported by previous studies that found limited or no effects on women's intimate relationships after abortion 13,14 and studies finding that raising young children reduces relationship quality 6–9,32 . The finding that those denied an abortion are more likely to report poor relationship quality is also consistent with previous research from the Turnaway study finding that being denied an abortion prolonged women's experience of intimate partner violence, compared with those who received their abortion 33 …”

“…1,2 Additionally, they are supported by previous studies that found limited or no effects on women's intimate relationships after abortion 13,14 and studies finding that raising young children reduces relationship quality. [6][7][8][9]32 The finding that those denied an abortion are more likely to report poor relationship quality is also consistent with previous research from the Turnaway study finding that being denied an abortion prolonged women's experience of intimate partner violence, compared with those who received their abortion. 33 The strengths of this study include our longitudinal design and use of an appropriate control group, comparing women who obtained an abortion to others who sought an abortion and were denied one, and following women for 5 years.…”

“…However, the extent to which having an abortion enables people to leave poor relationships, preserve the quality of existing ones, or to find new healthier relationships, has not been well studied. While some researchers argue that having a child together may strengthen a couple's commitment to each other, the literature suggests that a couple's relationship quality tends to decline after the birth of a child 6–9 . A study of over 3000 partnered couples who were followed over 8 years after a child's birth found that levels of supportiveness among both married and unmarried parents declined steadily throughout the follow‐up period 7,10 .…”

“…While some researchers argue that having a child together may strengthen a couple's commitment to each other, the literature suggests that a couple's relationship quality tends to decline after the birth of a child. [6][7][8][9] A study of over 3000 partnered couples who were followed over 8 years after a child's birth found that levels of supportiveness among both married and unmarried parents declined steadily throughout the follow-up period. 7,10 While these studies describe the relationship trajectories of parenting couples, the question remains whether people's relationship trajectories would differ if they had chosen to end a DOI: 10.1363/psrh.12216 pregnancy or place for adoption, when compared to choosing to parent.…”

A longitudinal perspective of the change in personal growth in the transition to motherhood and predicting factors.

“…It is therefore reasonable to assume that relationship quality with the partner will be associated with personal growth when women experience greater stress, in most cases after the birth of their first child. In addition, it is possible that the challenges of pregnancy are experienced mainly by the pregnant woman herself, whereas after childbirth, both parents are required to deal with the demands of the changing reality, creating challenges for the spousal relationship as well (Noy et al, 2020). Relationship quality with the partner may thus play a more important role in the experience of personal growth after childbirth than during pregnancy.…”