Emotional and relational protective factors during pregnancy and psychological well-being and personal growth after childbirth

Background: Studies in the perinatal literature tend to focus on potential negative outcomes, but little attention has been paid to the protective factors that may be associated with better psychological well-being or positive mental changes, such as personal growth. Objective: Drawing on the Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions, the study employed a prospective design and a sequential mediation model to examine the mechanism by which protective factors during pregnancy (dispositional gratitude, perceived relationship quality with the partner, perceived maternal-foetal bonding) may be associated, in sequence, with higher psychological well-being and personal growth after childbirth among first-time mothers. Methods: The sample consisted of 515 women who were recruited through social media and completed questionnaires in two phases: Time 1, during the second half of their pregnancy; and Time 2, around 12 weeks after the birth of their first baby. Results: Results show that gratitude was associated with higher perceived relationship quality during pregnancy, which was associated with higher maternal-foetal bonding, which in turn was associated with higher psychological well-being and personal growth after childbirth. The indirect effects were significant. Conclusion: The study expands knowledge of positive outcomes in the transition to motherhood, and demonstrates that positive emotions, such as gratitude, may be the first link in the chain of factors predicting better outcomes from pregnancy to childbirth.