Expected and actual experience in labour and delivery and their relationship to maternal attachment

Abstract

Mothers of one-month-old infants were asked to provide information regarding their psychological and physical expectations about childbirth, and their actual experiences. This information was obtained by means of a questionnaire which was completed by 267 women who gave birth in the Seattle area. The results showed that primiparous women (n=139) had greater discrepancies between expectations and outcomes than did multiparous women (n=128). This discrepancy was largely due to poorer outcomes rather than differences in the initial level of expectations. Specifically, primiparas had many more obstetric interventions and had a more negative psychological experience. Psychological outcomes were also positively correlated with maternal attachment in this group. The clinical implications of these results are discussed, especially of the psychological care of mothers before and shortly after childbirth.