Abstract
Purpose
Based on a questionnaire survey to mothers three to four months after childbirth, we examined how mothers acquire maternal roles, perceive a gap between their antenatal assumptions regarding their postpartum life, physical changes and child rearing and their actual postpartum conditions, and we identified other related factors, considering the measures to be introduced during pregnancy to support acquisition of maternal roles.
Methods
The study was conducted on mothers three to four months after childbirth, timing when mothers are considered increasingly eager to acquire maternal roles, and to gradually become relieved of the postpartum anxieties. A questionnaire sheet requesting anonymous, handwritten responses, was sent to 348 mothers, who had participated in checkups for infants aged three to four months, which were conducted at six health facilities in two cities. The responses were collected by post from 113 mothers (collection rate: 32.5%). After excluding invalid responses, the responses from 107 mothers were analyzed in this research.
Results
The mean age of enrolled respondents was 32.0 years (SD: 4.0), and those mothers comprised 77 primiparous women (72.0%) and 30 multiparous women (28.0%). The primiparous women had no clear assumptions about the postpartum wound pains and breast pains. Even if they had any assumptions, they perceived that the actual postpartum pains were greater than their antenatal assumptions. Positive correlations were found between afterpains greater than antenatal assumptions and negative acceptance of the maternal roles, between anal prolapse milder than antenatal assumptions and positive acceptance, and between severe fatigues and/or afterpains and heavy perceived loads of child rearing. Adjustment with husbands regarding child rearing positively correlated with positive acceptance. Adjustment in other aspects of life did not correlate with acquisition of maternal roles. Positive correlations were found between positive acceptance of maternal roles and satisfaction with childbirth, and between negative acceptance and heavy loads of housework and child rearing.
Conclusion
We clarified that the difficulties in acceptance of maternal roles correlated with a gap between the antenatal assumptions of the mothers regarding their postpartum physical changes and their actual postpartum conditions, particularly when the actual pains and loads were greater than their antenatal assumptions. A positive correlation was found between adjustment with husbands during pregnancy regarding child rearing and acceptance of maternal roles. These findings suggested the necessity for introducing supporting measures during pregnancy, such as filling the gaps in the mothers' assumptions.
