The Relationship Between Prenatal Attachment and Social Support Levels of Pregnant Women in the Third Trimester and Factors Affecting this Relationship

Relationship between maternal antenatal attachment and traumatic childbirth perception among pregnant women

“…In one study, prenatal attachment levels of pregnant women with primary school education were lower than in other pregnant women 7 . In the literature, some studies show a relationship between education level and prenatal attachmen 20,21 . Based on these considerations, it is thought that pregnant women with higher education levels are more interested in their babies.…”

The Role of Childhood Trauma on Prenatal Attachment

“…The emotions and behaviors of the future mother related to prenatal attachment not only help her to show interest, love, and affection to the infant; protect and nurture it; interact; and be sensitive to the needs of the infant but also facilitate the development of motherhood identity and adaptation to motherhood. Therefore, when prenatal attachment forms at an accurate level, there are some lifelong benefits for the pregnant woman and the fetus in terms of safety, nutrition, and psychological benefits (Aksoy et al, 2021; Alvarenga et al, 2015; Berthelot et al, 2015). However, low prenatal attachment and poor quality have negative impacts on the mother and the fetus/infant during pregnancy and after delivery (Huth-Bocks et al, 2013; Petfield et al, 2015).…”

“…This result may have occurred because pregnant women who experienced any major traumatic life event might have been negatively affected in psychological terms and the stress affected prenatal attachment negatively. In previous studies, it was reported that there is a significant relationship between the stress of the expectant mother and the problems faced during the perinatal period and low maternal-fetal attachment, emphasizing that women must have a comfortable and peaceful pregnancy process to ensure prenatal attachment (Aksoy et al, 2021; Özcan et al, 2018).…”

“…In the present study, it was also observed that the prenatal attachment levels of those who had marital/marriage problems and experienced domestic violence were lower than those of women who did not, which may have occurred because of the increased risk of psychological health problems in pregnant women who faced these problems and can be explained by the possibility that the future mother might have decreased emotional investment in pregnancy and the infant when she struggled with other problems, or that they care less about themselves and the fetus. It is also possible that the interest and support of the mother who has such problems and the satisfaction received from the marriage, which are important factors that make it easier to cope with stressful conditions, are low, and this might negatively affect the process of adaptation to the motherhood role and reduce commitment to the infant (Aksoy et al, 2021; Özcan et al, 2018; Stark Stigger et al, 2020; Ulu and Bayraktar, 2018). In previous studies, it was reported that the experience of domestic violence had a significant and negative effect on the psychological functioning of the mother and the mother-infant relationship during pregnancy; mothers who experienced domestic violence had lower prenatal quality than those who did not, and their prenatal attachment was lower (Huth-Bocks et al, 2013; Sancho-Rossignol et al, 2018; Schwerdtfeger and Goff, 2007).…”

“…Several factors are effective in the formation and shaping of prenatal attachment, such as individual characteristics (i.e., age, education, income, etc. ), social and familial factors, readiness for motherhood, planned pregnancy, primiparous-multiparous pregnancy, number of children in the family, stress and psychiatric problems faced during pregnancy, and perceived support (Aksoy et al, 2021;Ulu and Bayraktar, 2018). It is also known that the transition to parenting and the acceptance of the role of the mother are experienced and shaped according to previous life experiences (Camacho et al, 2010).…”