The reactions to child-bearing and early maternal experience of women with differing marital relationships

The type of marital relationships of 200 women was significantly associated with their attitudes toward child-bearing and their affective reactions, as measured by the application of twelve content analysis scales to their retrospective accounts of a child-bearing year. Positive marital relationships were linked with calmer reactions. Self-oriented relationships were characterized by mutilation anxiety. In ambivalent and negative relationships early separation anxiety and hostility occurred but only the negative group continued in crisis after birth. Women with positive and ambivalent relationships expressed greater maternal warmth.