The current study’s purpose was to explore the process of becoming a first-time mother. The transition to motherhood requires women to undergo both physical and mental changes and can be seen as a...Show moreThe current study’s purpose was to explore the process of becoming a first-time mother. The transition to motherhood requires women to undergo both physical and mental changes and can be seen as a major reconstruction of self. Therefore, the main question was: What influence does the physical experience of pregnany have on the mental experience of pregnancy and how do risk mothers differ from control mothers with regard to this issue? A risk mother is a woman who is a teenager, who has no partner or is who suffering from psychopathology. Data from 33 women, aged 17 to 25 (M = 21.6, SD = 2.55), was used for analysis. Three questionnaires were used to obtain data: the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS), the Self-Efficacy in the Nurturing Role Scale (SENR) and the Be a Mother Questionnaire (BaM). It was found that risk mothers thought less positive and less in general about their unborn children, had less confidence in their own abilities as a mother and experienced a higher amount of physical discomfort than control mothers. For both risk mothers and control mothers, no relation was discovered between the physical experience of pregnancy and the mental experience of pregnancy. This might be due to a more subconscious influence of the physical experience of pregnancy on the mental experience of pregnancy. This makes it impossible for women to report on mental changes and results in a seemingly non-existing relationship between the physical and mental experience of pregnancy. It is recommended that an integrative program is developed which focuses on improving the mother-child attachment during and after pregnancy, obtaining knowledge about pregnancy, child development and child rearing and gaining practical skills. More and wider research should be conducted to obtain an integrative understanding of the physical and mental processes at work during pregnancy.Show less
