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Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 120 - 127, 13.07.2025
https://doi.org/10.62425/esbder.1601053

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effects of postpartum stressors on parenting behaviors.
Methods: The population of this descriptive-relational study consisted of 520 postpartum women who gave birth in a hospital in southern Türkiye. The data were collected face-to-face between January and December 2022. The data of the study were collected face to face between January and December 2022 using the “Personal Information Form”, “Postpartum Stress Scale” and “Postpartum Parental Behavior Scale”.
Results: Number of children, employment status, dependency status, spouse's age, spouse's occupation, place of residence, social security status, pregnancy planning status, and education on pregnancy and childbirth were determined as significant predictors of postpartum stress; any problems during childbirth were determined as significant predictors of postpartum parenting behaviors (p<.05).
Conclusion: It was concluded that as the postpartum stress levels of postpartum women decreased, their parenting behaviors became more positive. For women to develop positive parenting behaviors in the postpartum period, it is important to provide holistic education, counseling, and care services by keeping the factors that affect parenting behaviors in mind.

Ethical Statement

Before starting the study, ethics committee approval numbered 2022/1/14 was obtained from the Scientific Research and Publications Ethics Committee in Natural Sciences at XXX University, and institutional permission was granted by the hospital where the study would be conducted. After being informed about the purpose of the study, women who agreed to participate in the study provided written consent. Data were collected in compliance with the ethical standards set forth by the Declaration of Helsinki. The participants were informed that they had the right to withdraw from the study at any time before, during, or after the interviews. The participants approved the recording of the interviews and the publication of the results of the study in a scientific journal provided that their identifying information would be kept confidential.

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References

  • Aksakallı, M., Çapık, A., Ejder Apay, S., Pasinlioğlu, T., & Bayram, S. (2012). Determining the support needs of postpartum women and the levels of support received in the postpartum period.
  • Aydın, R., Ay, Ö. P., & Aktaş, S. (2022). The effect of mothers' perception of spousal support in the early postpartum period on postpartum stress. Journal of Continuing Medical Education, 31(2), 126–133.
  • Blum, S., Mack, J. T., Weise, V., Kopp, M., Asselmann, E., Martini, J., & Garthus-Niegel, S. (2022). The impact of postpartum obsessive-compulsive symptoms on child development and the mediating role of the parent–child relationship: A prospective longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 886347.
  • Bolak Boratav, H., Toker, Ö., & Küey, L. (2016). Postpartum depression and its psychosocial correlates: A longitudinal study among a group of women in Turkey. Women & Health, 56(5), 502–521.
  • Britton, H. L., Gronwaldt, V., & Britton, J. R. (2001). Maternal postpartum behaviors and mother-infant relationship during the first year of life. The Journal of Pediatrics, 138(6), 905–909.
  • Çalışır, H., Karaçam, Z., Akgül, F., & Kurnaz, D. (2009). Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Form of the Postpartum Parenting Behavior Scale. Anatolian Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences, 12(1), 1–8.
  • Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G* Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191.
  • Garthus-Niegel, S., Horsch, A., Handtke, E., Von Soest, T., Ayers, S., Weidner, K., & Eberhard-Gran, M. (2018). The impact of postpartum posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms on couples’ relationship satisfaction: a population-based prospective study. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1728.
  • Hoff, C. E., Movva, N., Vollmar, A. K. R., & Pérez-Escamilla, R. (2019). Impact of maternal anxiety on breastfeeding outcomes: a systematic review. Advances in Nutrition, 10(5), 816–826.
  • Koç, Ö., Özkan, H., & Karakoç, H. (2016). Evaluating the relationship between maternal role and parenting behavior.
  • Lee, J. Y., & Hwang, J. Y. (2015). A study on postpartum symptoms and their related factors in Korea. Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 54(4), 355–363.
  • Leonard, K. S., Evans, M. B., Kjerulff, K. H., & Downs, D. S. (2020). Postpartum perceived stress explains the association between perceived social support and depressive symptoms. Women’s Health Issues, 30(4), 231–239.
  • Lutkiewicz, K., Bieleninik, Ł., Cieślak, M., & Bidzan, M. (2020). Maternal–infant bonding and its relationships with maternal depressive symptoms, stress and anxiety in the early postpartum period in a Polish sample. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(15), 5427.
  • Makeen, M., Farrell, L. M., LaSorda, K. R., Deng, Y., Altamirano, V., Jarvis, O., … Lim, G. (2022). Associations between postpartum pain, mood, and maternal–infant attachment and parenting outcomes. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 17814.
  • Martinez-Torteya, C., Rosenblum, K. L., Beeghly, M., Oppenheim, D., Koren-Karie, N., & Muzik, M. (2018). Maternal insightfulness protects against the detrimental effects of postpartum stress on positive parenting among at-risk mother–infant dyads. Attachment & Human Development, 20(3), 272–286.
  • Mete, S., Çiçek, Ö., & Uludağ, E. (2016). Investigation of the relationship between labor pain and anxiety. Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Nursing Electronic Journal, 9(3), 101–104.
  • Norhayati, M. N., Hazlina, N. H. N., Asrenee, A. R., & Emilin, W. M. A. W. (2015). Magnitude and risk factors for postpartum symptoms: a literature review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 175, 34–52.
  • Özdemir, A. A., Köse, S., Küçükoğlu, S., & Akbakay, S. (2021). Parentıng Behavıors Of Mothers Lıvıng In A Provınce In Eastern Turkey Durıng The Postpartum Perıod. Anatolian Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences, 24(2), 231–238.
  • Özkan, H., Kanbur, A., Apay, S., Kılıç, M., Ağapınar, S., & Özorhan, E. Y. (2013). Evaluation of mothers' parenting behaviors in the postpartum period. Şişli Etfal Hospital Medical Bulletin, 47(3), 117–121.
  • Park, E. R., Psaros, C., Traeger, L., Stagg, A., Jacquart, J., Willett, J., … Ecker, J. L. (2015). Development of a Postpartum Stressor Measure. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 19(10), 2094–2101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1731-0
  • Paschetta, E., Berrisford, G., Coccia, F., Whitmore, J., Wood, A. G., Pretlove, S., & Ismail, K. M. K. (2014). Perinatal psychiatric disorders: an overview. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 210(6), 501–509.
  • Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
  • Pope, C. J., Xie, B., Sharma, V., & Campbell, M. K. (2013). A prospective study of thoughts of self-harm and suicidal ideation during the postpartum period in women with mood disorders. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 16, 483–488.
  • Razurel, C., Kaiser, B., Antonietti, J.-P., Epiney, M., & Sellenet, C. (2017). Relationship between perceived perinatal stress and depressive symptoms, anxiety, and parental self-efficacy in primiparous mothers and the role of social support. Women & Health, 57(2), 154–172.
  • Rincón-Cortés, M., & Grace, A. A. (2020). Adaptations in reward-related behaviors and mesolimbic dopamine function during motherhood and the postpartum period. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 57, 100839.
  • Şahbaz, G., & Erbil, N. (2024). Turkish validity and reliability of the postpartum stressors scale. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 29(2), 350-361.
  • Şenol, D. K., & Pekyiğit, A. (2021). Normal doğum ve sezaryende doğum sonu stresin emzirme öz-yeterliliğine etkisi. Jinekoloji-Obstetrik ve Neonatoloji Tıp Dergisi, 18(4), 1062–1069.
  • Singley, D. B., & Edwards, L. M. (2015). Men’s perinatal mental health in the transition to fatherhood. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 46(5), 309.
  • Stewart, R. C. (2007). Maternal depression and infant growth–a review of recent evidence. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 3(2), 94–107.
  • Uludağ, E., & Mete, S. (2015). Supportive care during labor. Cumhuriyet Nursing Journal, 3(2), 22–29.
  • Üst, Z., & Pasinlioğlu, T. (2015). Determination of concerns regarding birth and postpartum period in primiparous and multiparous pregnant women. Journal of Health Sciences and Professions, 2(3), 306–317.

Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 120 - 127, 13.07.2025
https://doi.org/10.62425/esbder.1601053

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effects of postpartum stressors on parenting behaviors.
Methods: The population of this descriptive-relational study consisted of 520 postpartum women who gave birth in a hospital in southern Türkiye. The data were collected face-to-face between January and December 2022. The data of the study were collected face to face between January and December 2022 using the “Personal Information Form”, “Postpartum Stress Scale” and “Postpartum Parental Behavior Scale”.
Results: Number of children, employment status, dependency status, spouse's age, spouse's occupation, place of residence, social security status, pregnancy planning status, and education on pregnancy and childbirth were determined as significant predictors of postpartum stress; any problems during childbirth were determined as significant predictors of postpartum parenting behaviors (p<.05).
Conclusion: It was concluded that as the postpartum stress levels of postpartum women decreased, their parenting behaviors became more positive. For women to develop positive parenting behaviors in the postpartum period, it is important to provide holistic education, counseling, and care services by keeping the factors that affect parenting behaviors in mind.

References

  • Aksakallı, M., Çapık, A., Ejder Apay, S., Pasinlioğlu, T., & Bayram, S. (2012). Determining the support needs of postpartum women and the levels of support received in the postpartum period.
  • Aydın, R., Ay, Ö. P., & Aktaş, S. (2022). The effect of mothers' perception of spousal support in the early postpartum period on postpartum stress. Journal of Continuing Medical Education, 31(2), 126–133.
  • Blum, S., Mack, J. T., Weise, V., Kopp, M., Asselmann, E., Martini, J., & Garthus-Niegel, S. (2022). The impact of postpartum obsessive-compulsive symptoms on child development and the mediating role of the parent–child relationship: A prospective longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 886347.
  • Bolak Boratav, H., Toker, Ö., & Küey, L. (2016). Postpartum depression and its psychosocial correlates: A longitudinal study among a group of women in Turkey. Women & Health, 56(5), 502–521.
  • Britton, H. L., Gronwaldt, V., & Britton, J. R. (2001). Maternal postpartum behaviors and mother-infant relationship during the first year of life. The Journal of Pediatrics, 138(6), 905–909.
  • Çalışır, H., Karaçam, Z., Akgül, F., & Kurnaz, D. (2009). Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Form of the Postpartum Parenting Behavior Scale. Anatolian Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences, 12(1), 1–8.
  • Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G* Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191.
  • Garthus-Niegel, S., Horsch, A., Handtke, E., Von Soest, T., Ayers, S., Weidner, K., & Eberhard-Gran, M. (2018). The impact of postpartum posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms on couples’ relationship satisfaction: a population-based prospective study. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1728.
  • Hoff, C. E., Movva, N., Vollmar, A. K. R., & Pérez-Escamilla, R. (2019). Impact of maternal anxiety on breastfeeding outcomes: a systematic review. Advances in Nutrition, 10(5), 816–826.
  • Koç, Ö., Özkan, H., & Karakoç, H. (2016). Evaluating the relationship between maternal role and parenting behavior.
  • Lee, J. Y., & Hwang, J. Y. (2015). A study on postpartum symptoms and their related factors in Korea. Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 54(4), 355–363.
  • Leonard, K. S., Evans, M. B., Kjerulff, K. H., & Downs, D. S. (2020). Postpartum perceived stress explains the association between perceived social support and depressive symptoms. Women’s Health Issues, 30(4), 231–239.
  • Lutkiewicz, K., Bieleninik, Ł., Cieślak, M., & Bidzan, M. (2020). Maternal–infant bonding and its relationships with maternal depressive symptoms, stress and anxiety in the early postpartum period in a Polish sample. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(15), 5427.
  • Makeen, M., Farrell, L. M., LaSorda, K. R., Deng, Y., Altamirano, V., Jarvis, O., … Lim, G. (2022). Associations between postpartum pain, mood, and maternal–infant attachment and parenting outcomes. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 17814.
  • Martinez-Torteya, C., Rosenblum, K. L., Beeghly, M., Oppenheim, D., Koren-Karie, N., & Muzik, M. (2018). Maternal insightfulness protects against the detrimental effects of postpartum stress on positive parenting among at-risk mother–infant dyads. Attachment & Human Development, 20(3), 272–286.
  • Mete, S., Çiçek, Ö., & Uludağ, E. (2016). Investigation of the relationship between labor pain and anxiety. Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Nursing Electronic Journal, 9(3), 101–104.
  • Norhayati, M. N., Hazlina, N. H. N., Asrenee, A. R., & Emilin, W. M. A. W. (2015). Magnitude and risk factors for postpartum symptoms: a literature review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 175, 34–52.
  • Özdemir, A. A., Köse, S., Küçükoğlu, S., & Akbakay, S. (2021). Parentıng Behavıors Of Mothers Lıvıng In A Provınce In Eastern Turkey Durıng The Postpartum Perıod. Anatolian Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences, 24(2), 231–238.
  • Özkan, H., Kanbur, A., Apay, S., Kılıç, M., Ağapınar, S., & Özorhan, E. Y. (2013). Evaluation of mothers' parenting behaviors in the postpartum period. Şişli Etfal Hospital Medical Bulletin, 47(3), 117–121.
  • Park, E. R., Psaros, C., Traeger, L., Stagg, A., Jacquart, J., Willett, J., … Ecker, J. L. (2015). Development of a Postpartum Stressor Measure. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 19(10), 2094–2101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1731-0
  • Paschetta, E., Berrisford, G., Coccia, F., Whitmore, J., Wood, A. G., Pretlove, S., & Ismail, K. M. K. (2014). Perinatal psychiatric disorders: an overview. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 210(6), 501–509.
  • Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
  • Pope, C. J., Xie, B., Sharma, V., & Campbell, M. K. (2013). A prospective study of thoughts of self-harm and suicidal ideation during the postpartum period in women with mood disorders. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 16, 483–488.
  • Razurel, C., Kaiser, B., Antonietti, J.-P., Epiney, M., & Sellenet, C. (2017). Relationship between perceived perinatal stress and depressive symptoms, anxiety, and parental self-efficacy in primiparous mothers and the role of social support. Women & Health, 57(2), 154–172.
  • Rincón-Cortés, M., & Grace, A. A. (2020). Adaptations in reward-related behaviors and mesolimbic dopamine function during motherhood and the postpartum period. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 57, 100839.
  • Şahbaz, G., & Erbil, N. (2024). Turkish validity and reliability of the postpartum stressors scale. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 29(2), 350-361.
  • Şenol, D. K., & Pekyiğit, A. (2021). Normal doğum ve sezaryende doğum sonu stresin emzirme öz-yeterliliğine etkisi. Jinekoloji-Obstetrik ve Neonatoloji Tıp Dergisi, 18(4), 1062–1069.
  • Singley, D. B., & Edwards, L. M. (2015). Men’s perinatal mental health in the transition to fatherhood. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 46(5), 309.
  • Stewart, R. C. (2007). Maternal depression and infant growth–a review of recent evidence. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 3(2), 94–107.
  • Uludağ, E., & Mete, S. (2015). Supportive care during labor. Cumhuriyet Nursing Journal, 3(2), 22–29.
  • Üst, Z., & Pasinlioğlu, T. (2015). Determination of concerns regarding birth and postpartum period in primiparous and multiparous pregnant women. Journal of Health Sciences and Professions, 2(3), 306–317.
There are 31 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Psychosocial Aspects of Childbirth and Perinatal Mental Health, Midwifery (Other)
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Edanur Tar Bolacalı 0000-0001-8821-8554

Derya Kaya Şenol 0000-0002-9101-2909

Cansu Ağralı 0000-0002-9923-0521

Publication Date July 13, 2025
Submission Date December 13, 2024
Acceptance Date May 28, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 8 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Tar Bolacalı, E., Kaya Şenol, D., & Ağralı, C. (2025). Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences, 8(2), 120-127. https://doi.org/10.62425/esbder.1601053
AMA Tar Bolacalı E, Kaya Şenol D, Ağralı C. Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences. July 2025;8(2):120-127. doi:10.62425/esbder.1601053
Chicago Tar Bolacalı, Edanur, Derya Kaya Şenol, and Cansu Ağralı. “Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors”. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences 8, no. 2 (July 2025): 120-27. https://doi.org/10.62425/esbder.1601053.
EndNote Tar Bolacalı E, Kaya Şenol D, Ağralı C (July 1, 2025) Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences 8 2 120–127.
IEEE E. Tar Bolacalı, D. Kaya Şenol, and C. Ağralı, “Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors”, Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 120–127, 2025, doi: 10.62425/esbder.1601053.
ISNAD Tar Bolacalı, Edanur et al. “Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors”. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences 8/2 (July2025), 120-127. https://doi.org/10.62425/esbder.1601053.
JAMA Tar Bolacalı E, Kaya Şenol D, Ağralı C. Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences. 2025;8:120–127.
MLA Tar Bolacalı, Edanur et al. “Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors”. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences, vol. 8, no. 2, 2025, pp. 120-7, doi:10.62425/esbder.1601053.
Vancouver Tar Bolacalı E, Kaya Şenol D, Ağralı C. Effects of Postpartum Stressors on Parenting Behaviors. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences. 2025;8(2):120-7.

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