Author:

Keywords:

Social Sciences, Family Studies, parenting stress, prenatal well-being, postnatal well-being, marital support, social support, twins, PREGNANCY, 1ST-TIME, MODEL, 1608 Sociology, 4405 Gender studies, 4410 Sociology, 5203 Clinical and health psychology

Abstract:

This study examined whether parenting stress in mothers of one-year-old twins can be predicted by their prenatal and postnatal personal well-being, marital support, social support and the presence of other children in the family. Forty mothers of twins participated in a research study conducted pre- and postnatally in their homes. The first interview was at around 27 weeks of pregnancy; the second occurred one year following the twins' birth. At both times, the mothers completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). At the second interview, the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) was also administered. Regression analyses showed that parenting stress was significantly predicted by pre- and postnatal personal well-being and marital support. Neither social support nor the presence of other children in the family predicted parenting stress in a significant way. © 2000 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.