On parenthood

1
On parenthood

• Parentage is a very important profession, but no
  test of fitness for it is ever imposed in the
  interest of the children George Bernard Shaw
• The value of marriage is not that adults produce
  children but that children produce adults Peter
  de Vries
• Families with babies and families without babies
  are sorry for each other E.W. Howe

2
Deciding to Parent

• Decision because of availability of contraception
  and abortion
• 60 pregnancies unplanned
• Realities to consider
• Actual and opportunity costs
• (200,000 on average)

• Life changes
• Restricts freedom, spontaneity
• More work, less rest sleep
• Marriage changes

3
Pregnancy Is it Wanted?

• Pregnancy is 12th most stressful life events
• Domestic violence can increase
• High levels of maternal stress associated
• with lower birth weight of baby (Van den Bergh,
  1990)
• Low birth weight predicts poor school
  achievement, emotional and behavior problems
• Women with less-than-positive attitudes about
  pregnancy have longer, more complicated
  deliveries (Yang et al, 1976)
• These types of deliveries predict behavioral
  problems and poor academic performance

4
Transition to Parenthood

• New role more difficult than any other
  (wife/husband college student employee)
• PERMANENT
• Abrupt change in lifestyle and relationships with
  no off-duty
• Unrealistic expectations can lead
• to depression, guilt, anger

5
Becoming a mom The Good Side

• Great investment leads most mothers to form
  immediate intense bond to infant
• Pregnancy, childbirth, nursing
• Socialization has prepared women for caregiving
  to infant
• Play with dolls, babysitting

6
Becoming a mom The Not So Good Side

• Sacrifice more than fathers (Daniels Weingarten
  (1988)
• Drastically readjust lives post motherhood
• Shift to traditional roles (Hawkins et al, 1995)
• Shift in marital power (Emery Tuer 1993)
• Womens domain
• family matters
• Mens domain
• outside world

7
Becoming a Father Odd Man Out at First

• Treated as moms helper at first
• Resist sharing household tasks
• Resent mothers overinvolvement with baby and
  decrease in sex and companionship

8
Childrens Effect On Marriage

• Couples with children are less likely to divorce
  (Belsky Pensky, 1988)
• Most couples feel lower marital satisfaction
  (Glenn, 1990)
• Happiest before kids and after kids
• Less happy than childfree couples

9
Childrens Effect on Marriage

• Decrease in satisfaction greatest for unhappiest
  marriages (Lewis, 1988)
• Decrease in satisfaction less if very happy
  before marriage and if actively planned for child
  (Cowan Cowan, 1992)

10
Childrens Effect on Marriage

• Decrease in marital satisfaction more likely for
  mothers (Belsky Rovine, 1990)
• Feel like men do not live up to end of the
  bargain
• Most women view partner involvement in domestic
  work as a sign of love (Levy-Shiff, 1994)

11
Pregnancy - Hers

• Typical discomforts
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Mood swings
• Anxiety
• Frequent urination / hunger
• Trouble sleeping

12
Pregnancy - His

• Much anxiety, no support or sympathy
• Couvade syndrome some expectant fathers are
  nauseous, gain weight, moody and anxious

13
Informed Labor Birth - Hospitals

• The hospital is the safest place to give birth (T
  or F)
• FALSE . No safer for infant than birth centers.
• Arguably less safe for mother. C section rate is
  twice as high in hospital (about 30 of births in
  hospital)

95 women in USA today give birth in hospital
14
What is a C section?

• Cesarean section, or c-section, is a major
  surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through
  incisions in the walls of the abdomen and uterus.

15
Informed Labor and Birth C Sections

• C Sections are as safe as vaginal births (T or F)
• No. 1 unnecessary major surgery
• FALSE. 3 times more likely to be fatal to mother
• 7 times more likely to have complications to
  mother
• Other countries with equal or better perinatal
  results have C section rates below 10
• Bonding may be affected because mother is drugged
  up or in pain more difficult to begin
  breastfeeding

16
Common interventions used during labor and birth
in hospital

• Forceps
• Vacuum
• Pitocin
• Episiotomy

17
Informed Labor and Delivery Birth Position

• The normal birth position (lithomy) is
  conducive to labor and delivery (T or F)
• FALSE Upright delivery uses gravity less pain,
  more efficient pushing, fewer episiotomies

18
Informed Labor Birth Electronic Fetal
Monitoring

• Its good to have an electronic fetal monitor
  during birth to make sure baby is OK (T or F)

• FALSE No difference in infant outcome between
  those monitored and unmonitored
• Monitored were 3 times as likely to have C
  section, also more likely to have interventions
• External ones are inaccurate 50 of the time

19
Informed Labor and Delivery Arrested Labor

• Once contractions start they shouldnt slow down
  or stop (T or F)
• Friedman curve applies In active labor cervix
  dilates 1 cm per hour
• FALSE 20 low risk women do not progress at this
  rate
• Urged to accept interventions

20
Informed Labor and Delivery - Epidurals

• Pain relief (usually an epidural) is a no
  brainer (T or F)

21
Informed Labor and Delivery - Epidurals

• FALSE. Sharply limits mobility and less efficient
  pushing
• Much greater chance of interventions
• Chances for maternal fever increases
• Leads to baby tested for and/or treated for
  problems
• Most women report feeling they werent informed
  about risks and side effects and many report
  feeling pressured to take the drugs

22
Informed Labor and Delivery - Episiotomies

• Routine episiotomies should be part of standard
  care (T or F)
• FALSE. Painful, infection risk, slower healing,
  slower to resume sex, decreased sexual
  responsiveness, painful sex.
• Women who do not have episiotomies are more
  satisfied with birth experience.
• 50 - 80 of first time mothers have them if under
  OB care, 20 - 30 if midwife

23
Breastfeeding Prevalence

• Recommended 6 mo exclusive, 1 year staple by AAP
• 60 after 1 week
• 27 after 6 months
• 12 after 1 year
• non exclusive

24
Mothers Negative Stereotypes

• Placenta brain Pregnancy and lactation make
  you dumb

25
Are pregnant womens memories impaired?

• Comparing pregnant women to non mothers, findings
  are mixed
• Most research agree they are more distracted
• Comparing pregnant women at different times of
  pregnancy, performance during the last few weeks
  before delivery on memory tasks is the lowest
• Blamed on the peak of estrogen (10 times normal
  levels)

26
Brain Undergoes Permanent Enhancement

• Estrogen memory, attention, complex tasks
• Oxytocin sociability, calm (tend and
  befriend)
• Prolactin - bravery

27
Neurons in Certain Areas are Growing at a Much
Faster Rate

• The hippocampus, the memory center, has an
  enormous amount of new neurons and synapses
• Rapid growth could lead to noise partly
  accounting for temporary memory deficits
• Overall brain size actually decreases usually
  just a few ounces
• Neurogenesis temporarily slows down

28
Mothers Outperform Nonmothers

• Perception
• Smell
• Hearing
• Sight
• Touch
• Longevity
• Social awareness

• Faster learning
• Motivation
• Perception
• Attention
• Memory

29
Breastfeeding Benefits for Baby

• Immune system
• Supply meets demand (no overfeed)
• Easier to digest
• Healthy, straight teeth
• IQ
• Promotes bonding

30
US Fertility Trends

• Women having fewer children
• 1957- average was 3.6 children
• 1990 average was 2 children

31
1 Child Families

• Pros
• More quality time w/ parents
• Greater competency in conversation w/ adults
• Higher IQ GPA
• Enriched childhood activities
• More independent confident
• Cons
• Pressure to achieve
• More scrutiny
• Sibs teach more quickly empathy cooperation

32
Postponing Parenthood Until 30s and 40s

• Pros
• Financial Stability
• Education Career Achievement
• No regrets
• Fathers more involved. This correlated with
  better adjustment and achievement
• Less chance of divorce
• Greater enjoyment of parenting
• Cons
• Risk of miscarriage, birth defect
• Harder to conceive
• Generation gap

33
Non-Marital Pregnancy Trends

• 30 of all births are to single mothers
• Percentage increasing since 1970s, but actual
  numbers are about the same
• Birthrates to single moms in 30s doubled last 15
  years
• Birthrates to teenage single moms is decreasing
  last 10 yrs
• More married women having fewer babies