Adult attachment and birth experience: importance of a secure base and safe haven during childbirth

Figures & data

Table A1. Descriptive frequencies.

		Frequency	Percent
Parity	Primipara	157	61.1
	Multipara	100	38.9
Delivery mode	Vaginal	190	73.9
	Caesarean	67	26.1
Education	Some high school	5	1.9
	High school degree/GED	15	5.8
	Some college	60	23.3
	College degree	81	31.5
	Some graduate school	12	4.7
	Graduate degree	84	32.7
Household income	Under $10,000	10	3.9
	$10,000–$25,000	23	8.9
	$25,000–$50,000	53	20.6
	$50,000–$75,000	47	18.3
	$75,000–$100,000	43	16.7
	Over $100,000	81	31.5
Ethnicity	Asian	12	4.7
	Black	7	2.7
	Latina	15	5.8
	Mixed	21	8.2
	White	202	78.6
Marital status	Married/cohabiting	245	95.3
	Separated/divorced with visitation	4	1.6
	Single, no other parent	8	3.1

Table A2. Spearman’s rho correlations between subjective birth experience and attachment goal-related dimensions.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
1. Maternal age	1
2. Baby age	–12	1
3. Household income	.29***	–.21**	1
4. Multiparous	.27	–.05	.07	1
5. Caesarean	.078	.05	.15*	–.03	1
6. Accuracy of expectations	.05	–.10	–.04	.15*	–.08	1
7. Perceived control	–.10	–.06	.10	.08	–.12	.45***	1
8. Social support	–.03	–.02	–.08	–.04	–.04	.30***	.34***	1
9. Satisfaction with birth	–.04	–.10	.03	.08	–.14*	.66***	.59***	.44***	1
10. Perceived availability of AF	.00	.14*	–.00	–.08	.11	–.28***	–.20**	–.38***	–.34***	1
11. Feared loss of AF	–.02	.11	–.10	–.10	.06	–.22***	–.19**	–.32***	–.28***	.60***	1
12. Proximity-seeking	–.07	–.04	–.11	.02	.03	–.10	–.10	–.15*	–.05	.05	.20**	1
13. Separation protest	–.14*	.00	–.15*	.02	–.04	–.19**	–.12*	–.14*	–.13*	.30***	.32***	.32***	1
14. Use of AF	–.02	.31	–.00	.01	.06	–.13*	–.20**	–.20**	–.18**	.59***	.40***	.08	.17**	1

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001, Bonferroni corrected significance levels are underlined < .003.

AF, attachment figure.

Table A3. Spearman’s rho correlations between subjective birth experience and attachment-based insecure personality cluster dimensions.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
1. Maternal age	1
2. Baby age	–12	1
3. Household income	.29***	–.21**	1
4. Multiparous	.27	–.05	.07	1
5. Caesarean	.078	.05	.15*	–.03	1
6. Accuracy of expectations	.05	–.10	–.04	.15*	–.08	1
7. Perceived control	–.10	–.06	.10	.08	–.12	.45***	1
8. Social support	–.03	–.02	–.08	–.04	–.04	.30***	.34***	1
9. Satisfaction with birth	–.04	–.10	.03	.08	–.14*	.66***	.59***	.44***	1
10. Angry withdrawal	–.04	–.09	–.08	–.04	.06	–.17**	–.19**	–.27***	–.24***	1
11. Compulsive care-giving	–.13*	.08	–.07	.03	–.11	.05	.05	.06	.06	–.08	1
12. Compulsive self-reliance	.02	.18**	–.02	–.03	.14*	–.19**	–.16*	–.25***	–.23***	.66***	.28***	1
13. Compulsive care-seeking	–.11	.04	–.08	–.04	.06	–.11	–.07	–.15*	–.07	.32***	.24***	.19**	1

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001, Bonferroni corrected significance levels are underlined < .003.

AF, attachment figure.

Table A4. Hierarchical regression and interaction analyses for adult attachment dimensions, parity, and mode of delivery to overall subjective birth experience (N = 257).

	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3		Model 4
Variable	β	p	β	p	β	p	β	p
Household income	.04	.59	.05	.47	.02	.75	.05	.48
Baby age	–.10	.12	–.09	.17	–.08	.21	–.08	.23
Maternal age	.01	.91	.01	.89	.01	.89	–.00	.98
Multiparous			.07	.24	.06	.34	.05	.37
Caesarean			–.12	.06	–.09	.15	–.07	.24
Perceived availability					–.31**	.00	–.30**	.01
Feared loss of AF					–.21*	.02	–.23*	.01
Proximity-seeking					–.10	.20	–.08	.29
Separation protest					–.07	.33	–.09	.19
Use of AF					–.01	.91	–.02	.88
Angry withdrawal					.19	.10	.27*	.04
Compulsive care-giving					.05	.44	.04	.57
Compulsive care-seeking					–.05	.54	–.06	.45
Compulsive self-reliance					.02	.85	–.03	.79
Multiparous × Perceived Availability							.14	.22
Multiparous × Feared loss of AF							–.23*	.016
Multiparous × Proximity seeking							–.14	.08
Multiparous × Separation protest							.12	.08
Multiparous × Use of AF							.00	.97
Multiparous × Angry withdrawal							.00	.99
Multiparous × Compulsive care-giving							–.06	.41
Multiparous × Compulsive care-seeking							.07	.36
Multiparous × Compulsive self-reliance							–.00	.97
Caesarean × Perceived availability							–.06	.63
Caesarean × Feared Loss of AF							–.11	.20
Caesarean × Proximity seeking							–.02	.78
Caesarean × Separation protest							.06	.38
Caesarean × Use of AF							.05	.65
Caesarean × Angry withdrawal							–.07	.57
Caesarean × Compulsive care-giving							.04	.58
Caesarean × Compulsive care-seeking							–.00	.98
Caesarean × Compulsive self-reliance							.08	.49
R^2	.01		.03		.18		.24
F for change in R^2			2.61		4.66***		1.05

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.

AF, attachment figure.

Table A5. Hierarchical regression and interaction analyses for adult attachment dimensions, parity and mode of delivery to accuracy of expectations.

	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3		Model 4
Variable	β	p	β	p	β	p	β	p
Household income	–.03	.61	–.03	.67	–.05	.44	–.02	.76
Baby age	–.12	.05	–.11	.08	–.11	.10	–.10	.11
Maternal Age	.05	.41	.05	.43	.05	.49	.04	.56
Multiparous			.13*	.04	.13*	.04	.13*	.04
Caesarean			–.08	.19	–.06	.35	–.05	.41
Perceived availability					–.13	.26	–.12	.30
Feared loss of AF					–.07	.41	–.13	.18
Proximity-seeking					–.09	.25	–.07	.38
Separation protest					–.14*	.05	–.18*	.02
Use of AF					–.06	.58	–.06	.61
Angry withdrawal					.21	.08	.29*	.03
Compulsive care-giving					.04	.59	.01	.95
Compulsive care-seeking					–.03	.69	–.03	.71
Compulsive self-reliance					–.09	.45	–.13	.28
Multiparous × Perceived availability							.20	.08
Multiparous × Feared loss of AF							–.21*	.03
Multiparous × Proximity-seeking							–.16	.06
Multiparous × Separation protest							.11	.13
Multiparous × Use of AF							.01	.95
Multiparous × Angry withdrawal							.06	.68
Multiparous × Compulsive care-giving							.01	.93
Multiparous× Compulsive care-seeking							.06	.49
Multiparous × Compulsive self-reliance							–.06	.63
Caesarean × Perceived availability							–.01	.91
Caesarean × Feared loss of AF							.01	.89
Caesarean × Proximity seeking							–.03	.76
Caesarean × Separation protest							.05	.49
Caesarean × Use of AF							.01	.89
Caesarean × Angry withdrawal							–.15	.23
Caesarean × Compulsive care-giving							–.03	.74
Caesarean × Compulsive care-seeking							–.02	.87
Caesarean × Compulsive self-reliance							.01	.96
R^2	.02		.04		.12		.19
F for change in R^2			3.06*		2.02*		1.18

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.

AF, attachment figure.

Table A6. Hierarchical regression and interaction analyses for adult attachment dimensions, parity and mode of delivery to perceived control during labour and delivery.

	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3		Model 4
Variable	β	p	β	p	β	p	β	p
Household income	.16*	.01	.17**	.01	.16*	.02	.16*	.02
Baby age	–.05	.48	–.04	.58	–.04	.55	–.04	.57
Maternal age	–.13	.05	–.13*	.05	–.14*	.03	–.15*	.03
Multiparous			.05	.38	.05	.41	.04	.48
Caesarean			–.09	.17	–.07	.30	–.07	.25
Perceived availability					–.25*	.02	–.25*	.03
Feared loss of AF					–.06	.50	–.05	.58
Proximity-seeking					–.11	.16	–.12	.15
Separation protest					–.06	.38	–.08	.27
Use of AF					–.03	.78	–.07	.53
Angry withdrawal					.06	.61	.11	.41
Compulsive care-giving					.04	.61	.03	.72
Compulsive care-seeking					–.01	.40	–.01	.92
Compulsive self-reliance					.10	.37	.09	.48
Multiparous × Perceived availability							.03	.77
Multiparous × Feared loss of AF							–.23*	.02
Multiparous × Proximity-seeking							–.14	.09
Multiparous × Separation protest							.12	.11
Multiparous × Use of AF							.03	.79
Multiparous × Angry withdrawal							–.03	.83
Multiparous × Compulsive care-giving							–.03	.64
Multiparous × Compulsive care-seeking							.13	.12
Multiparous × Compulsive self-reliance							.11	.36
Caesarean × Perceived availability							.12	.33
Caesarean × Feared loss of AF							–.16	.07
Caesarean × Proximity-seeking							.04	.66
Caesarean × Separation protest							–.00	.96
Caesarean × Use of AF							.14	.17
Caesarean × Angry withdrawal							–.12	.34
Caesarean × Compulsive care-giving							.04	.63
Caesarean × Compulsive care-seeking							.07	.47
Caesarean × Compulsive self-reliance							.03	.81
R^2	.04		.05		.11		.20
F for change in R^2			1.39		2.02*		1.29

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.

AF, attachment figure.

Table A7. Hierarchical regression and interaction analyses for adult attachment dimensions, parity and mode of delivery to social support during labour and delivery.

	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3		Model 4
Variable	β	p	β	p	β	p	β	p
Household income	–.01	.88	.00	.99	–.02	.71	–.02	.71
Baby age	–.02	.80	–.01	.84	.01	.92	–.01	.90
Maternal age	.07	.29	.08	.25	.08	.20	.07	.28
Multiparous			–.05	.48	–.08	.17	–.09	.13
Caesarean			–.06	.33	–.02	.71	.01	.91
Perceived availability					–.42***	.00	–.39***	.00
Feared loss of AF					–.27**	.00	–.29**	.00
Proximity-seeking					–.04	.57	–.02	.80
Separation protest					.09	.18	.09	.19
Use of AF					.08	.40	.06	.52
Angry withdrawal					.13	.24	.15	.22
Compulsive care-giving					.05	.42	.08	.26
Compulsive care-seeking					–.17*	.02	–.19*	.01
Compulsive self-reliance					.11	.30	.07	.50
Multiparous × Perceived availability							.01	.89
Multiparous × Feared loss of AF							–.03	.78
Multiparous × Proximity-seeking							–.02	.83
Multiparous × Separation protest							–.01	.85
Multiparous × Use of AF							–.03	.78
Multiparous × Angry withdrawal							–.01	.92
Multiparous × Compulsive care-giving							–.07	.27
Multiparous × Compulsive care-seeking							–.11	.14
Multiparous × Compulsive self-reliance							–.01	.96
Caesarean × Perceived availability							–.24*	.03
Caesarean × Feared loss of AF							–.15	.07
Caesarean × Proximity-seeking							–.07	.36
Caesarean × Separation protest							.19**	.01
Caesarean × Use of AF							.08	.39
Caesarean × Angry withdrawal							.15	.20
Caesarean × Compulsive care-giving							.10	.17
Caesarean × Compulsive care-seeking							–.03	.71
Caesarean × Compulsive self-reliance							.13	.22
R^2	.01		.01		.23		.32
F for change in R^2			.70		7.64***		1.59

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.

AF, attachment figure.

Table A8. Hierarchical regression and interaction analyses for adult attachment dimensions, parity and mode of delivery to satisfaction with overall birth.

	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3		Model 4
Variable	β	p	β	p	β	p	β	p
Household income	.02	.78	.04	.59	.01	.87	.06	.41
Baby age	–.10	.13	–.09	.18	–.08	.23	–.06	.34
maternal age	.01	.91	.01	.86	.03	.69	.02	.80
Multiparous			.05	.42	.03	.57	.03	.60
Caesarean			–.14*	.03	–.12	.06	–.10	.12
Perceived availability					–.21	.05	–.22*	.05
Feared Loss of AF					–.26**	.00	–.26**	.01
Proximity seeking					–.05	.50	–.05	.55
Separation protest					–.04	.58	–.06	.43
Use of AF					–.00	.99	.03	.76
Angry withdrawal					.15	.22	.22	.10
Compulsive care-giving					.04	.60	.03	.64
Compulsive cares-eeking					.04	.58	.02	.84
Compulsive self-reliance					–.00	.98	–.06	.60
Multiparous × Perceived availability							.12	.29
Multiparous × Feared loss of AF							–.21*	.03
Multiparous × Proximity-seeking							–.10	.24
Multiparous × Separation protest							.15*	.04
Multiparous × Use of AF							.00	.99
Multiparous × Angry withdrawal							–.04	.77
Multiparous × Compulsive care-giving							–.10	.17
Multiparous × Compulsive care-seeking							.13	.10
Multiparous × Compulsive self-reliance							–.03	.82
Caesarean × Perceived availability							–.05	.64
Caesarean × Feared loss of AF							–.06	.50
Caesarean × Proximity-seeking							–.01	.90
Caesarean × Separation protest							–.03	.68
Caesarean × Use of AF							–.07	.51
Caesarean × Angry withdrawal							–.04	.75
Caesarean × Compulsive care-giving							.05	.51
Caesarean × Compulsive care-seeking							–.02	.85
Caesarean × Compulsive self-reliance							.10	.39
R^2	.01		.03		.14		.21
F for change in R^2			2.84		3.43**		1.09

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.

AF, attachment figure.