Korean J Women Health Nurs.  2013 Mar;19(1):48-56. 10.4069/kjwhn.2013.19.1.48.

Factors Influencing Self-confidence in the Maternal Role among Early Postpartum Mothers

• Ha JY
• Kim YJ

• KMID: 2307964
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2013.19.1.48

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors of mothers' confidence in their maternal role during the early postpartum period.
METHODS
Participants were 178 postpartum women who delivered at three specialized obstetrics and gynecology facilities and used the postpartum care facility in city B. Data were collected from February to April, 2012 using the scales of measurements of self-confidence in maternal role performance, maternal self-esteem, mother-to-infant attachment, social support, and childcare stress. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression were used with the SPSS/WIN 18.0 program to analyze the data.
RESULTS
The scores for self-confidence in the maternal role showed significant negative correlations with the scores of childcare stress (r=-.40, p<.001). Parity and maternal attachment were significant predictors and accounted for 97.4% of the variance in self-confidence in the maternal role.
CONCLUSION
To strengthen self-confidence in the maternal role of early postpartum mothers, prenatal class programs need to be complemented in order to reduce childcare stress and promote mother-to-infant attachment.

Keyword

Mothers; Postpartum period; Role

MeSH Terms

Complement System Proteins
Female
Gynecology
Humans
Mothers
Obstetrics
Parity
Postnatal Care
Postpartum Period
Weights and Measures
Complement System Proteins

Reference

1. Assel MA, Landry SH, Swank PR, Steelman L, Miller-Loncar C, Smith KE. How do mothers' childbearing histories, stress and parenting affect children's behavioral outcomes? Child Care Health Dev. 2002. 28:359–368. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00285.x.

2. Belsky J, Fearon RM. Exploring marriage-parenting typologies and their contextual antecedents and developmental sequelae. Dev Psychopathol. 2004. 16:501–523. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S095457940400464X.

3. Chae YS. Adaptation of maternal roles and postpartum depression of primiparas during early postpartum period. J Clin Nurs. 2005. 8:113–124.

4. Cho BH, Yang MS. Relationship between postpartum depression and parenting stress of mother with infant. J Sci Hum Life. 2001. 5:79–87.

5. Chun YH. Comparison of group and individual social support on burden and family functioning in families with asthmatic children. 1998. Seoul: Yonsei University;Unpublished doctoral thesis.

6. Cutrona CE. Social support and stress in the transition to parenthood. J Abnorm Psychol. 1984. 93:378–390.

7. Emmanuel EN, Creedy DK, St John W, Brown C. Maternal role development: the impact of maternal distress and social support following childbirth. Midwifery. 2011. 27:265–272. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2009.07.003.

8. Han KE. The relationship of maternal self-esteem and maternal sensitivity with mother-to-infant attachment. 2001. Seoul: Hanyang University;Unpublished doctoral thesis.

9. Han KJ, Bang KS. Confirmatory analysis of maternal self-report inventory [maternal self-esteem]. Korean Parent Child Health J. 1999. 2:64–82.

10. Kim SD, Park HR, Lee SY, Moon YI, Park JH. Effects of maternal massage to newborn on stress, immune function and self-confidence of mothers during the postpartum period. Korean J Women Health Nurs. 2005. 11:265–272.

11. Kim SK, Kim YK, Jo AJ, Kim HR, Lim SE. 2009 national fertility and family and family health survey. 2009. Seoul: Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.

12. Korean Statistical Information Service [KOSIS]. Household survey data and distinctive birth power. 2010. Retrieved May 1, 2012. from http://kosis.kr/news/news_02List.jsp.

13. Kronborg H, Vaeth M, Olsen J, Iversen L, Harder I. Effect of early postnatal breastfeeding support: A cluster-randomized community based trial. Acta Paediatr. 2007. 96:1064–1070. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00341.x.

14. Kwon H, Kwon M. Effect of discharge education program for mothers of premature infants on maternal role confidence and parenting stress. J Korean Acad Child Health Nurs. 2007. 13:58–65.

15. Kwon JH. A test of a vulnerability-stress model of postpartum depression. Korean J Clin Psychol. 1997. 16:55–66.

16. Lederman RP, Weingarten CG, Lederman E. Postpartum self-evaluation questionnaire: Measure of maternal adaptation. Birth Defects Orig Artic Ser. 1981. 17:201–231.

17. Lee HK. A comparison of primiparous and mutiparous mothers on maternal role strain and maternal role attainment. J Nurs Acad Soc. 1994. 24:241–250.

18. Lee SY, Kwon IS. A comparative study on maternal role confidence and parenting stress according to the infant's feeding method. Korean J Women Health Nurs. 2006. 12:231–239.

19. Lee YE. An experimental study on the impact of an agreement on the means to achieve nursing goals in the early postpartum period of primiparous mothers and enhance their self-confidence and satisfaction in maternal role performance. J Nurs Acad Soc. 1992. 22:81–115.

20. Lowdermilk DL, Perry SE. Maternity & women's health care. 2007. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.

21. Mercer RT. Becoming a mother versus maternal role attainment. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2004. 36:226–232.

22. Muller ME. A questionnaire to measure mother to infant attach. J Nurs Meas. 1994. 2:129–141.

23. Oh HE. The relationship among maternal identity, role attainment and postpartum depression. J Korean Soc Matern Child Health. 2001. 5:255–266.

24. Oh HE, Sim GS, Kim JS. The effects of prenatal education on primiparas' perception of delivery experience, self-confidence and satisfaction in maternal role performance. Korean J Women Health Nurs. 2002. 8:268–277.

25. Park JW. Development of the social support scale. 1985. Seoul: Yonsei University;Unpublished master's thesis.

26. Shea E, Tronick E. Fitzgerald HE, Lester BH, Yogman MW, editors. The maternal self-report inventory: A research and clinical instrument for assessing maternal self-esteem. Theory and research in behavioral pediatrics. 1988. Vol. 4. New York: Plenum.

27. Song JE, Chang SB, Kim S. Childcare stress, postpartum depression, and postpartum fatigue between women who used and not used sanhujori facility. J Korean Soc Matern Child Health. 2008. 12:33–46.

28. Song JM. In the parenting stress situation, the effect of social support to parental perceptions of child behavior. 1992. Seoul: Sookmyung Women's University;Unpublished master's thesis.

29. White MA, Wilson ME, Elander G, Persson B. The swedish family: Transition to parenthood. Scand J Caring Sci. 1999. 13:171–176.