Relationship between parity and the problems that appear in the postpartum period

Abstract

Parity is associated with the incidence of problems in pregnancy, delivery and the puerperium. The influence of parity in the postpartum period has been poorly studied and the results are incongruous. The objective of this study was to identify the association between parity and the existence of distinct discomfort and problems during the postpartum period. Cross-sectional study with puerperal women in Spain. Data was collected on demographic and obstetric variables and maternal manifestations of discomfort and problems during the postpartum period. An ad hoc online questionnaire was used. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by conditional logistic regression. 1503 primiparous and 1487 multiparous participated in the study. 53.4% (803) of the primiparous women affirmed to have feelings of sadness, as opposed to 36.2% (539) of multiparous women (aOR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.35–1.89). 48.3% (726) of primiparous had lactation problems vs 24.7% (367) of multiparous (aOR: 2.46; 95% CI: 2.05–2.94). 37.2% (559) of primiparous reported anxiety, while the percentage in multiparous was 25.7% (382) (aOR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.12–1.61). 22.2% (333) of primiparous had depressive symptoms, and 11.6% (172) of multiparous (aOR: 1.65; CI 95%: 1.31–2.06). Faecal incontinence was more present in primiparous than in multiparous, 6.5% (97) and 3.3% (49) respectively (aOR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.07–2.38). Parity is associated with the presence of certain problems in the postpartum period. Thus, primiparous are more likely to have lactation problems, depressive symptoms, anxiety, sadness, and faecal incontinence.

Symptoms of Discomfort and Problems Associated with Mode of Delivery During the Puerperium: An Observational Study

“…According to our results, multiple pregnancy, induction of labor, having health problems during pregnancy, and using epidural analgesia during delivery were identified as risk factors for not giving birth vaginally. These factors are in line with results of previous studies and have been well-studied in the scientific literature [29,30,31,32,33].…”

“…For example, one of the variables for which it was adjusted was parity. Parity has been associated with problems and discomfort in the postpartum period [29].…”

Continuous versus discontinuous suture in perineal injuries produced during delivery in primiparous women: a randomized controlled trial

“…A strength of this study was that the women did not know the suture technique used (simple blinding) and therefore their answers could not be influenced by knowing the intervention. In the exclusion criteria, parity was taken into account since it has an influence on the discomfort and problems in the postpartum period [16].…”

Associations of Pregnancy History with BMI and Weight Gain in 45–54-Year-Old Women

“…This suggests that there is a higher likelihood of drastic and persistent body composition and metabolic changes after having 1 child. Although the exact causes of this “primiparous paradox” are not clear, studies suggest that multiparous women (compared with those who only have 1 child) are less likely to experience anxiety and depression after pregnancy (43), and are more motivated to make dietary changes and lose weight after subsequent pregnancies (44), which could put primiparous women at higher risk of obesity. Similar to our observations, a large prospective cohort of US Caucasian/White and African American/Black premenopausal women found that women with 1 live birth (but not ≥2 live births), had higher weight gain and waist-to-hip ratio compared with women with no live births over a 5-y follow-up (45).…”