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DOI: 10.1177/0146167206296952 Labor, Delivery, and Early ParenthoodAn Attachment Theory PerspectiveFranklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, carol.wilson{at}fandm.edu
Texas A&M University, College Station
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus Having a baby is a powerful experience that, according to attachment theory, should activate the attachment system and elicit attachment needs and motives. The current study investigated first-time parents' perceptions of and responses to events surrounding labor and delivery and early parenthood. Couples expecting their first child completed measures of attachment orientations and questionnaires assessing key aspects of the experience of labor, delivery, and early parenthood. Attachment anxiety and avoidance significantly predicted individuals' perceptions of themselves and their partners, reactions to their partners' behavior, and emotional responses to their infants. Jealousy of the infant, perceptions of support given to or received from partners, and feelings of closeness to the infant were all associated with attachment orientations in theoretically meaningful ways.
Key Words: attachment orientations working models; parenthood marriage jealousy
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