ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2018
First child's impact on parental relationship: an existential perspective.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Between Cradles and Compassion: A Conditional Obligation to Adopt Instead of Procreating.Journal of bioethical inquiry · 2026Article
- Meaning-making of existential aspects of motherhood transition: a systematic qualitative review protocol using framework synthesis.BMJ open · 2026Article
- A qualitative study on expectant and new parents' perceptions of Interplay, a digital support tool for parents' couple relationship and parenting.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Multidimensional Scale of Motives for Postponing Parenthood (MSMPP-18): Development, factorial structure and psychometric properties.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Meaning of Becoming a Mother. A Phenomenological-Hermeneutic Study.Scandinavian journal of caring sciences · 2025Article
- Muslim and Christian Women's Perceptions of the Influence of Spirituality and Religious Beliefs on Motherhood and Child-Rearing: A Phenomenological Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The Lived Experiences of Women without COVID-19 in Breastfeeding Their Infants during the Pandemic: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Transition to motherhood for Japanese primiparas from delivery to 6 months postpartum: A qualitative study.Nursing open · 2022Article
- Postpartum women's psychological experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: a modified recurrent cross-sectional thematic analysis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Article
- Parental-couple separation during the transition to parenthood.Nursing open · 2021Article
- How Giving Birth Makes Sense: A Questionnaire Study on Existential Meaning-Making Among Mothers Giving Birth Preterm or at Term.Journal of religion and health · 2021Article
- Relationship between parity and the problems that appear in the postpartum period.Scientific reports · 2019Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe first child's birth is for most mothers a profound experience carrying the potential to change life orientations and values. However, little is known of how becoming a mother influences the existential dimensions of life within the parental relationship for example how motherhood may change how we view our partner and what we find important. The aim of this study was to explore how becoming a mother might change the parental relationship seen from the mother's perspective with a specific focus on dimensions related to existential meaning-making.
methodsIn 2011, 499 Danish first time mothers answered a questionnaire, from which five core items related to changes in the partner relationship from the perspective of the mother, informed this study. The cohort consisted of mothers who gave birth before the 32nd week of gestation (n = 127) and mothers who gave birth at full term (n = 372). Item 1 focused on thoughts and conversations with her partner about the life change. Item 2 referred to the potential feeling of stronger ties to the partner. Item 3 related to the feeling of being connected to 'something bigger than one self' together with the partner. Item 4 focused on potential conflicts due to having a child, and item 5 referred to the experience of dreams. Possible answers ranged from 'To a high degree' to 'Not at all'.
resultsMost respondents found birth of the first child to have forged stronger ties to their partner and have led to both thoughts and conversations about how life together as a couple changed. At the same time, some experienced more conflicts with their partner than before giving birth, however, the majority did actually not. More than half felt their relationship linked to 'something bigger than themselves' or had had dreams on being a family.
conclusionFindings suggest motherhood transition to be a significant transformer of partnership relation influencing also existential meaning-making. Having the potential to be of importance for the health and vitality of the mother, partner and child, it seems essential to scientifically and clinically address concerns related to existential meaning-making in partner relationship.
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