Psychological Changes of Pregnancy

Pregnancy is such huge change in woman’s life; it brings about more psychological changes than
any other life event besides puberty (Fletcher & Russo, 2015). How a woman adjusts to a pregnancy
depends a great deal on psychological aspects, such as the environment in which she was raised, the
messages about pregnancy her family communicated to her as a child, the society and culture which she
lives as an adult, and whether the pregnancy has come at a good time in her life (SIlveira, Ertel, Dole, et
al., 2015).

For many women, a prenatal visit is the first time they have seen a health care provider since
childhood. Guidance given during this time can be instrumental in not only guiding a woman safely
through a pregnancy but also connecting her back with ongoing health care.

Social Influences

The pregnant woman went alone to a physician’s office for care; at the time of birth, she was
separated from her family, hospitalized in seclusion from visitors, and even from the new baby for 1
week afterward so the newborn could be fed by nurses.

Today, pregnancy is viewed as a healthy span of time best shared with a supportive partner and
/or family. Women bring their families for prenatal care visits as well as to watch the birth. Women
choose what level of pain management they want to use for labor and birth; many women choose to
breastfeed their newborn.

How well a pregnant woman and her partner feel during pregnancy and are prepared to meet
the challenges this new responsibility brings is related to their cultural background, their personal
beliefs, the experiences reported by friends and relatives, as well as by the current plethora of
information available on the Internet. Nurses play an important role in teaching women about their
health care options as well as continuing to work with other health care providers to humanize
childbirth (Heatly, Watson, Gallios, et.al.,2015)

Cultural Influences

A woman’s cultural background may strongly influence how active a role she wants to take in
her pregnancy because certain beliefs and taboos can place restrictions on her behavior and activities
(Guelfi, Wang, Dimmock, et.al.,2015). To learn about the beliefs of a particular woman and her partner,
ask prenatal visits if there is anything the couple believes should or should not be done to make the
pregnancy successful and keep the fetus healthy. Supporting these beliefs shows respect for the
individuality of a woman and her knowledge of good health.

Before evidence-based practice was available to scientifically support why pregnancy brought
about changes in a woman’s body, different societies devised differing explanations about why changes
occurred. These myths became so well engrained in cultures that some persist to the present. For
example, a belief that lifting your arms over your head during pregnancy will cause the cord to twist or
that watching a lunar eclipse will cause a birth deformity are still believed by women in some cultures
(Lauderdale,2016).
Family Influences

The family in which a woman was raised can be influential to her beliefs about pregnancy
because it is part of her cultural environment. If she and her siblings were loved and their births were
seen as a pleasant outcome of their family, she is more likely to have a positive attitude toward learning
she is pregnant than if she and her siblings were blamed for the breakup of a marriage or a relationship,
for example. A woman who views mothering as a positive activity is more likely to be pleased when she
becomes pregnant than one who does not value mothering.

Individual Influences

A woman’s ability to cope with or adapt to stress plays a major role in how she can resolve any
conflict she feels at becoming a mother. The ability to adapt, for example that being a mother without
needing mothering, to loving a child as well as her partner, to becoming a mother for each new child
depends, in part, on her basic temperament, on whether she adapts to new situations quickly or slowly,
on whether she faces them with intensity or maintains a low-key approach, and on whether she has had
experience coping with change and stress (Guedes & Canaavarro, 2014).

The extent to which a woman feels secure in her relationship with the people around her,
especially the father of her child or her chief support person, is usually more important to her
acceptance of her pregnancy. Anxiety as to whether her partner may soon disappear, leaving her alone
to raise a child, may make her reexamine whether her pregnancy is a wise life step.

These are real feelings and must be taken seriously when assessing or counseling pregnant
women. Women who do not have a supportive partner may look to healthcare providers during
pregnancy to fill the role of an attentive listener (Adeniran, Aboyeji, Fawole, et.al., 2015).