Relationships Among Prenatal Maternal Attachment, Presence of Postnatal Depressive Symptoms, and Maternal Role Attainment

PURPOSE: To examine the relationships among a woman's attachment to her fetus, the presence of postpartum depressive symptoms, and subsequent perceptions of maternal role attainment three months after birth DESIGN: A longitudinal, panel design SETTING: Hospital-sponsored childbirth education classes PARTICIPANTS: Primiparous women (N = 136) at 24-40 weeks of pregnancy and 9-14 weeks after the birth MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived Competence Scale, Myself as Mother Scale, and My Baby Scale RESULTS: Prenatal maternal attachments was positively related to maternal role attainment to maternal role attainment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings enhance maternal identity theory and provide a means to evaluate the transition to motherhood.