The effect of prenatal motherhood expectations on attachment in primiparous and multiparous mothers

Aim: The study aims to evaluate the effect of prenatal motherhood expectations on attachment in primiparous and multiparous women. Materials and Methods: The research is descriptive and was conducted on women who were 28-38 weeks pregnant in Tokat city center and district state hospitals (February-April 2023). The sample size, with a known universe, was calculated using a formula with a 95% confidence interval and a ±5% sampling error. The required sample size was calculated as n = 2070 (1.96)2 (0.2) (0.8) / (0.5)2 (2070 -1) + (1.96)2 (0.2) (0.8)=218. The primiparous and multiparous pregnant groups were included in a 1:1 ratio, with at least 109 pregnant women in each group. The sample consisted of 220 pregnant women, 110 primiparous and 110 multiparous, who visited the obstetrics and gynecology clinics NST unit of the relevant hospitals and agreed to participate in the study. The research data were collected from pregnant women through face-to-face interviews using the "Introductory Information Form, Prenatal Maternal Expectations Scale (PMES), and Maternal Prenatal Attachment Scale (MPAS)" after obtaining the necessary permissions and consent. The data were evaluated using the SPSS 22.0 software package. Descriptive features were expressed as frequency and percentage, while mean and standard deviation tests were used in the evaluation of the scale. Pearson correlation and regression analyses were employed for differences between variables. A significance level of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant in determining the pregnant participants in the study. Results: The mean PMES score for primiparous pregnant women in our study was found to be 140.055±15.516, while for multiparous pregnant women it was 132.327±13.358. The mean total MPAS score for primiparous pregnant women was 76.900±8.010, and for multiparous pregnant women it was 74.364±7.215. A significant difference was observed in the PMES and MPAS total scores of primiparous pregnant women only in terms of educational status (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was found in multiparous pregnant women (p>0.05). The total variation in prenatal maternal attachment levels of primiparous and multiparous pregnant women is related to prenatal maternal expectations. This relationship is observed at different levels in primiparous and multiparous pregnant women. In primiparous pregnant women, there is a moderate positive correlation (r=0.580, p<0.05) between prenatal maternal expectations and attachment; in multiparous pregnant women, there is a weak positive correlation (r=0.420, p<0.05). Conclusion: It was observed that mothers' prenatal expectations play an important role in the attachment process, with differences between primiparous and multiparous pregnant women. In primiparous pregnant women, there is a moderate positive relationship between prenatal maternal expectations and attachment, with both attachment and expectations increasing as the education level rises. In multiparous mothers, there is also a positive but weak relationship. These results emphasize the importance of addressing and managing prenatal expectations through appropriate prenatal care and counseling aimed at supporting and enhancing the mother-baby attachment process. It is recommended that midwives understand and respond to these expectations, supporting mothers in developing a healthy bond with their babies.