Is it me or you? First-time mothers’ attributions for postpartum sexual concerns are associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction in the transition to parenthood

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Vannier ◽  
Kaitlyn E. Adare ◽  
Natalie O. Rosen
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Sexual Functioning ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Sexual Concerns ◽  
First Time

Most first-time mothers experience a decline in both their sexual and relationship satisfaction from prepregnancy, which has negative consequences for the couple and their family. Prior studies have begun to identify risk and protective factors (e.g., empathy) for postpartum sexual and relationship satisfaction. Causal attributions for postpartum sexual concerns may be important because a specific cause can be difficult to pinpoint given the wide range of postpartum sexual problems among first-time parents. In the current study, 120 first-time mothers (3–12 months postpartum) completed validated measures assessing attributions for postpartum sexual concerns, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction. Attributions were measured on four dimensions: internal/external (i.e., is the sexual concern due to the self or the situation), stable/unstable (i.e., will the cause of the concern occur again in the future), global/specific (i.e., will the cause of the concern affect other situations), and partner responsibility (i.e., is the partner the cause). When new mothers reported more stable and partner attributions for postpartum sexual concerns, they were less sexually satisfied, and when they attributed greater responsibility for sexual concerns to their partners, they were less satisfied with their overall relationship. These associations remained significant after controlling for potential challenges that may also impact sexual and relationship satisfaction during this period (i.e., breastfeeding, sexual frequency, depressive symptoms, fatigue, sexual functioning). As postpartum sexual concerns are common, attributions for these changes may be a valuable target for interventions aimed at strengthening the intimate relationships of women making the transition to parenthood.

Dyad to triad: A longitudinal analysis of humor and pregnancy intention during the transition to parenthood

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 3611-3630
Author(s):  
Jaclyn C. Theisen ◽  
Brian G. Ogolsky ◽  
Jeffry A. Simpson ◽  
W. Steven Rholes
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Unplanned Pregnancy ◽  
Stressful Life Event ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Pregnancy Intention ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
Aggressive Humor ◽  
First Time

The transition to parenthood is a stressful life event that often leads to decreases in relationship satisfaction over time. Guided by the Stress Buffering Model, we examined how pregnancy intention and humor use are associated with relationship satisfaction across the transition to parenthood using a multi-wave longitudinal design. First-time parents were initially assessed prenatally and then every 6-month postpartum for 2 years. Six months after birth, each couple was video-recorded engaging in two support discussions where each partner’s use of different humor styles was observed and rated. The results revealed a positive association between affiliative humor use (assessed at 6-month postpartum) and relationship satisfaction (assessed across the entire transition) for men and women. For men only, there was an interaction between pregnancy intention (assessed prenatally) and aggressive humor use (assessed 6-month postpartum). Specifically, when the pregnancy was unplanned, men who displayed higher levels of aggressive humor at 6-month postpartum reported higher overall relationship satisfaction. There also was a significant interaction between men’s (but not women’s) affiliative humor use and pregnancy intention, such that when men reported an unplanned pregnancy, their greater use of affiliative humor buffered declines in their relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that, for men, greater use of affiliative humor appears to forestall declines in their relationship satisfaction. More broadly, different forms of humor may promote or sustain higher levels of relationship satisfaction in men across the chronically stressful transition to parenthood because they serve key communicative functions.

First-Time Mothers: For Vaccine Questions, Consult Your Peers on Facebook

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Bradshaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Childhood Vaccine ◽  
First Time

Despite numerous scientific studies affirming the safety and efficacy of vaccinations, decreased parental uptake has led in part to disease resurgence in the United States (Ventola, 2016). A systematic review of 42 studies revealed that exemption rates for vaccination requirements to enter public schools or daycares have been increasing and occur in geographic“clusters,” where vaccination rates fall dangerously below the national average (Wang, Clymer, Davis-Hayes, & Buttenheim, 2014). At the transition to parenthood, mothers rely on Facebook with increased intensity for health information-seeking purposes. In a rejection of the health information deficit model, the purpose of this study was to propose a conceptual model which describes how first-time mothers’ dependence on Facebook may lead to childhood vaccine avoidance, in accordance with social network theory. A model is presented and propositions are offered to explain why discerning first-time mothers, who are consistently more vaccine hesitant, may seek and rely on information from peers in closed Facebook groups rather than from health professionals. While research has separately explored both vaccine hesitancy and social network utilization for health information seeking, no conceptual model to date has linked these concepts with first-time mothers’ childhood vaccine avoidance. Published research supports the constructs included in the proposed causal pathway, and this “Maternal Facebook Dependence-Childhood Vaccine Avoidance Model” will act as a springboard for advancement in operationalization of this complex relational construct.

I “get” you, babe: Reflective functioning in partners transitioning to parenthood

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1785-1805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Borelli ◽  
Arietta Slade ◽  
Corey Pettit ◽  
Dana Shai
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Reflective Functioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Positive Communication ◽  
Psychology Literature ◽  
First Time

Reflective functioning (RF) is a construct that has gained tremendous traction in the developmental psychology literature, demonstrating robust associations with parent–child attachment and interactional quality. Although theorists argue that RF should have meaningful links with relationship quality across the life span, to date this construct has not been applied to the study of adult romantic partnerships. The goal of the present investigation is to introduce the construct of Partner RF, the capacity to reflect on the thoughts and feelings of one’s partner and to consider their roles in guiding behavior in one’s partner and oneself. Next, we explore the degree to which Partner RF is associated with a range of theoretically related constructs—one’s partner’s Partner RF, as well as one’s own parental RF, attachment, relationship satisfaction, and coparenting—in first-time parents. In a longitudinal study of N = 107 primiparous couples, we found positive associations between mothers’ and fathers’ Partner RF and between mother’s Partner RF and their parental RF. Partner RF is higher among women who report lower prenatal attachment avoidance and demonstrate more prenatal positive communication with their partners. Counterintuitively, higher levels of maternal Partner RF predict greater decreases in couple and coparenting satisfaction across the transition to parenthood. Partner RF may be an important construct to measure and understand in terms of its role in couple relationship functioning and parental well-being.

‘My life has changed, but his life hasn’t’: Making sense of the gendering of parenthood during the transition to motherhood

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eija Sevón
Keyword(s):  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Cultural Narratives ◽  
Biographical Disruption ◽  
Intensive Mothering ◽  
Narrative Study ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Shared Parenting ◽  
First Time ◽  
Smooth Transformation

A narrative approach to the study of the gendered nature of parenting acknowledges that different kinds of cultural narratives surround the couple relationship and parenting. This narrative study illustrates the process of the gendering of parenthood from the points of view of seven Finnish first-time mothers. The data were obtained from 28 in-depth longitudinal interviews. Two main narratives were found: a turbulent transformation and a smooth transformation narrative. The turbulent transformation narrative demonstrates how the transition to parenthood may lead to biographical disruption in first-time mothers’ lives. The contradictory cultural narratives of intensive mothering and shared parenthood created ambivalence in the women’s identifications with motherhood and negotiation of parenthood with their partner. For these women, traditional, gendered narratives supported narrative reorientation and the construction of a coherent identity as a mother and as a partner for the women. The smooth transformation narrative, in turn, showed that willingness and effort are required from both parties of the couple in order to depart from intensive mothering and to achieve shared parenting.

First-Time Mothers' Attributions for Postpartum Sexual Concerns

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 824
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn Adare ◽  
S.A. Vannier ◽  
N.O. Rosen
Keyword(s):  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Sexual Concerns ◽  
First Time

scholarly journals COMPORTAMENTOS E ATITUDES DOS ESTUDANTES DO ENSINO SUPERIOR EM RELAÇÃO À SEXUALIDADE

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Ana María Baptista Oliveira Dias Malva Vaz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Young People ◽  
First Year ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Subjective Judgment ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Dance Injury ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
First Time

Abstract.BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS IN RELATION TO SEXUALITYSexuality and the way it should be addressed still has no solutions and the young people continue to have the attitudes/ behaviours they deem appropriate and the results that follow aren’t always the best. The objective is to study the sexuality in young students who attend the first year of higher education (area of health), considering that most of them are for the first time out of their family, with typical experiences of students entering higher education, and also because it is at this stage of life that sexual maturation begins, very close to adulthood. The study is of a quantitative nature, putting in evidence the attitudes and sexual behaviours of young people who have already begun their sexual activity (64.6%). The scale used has four dimensions that are subdivided into: Behavioural Intent: Practice “safe sex”, which is understood as the use of condom. Reactions: positive and negative feelings of the subject towards the use of condom and beliefs about the positive or negative consequences associated with this behaviour. Subjective norm: subjective judgment about the degree of approval-disapproval of certain significant persons to the subject (parents, friends, partner) about the use of condom. Control perception: expectations of self-efficacy, subjective judgment about the degree of conviction in the difficulty or ease of using (or making use) the condom at the next sexual encounter. We have concluded that there is a large percentage who use the condom (36%), followed by a double protection, condom and contraceptional pill (26.1%). Most of those who already had sex, (65%) had sex again with the same partner. Health professionals should understand the complexity of the problem of sexuality and be aware of the reality of the lifestyles adopted by young people, so that they can define strategies for health promotion and intervene in the causes. Keywords: sexuality; young people; behaviours; attitudes; contraceptionpanish and English were: “baile”, “lesión”, “prevención”, “prevalencia”, “flamenco”, “danza”, “dance”, “injury”, “prevention”, “prevalence”, “common”, “frequent”, “lession”, “flamenco” and “ballet”. The majority of injuries occur in the lower extremities and are often related to muscular overload or weakness, rather than traumatisms. These injuries are commonly produced by a lack of technique or a wrong application of it, or even sometimes by the bad fitting-out of the room where the activity is being practised.Keywords: dance, injuries, physiotherapy, prevention, exercises, psychologyResumo.A sexualidade e a forma como deve ser abordada ainda não tem soluções e os jovens continuam a ter as atitudes/comportamentos que entendem e nem sempre os resultados que daí advêm são os melhores. O objetivo é estudar a sexualidade nos jovens estudantes que frequentam o 1º ano do ensino superior (área da saúde), considerando que na sua maioria se encontram pela primeira vez fora do seu agregado familiar, com vivências próprias dos estudantes que ingressam no ensino superior e também porque é nesta fase da vida que se inicia uma maturação sexual, muito perto da idade adulta. O estudo é de natureza quantitativa onde são evidenciadas as atitudes e os comportamentos sexuais dos jovens, que já iniciaram a sua atividade sexual (64,6%). A escala utilizada apresenta quatros dimensões que se subdividem em: Intenção comportamental: praticar “sexo seguro”, que é entendido como uso de preservativo. Reações: sentimentos positivos e negativos do sujeito face à utilização do preservativo e crenças sobre as consequências positivas ou negativas associadas ao desempenho desse comportamento. Norma subjetiva: julgamento subjetivo sobre o grau de aprovação-desaprovação de certas pessoas significativas para o sujeito (pais, amigos, companheiro) sobre o uso de preservativo. Percepção de controlo: expectativas de auto-eficácia, julgamento subjetivo sobre o grau de convicção na dificuldade ou facilidade de usar (ou fazer usar) o preservativo no próximo encontro sexual. Concluímos que existe uma grande percentagem que utiliza preservativo (36%), seguindo-se uma dupla proteção, preservativo e pilula (26,1%). A maioria dos que tiveram relações sexuais, (65%) voltaram a ter relações sexuais com o mesmo parceiro. Os profissionais de saúde devem compreender a complexidade do problema da sexualidade e ter conhecimento da realidade dos estilos de vida adotados pelos jovens, para poderem definir estratégias para a promoção da saúde e intervir nas causas.Palavras chave: sexualidade; jovens; comportamentos; atitudes; contracepção

Relationship and Sexual Functioning During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mylène Lachance-Grzela
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Sexual Functioning ◽  
Postpartum Period ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
First Child ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact

There has been much debate among researchers in couple and family psychology on whether and how much the transition to parenthood affects partners’ conjugal life. This chapter provides a literature review aimed at determining what is currently known about relationship functioning and sexual functioning during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Most existing research on the subject reveals that the birth of a first child is associated with a decline in relationship satisfaction and sexual functioning. Recent data from prospective studies suggest that the transition from being a couple to being parents is actually associated with declines in relationship functioning over and above the normative declines reported by couples without children. This chapter examines the impact of individual, relational, and situational factors that have been proposed to explain this decline. Finally, the strengths and limitations of current research are discussed, and future research avenues are considered.

scholarly journals Impermanence in relationships: Trait mindfulness attenuates the negative personal consequences of everyday dips in relationship satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 2419-2437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian P. Don ◽  
Sara B. Algoe
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Modern Theory ◽  
Trait Mindfulness ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Personal Consequences ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Lower Life Satisfaction

Satisfying intimate relationships are crucial to human health and well-being. Yet even the best relationships include good days and bad ones, and when people experience bad days in terms of relationship satisfaction, it tends to undermine personal well-being. What can reduce the extent to which bad relational days spill over into personal well-being? Based on the Buddhist concept of impermanence, as well as modern theory and research examining mindfulness, we argue trait mindfulness renders people more aware and accepting of all forms of change, including to changes in their relationships. As such, we hypothesized that people with greater trait mindfulness would be less likely to experience decrements in personal well-being on days in which they experienced dips in relationship satisfaction. In a daily study of 80 couples across 14 days ( N = 1,798 observations), people experienced lower life satisfaction, greater negative emotions, and fewer positive emotions on days when they reported lower than their average relationship satisfaction, but this association was attenuated for people high in mindfulness. These results suggest trait mindfulness partially buffers the negative consequences of daily dips in relationship satisfaction.

scholarly journals First time mothers’ expectations and experiences of postnatal care in England: a longitudinal qualitative descriptive study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny McLeish ◽  
Merryl Harvey ◽  
Maggie Redshaw ◽  
Jane Henderson ◽  
Reem Malouf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postnatal Care ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Birth Centres ◽  
First Time ◽  
High Support

Abstract Background: Effective postnatal care can support a safe and confident transition to parenthood, but it is the aspect of maternity care with which women in England are least satisfied. Little is known about first time mothers’ expectations of postnatal care in hospitals, in birth centres and in the community, or how these expectations relate to their subsequent experiences and appraisal of care.Methods: A longitudinal qualitative descriptive study, based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with first time mothers in England. Each mother took part in two interviews: the first in her third trimester of pregnancy, and the second when her baby was 2-3 months old. Interview transcripts were analysed using trajectory analysis to identify thematic patterns in the relationships between postnatal care expectations, needs, experiences and confidence. Individual cases were chosen to illustrate each trajectory and the variation within trajectories.Results: 32 women took part. Expectations of postnatal care did not shape their appraisal of care as actually experienced. Instead the main influence on satisfaction with care and self-described parental confidence was the extent to which their actual postnatal needs for support were met. Five trajectories were identified: (1) ‘Low needs, low support, confident’, (2) ‘High needs, high support, confident’, (3) ‘High needs, low support, not confident’, (4) ‘High needs, high support, additional risk factors, not confident’, (5) ‘High needs, low support, additional protective factors, confident’.Conclusions: Longitudinal qualitative research using trajectory analysis is a useful and feasible method of exploring expectations and subsequent experiences in the perinatal period. First time mothers’ satisfaction with postnatal care and their confidence as new mothers were primarily influenced not by the extent to which their expectations were met, but the varied extent to which their postnatal needs were met. Rapid and responsive assessment of needs both antenatally and postnatally, and appropriate adjustment of care, is key in supporting women effectively at this time. Providing tailored information on postnatal care, self-care and transition to parenthood during pregnancy may facilitate improvements in women’s experiences of care after birth in the hospital and community.

Sexual Intimacy in First-time Mothers: Associations with Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction Across Three Waves

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 2849-2861
Author(s):  
Natalie O. Rosen ◽  
Loriann Williams ◽  
Sarah A. Vannier ◽  
Sean P. Mackinnon
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Sexual Intimacy ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
First Time
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