Relationships among prenatal maternal attachment, presence of postnatal depressive symptoms, and maternal role attainment.

PURPOSE

To examine the relationships among a woman's attachment to her fetus, the presence of postpartum depressive symptoms, and subsequent perceptions of maternal role attainment three months after birth

DESIGN

A longitudinal, panel design

SETTING

Hospital-sponsored childbirth education classes

PARTICIPANTS

Primiparous women (N = 136) at 24-40 weeks of pregnancy and 9-14 weeks after the birth

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Perceived Competence Scale, Myself as Mother Scale, and My Baby Scale

RESULTS

Prenatal maternal attachments was positively related to maternal role attainment to maternal role attainment.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings enhance maternal identity theory and provide a means to evaluate the transition to motherhood.