title: Factors impacting on the maternal role the first year of motherhood.
abstract: This study is exploring the nature of the relationships between key maternal and infant variables and maternal role attainment in a sample of 255 women who are experiencing motherhood for the first time. Data are being collected by instruments and semistructured interviews at 5 periods: early postpartum and at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months. Maternal variables under study include age, perception of the birth experience, early maternal-infant separation, social stress, support systems, personality traits, medical complications, child rearing attitudes, and self-concept; infant variables include temperament and illness. The objectives are to determine the form and strength of the relationships between the maternal and infant variables and maternal role attainment as measured at the 5 intervals for 3 groups of first-time mothers (age 13-19), 20-29, 30-39) and their significance in predicting the outcome of maternal role attainment upon a randomly selected subsample of the sample using multiple regression and cross validation techniques. Other factors that influence maternal role attainment will be identified and analyzed as they emerge from interviews. The currently high refusal rate to participate (48%) suggests that the final sample will not be representative. Refusals may reflect unique stressors or personality characteristics which also correlate with increased difficulties with the maternal role. A common concern and difficulty for mothers at 1 month are the unexpected demands of motherhood, although 1 cultural group has not viewed these as bothersome. Mothers' expectations for themselves and their infants range from realistic to unrealistic.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D010298:Parity; D010551:Personality; D011247:Pregnancy; D012380:Role; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors