Mothering behavior and maternal role attainment during the postpartum period.

Relationships among subjective and behavioral components of maternal role attainment were investigated separately for 64 primiparous and 60 multiparous mothers. The influence of contextual variables on maternal behavior was also examined. Subjects were medically low risk with normal infants. Attitudes toward themselves and their infants and feelings of self-confidence were measured at 1 to 2 days and 4 to 6 weeks after delivery. At 4 to 6 weeks mothers were also videotaped performing an infant feeding at home. Tapes were rated for maternal sensitivity and responsivity. For primiparas, self-confidence was related to maternal feeding behavior as were maternal age, education, and socioeconomic class. For multiparas, only initial attitude toward self was related to maternal behavior; however, maternal age and infant size were contextual factors related to behavior. Distinctions proposed among subjective and behavioral components are in part supported by the findings of the study.