The Dynamics of Becoming a Mother during Pregnancy and After Childbirth

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between one’s maternal attachment style and one’s self-image as a mother, image of one’s mother as a mother, and bond with the child over a period of several months. Methods: A total of 86 women took part in the study The Adjective Check List (ACL), Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ), Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS), and a modified version of the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) were used. Two measurements were used: during pregnancy and about six months after the birth of the child. Results: In terms of their self-image as mothers, the women had higher results the first time they took the questionnaire, regardless of their attachment style. An interaction effect was found between attachment style and the ‘need for changes’ scale. The image of one’s mother as a mother depended on the level of avoidance in attachment, regardless of the measurement. An interaction effect was found between attachment style and the scale of ‘personal adaptation’. There was a correlation between the bond with the child during pregnancy, the bond following birth, and the style of maternal attachment; the main predictor of the bond with the child after birth is the bond with the child during the pregnancy. Conclusion: Those who provide care for pregnant women and new mothers should be aware of the complex psychological processes in the transition to motherhood, have knowledge about perinatal mental health, and when necessary, refer women to specialists such as support groups for new mothers, trained midwives, psychologists, psychotherapists, or psychiatrists.

The anxious aspects of insecure attachment styles are associated with depression either in pregnancy or in the postpartum period

“…Throughout pregnancy and beyond, the transition to motherhood may overwhelm women forced to reestablish their identities in new role [ 5 ]. Moreover, motherhood may arouse in women memories of childhood experiences with their own mother’s parenting style and their relationship with caregivers [ 6 ]. Clearly, the transition to motherhood triggers the attachment system [ 7 ].…”

Attachment Styles, Various Maternal Representations and a Bond to a Baby

“…Both the literature (e.g., [63,64]) and our study show that there is still a lot to do in the realm of the mental health of mothers and children.…”

Pre-natal Attachment and Parent-To-Infant Attachment: A Systematic Review

“…Most of the included studies were conducted in Europe: two in Italy (Petri et al, 2018 ; Smorti et al, 2020 ), two in Germany (Dubber et al, 2015 ; Matthies et al, 2020 ), two in the Netherlands (de Cock et al, 2016 ; Cuijlits et al, 2019 ), two in Poland (Fijałkowska and Bielawska-Batorowicz, 2019 ; Zdolska-Wawrzkiewicz et al, 2020 ), one in France (Luz et al, 2017 ), and one in Sweden (Hjelmstedt and Collins, 2008 ). Three studies were carried out in Australia (Condon et al, 2013 ; Rossen et al, 2016 , 2017 ) and four in the US (Mercer and Ferketich, 1994 ; Ferketich and Mercer, 1995 ; Müller, 1996 ; Damato, 2004 ).…”

“…All of the studies included in the current systematic review adopted a quantitative approach based on the administration of self-report instruments (Mercer and Ferketich, 1994 ; Ferketich and Mercer, 1995 ; Müller, 1996 ; Damato, 2004 ; Hjelmstedt and Collins, 2008 ; Condon et al, 2013 ; Dubber et al, 2015 ; de Cock et al, 2016 ; Rossen et al, 2016 , 2017 ; Luz et al, 2017 ; Daglar and Nur, 2018 ; Petri et al, 2018 ; Cuijlits et al, 2019 ; Fijałkowska and Bielawska-Batorowicz, 2019 ; Matthies et al, 2020 ; Smorti et al, 2020 ; Zdolska-Wawrzkiewicz et al, 2020 ). Only one paper resorted to an observational approach during post-partum (Taffazoli et al, 2015 ).…”