Anxiety investigation upon mothers during their delivery and parenting

Abstract

Delivery is an important passage of parenting. It is generally considered that secure delivery and parenting has a significant meaning. In order to provide a better care, anxiety upon mothers during their delivery and parenting is investigated. Subjects: 19 primiparae and 22 multiparae who had delivered in our hospital within a month between May and June in 2000, were studied during their 36th week-pregnancy and just after given a birth in hospital. Also, 14 primiparae and 11 multiparae who had delivered in our hospital within a month between July and August in 1999 were studied. This group was thus, investigated 10 months after the delivery. Methods : STAI was used as an index to reflect anxiety level. The questionnaire prepared in our hospital was filled by the same subjects in order to investigate more specific anxieties. Results : 1. Those with relatively low trait-anxiety can develop the state-anxiety under such an event as childbirth. 2. Those with relatively high trait-anxiety tend to develop high stateanxiety. 3. State-anxiety can be modified by one' s experience of abnormal pregnancy or delivery. 4. Anxiety of the labor for primiparae is caused by the unknown pain whereas that for multiparae is caused by the prior experience, which thus tends to be more specific. 5. Anxiety during the labor can be about the progress of the labor, the pain, and the newborns' condition. Every mother builds up certain anxiety during the labor even when it is observed to be safe. 6. As far as mothers of 10 months after the experience of the labor are concerned, those with relatively high trait-anxiety tend to keep the high state-anxiety. Their anxieties are described to be caused by their poor physical conditions, their spouse' s uncooperative attitude, their child' s disorder, not being able to have a confidence in parenting, or not having anyone to consult the problem. Using of STAI is effective in analyzing and grasping the situation of anxieties in delivery and parenting. The result of STAI analysis can help provide better care to those who show higher trait-anxiety or state-anxiety. It is observed that individual attention and care are necessary in the continuing passage of pregnancy, delivery, and parenting.