Psychosocial Adaptation in Pregnancy: Assessment of Seven Dimensions of Maternal Development

Abstract

The impetus for this book originated from research on the relationship between psychosocial conflicts during pregnancy and selected complications that arise during labor. It became apparent during the interviews with expectant mothers that all the women experienced some conflict in relation to pregnancy and childbearing, and that the patterns of response to conflict could be identified as either adaptive or maladaptive. These patterns of adaptive responses were observed to be progressive in nature in that the gravid woman advanced toward an orientation to a maternal parenting role. When responses were maladaptive, the mother-to-be struggled with her ambivalence about pregnancy and motherhood, and little progress was made in role clarification in the current or in future pregnancies (based on our separate research projects with both primigravid and multigravid women).