The evaluation of the effect of stress during pregnancy on prenatal attachment

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of stress during pregnancy on prenatal attachment. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 260 women with a pregnancy of 12 weeks or more, who applied to Gaziantep Abdulkadir Yuksel State Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic between September-November 2021 and met the inclusion criteria. In this study, 'Descriptive Information Form', Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TGSS) and Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PSI) were used to determine the socio-demographic characteristics and obstetrics of women. Descriptive statistics are expressed as mean ± standard deviation and percentage. Necessary analyzes were made with the data which is obtained from the research. 40.4% of the pregnant women included in the study were between the ages of 19-24, and the total mean score from the Tilburg Distress in Pregnancy Scale was 19.67 ± 7.65 and the mean score from the PSI was 62.22 ± 11.74. A significant correlation was found between the variables such as wanting to conceive, feeling ready for motherhood, family structure, and how her pregnancy affected her psychologically and the total scores of TGSS (p <0.05A significant correlation was found between nationality, education level, parity, desire for pregnancy, number of miscarriages and total PSI scores (p <0.05). There was a positive correlation between PSI score and negative affect (p<.001) and a negative correlation with peer involvement (p<.001). The mean TGSS scores and prenatal attachment levels of pregnant Syrian nationals were found to be higher. The negative emotions of working pregnant women and those who did not want to be pregnant were found to be higher, and the prenatal attachment levels of women who had three or more miscarriages were found to be higher. It has been determined that stress in pregnancy is affected by factors such as nationality, family structure, desire for pregnancy and readiness for motherhood. It was found that the level of Prenatal Attachment increased as spousal support, stress and negative emotions increased. Key words: Attachment, Pregnancy, Nursing, Prenatal, Stress