First-time parenthood: influences on pre- and postnatal adjustment in fathers and mothers

The objective of the study was to examine moods and adjustment through,Che transition to parenthood as an issue affecting the couple; to examine not o nly the postpartum but also the pregnancy experience and to explore how eac h partner's experiences interact with those of the other. A longitudinal repeated measures design was utilized with 327 healthy coupl es with a first-time pregnancy who were from Melbourne, Victoria in 1995-98 . Each partner was interviewed on four occasions: mid- and late pregnancy, early postpartum and 4 months postnatally. Twenty per cent of mothers and 12 % of fathers were significantly distresse d at mid-pregnancy (Time 1) and this persisted until the early postpartum ( Time 3) phase. Young age (particularly in women), negative mood, poor relat ionship functioning gender role stress (particularly performance failure re garding work and sex in males) and low social support predicted distress in mid-pregnancy (Time 1). Negative mood in partner and self, and poor relati onship functioning at mid-pregnancy predicted vulnerability to postnatal di stress (Time 3 and/or Time 4). The incidence of distress in couples during mid- and late pregnancy is of c oncern and highlights the importance of considering the total transition to parenthood, not only the onset of postnatal distress. The analyses of pred ictors of postnatal distress from prenatal variables suggest that a 'contag ion of distress' may operate in some couples. The standard management provided for couples experiencing pregnancy may be inadequate for many couples. These findings suggest that it is important to consider the mood and relationship quality of both partners and to offer i ntervention services as early as possible to offset possible progression in to postnatal depression.