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Prenatal Adaptation Among Multigravidas

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Psychosocial Adaptation to Pregnancy

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Abstract

Results are presented on both quantitative analysis of prenatal psychosocial adaptation scale differences, and differences based on content analyses of recorded interviews with primigravidas and multigravidas. The results show that multigravid women experience greater state anxiety and developmental conflict concerning Acceptance of Pregnancy and Relationship to (the gravida’s) Mother in the third trimester of pregnancy. Primigravid women experience greater anxiety concerning their preparedness for labor in all trimesters of pregnancy, and fears concerning helplessness and loss of control in labor in the last two trimesters. These differences indicate that unresolved conflict is associated with greater anxiety as pregnancy advances to term. It is noteworthy that no statistical parity differences were found for Identification with a Motherhood Role and Relationship with Husband, trait anxiety, or depression. These results indicate a need for a differential emphasis in education and counseling about the fears and concerns of primigravid and multigravid women. Some researchers recommend separate childbirth education for both primigravidas and multigravidas. Regarding childbirth, multigravidas saw labor and delivery as more familiar events. Their fears and anxieties were related to memories of their previous labor and delivery experiences, whereas primigravidas tended to experience more fears of the unknown and to envision their own childbirth experiences from an extrapolation of those of their mothers or sisters. Concerning motherhood role identification, primigravidas experience more extensive changes in the perception of self. The primigravid woman takes a significant step from being a “woman without child to a woman with child,” as presented in Chap. 1. Multigravid concerns involved coping with the demands of another newborn while providing care for their older child or children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Texas, Galveston, TX, USA

    Regina P. Lederman

  2. University of Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Karen L. Weis

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Lederman, R.P., Weis, K.L. (2020). Prenatal Adaptation Among Multigravidas. In: Psychosocial Adaptation to Pregnancy . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45738-9_10

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