ADJUSTMENT TO PARENTHOOD – INTRODUCTION
The period of adjusting to the changed life-style necessitated by the presence of a small, helpless, demanding, utterly dependent baby can be distressing to both parents. For biological reasons, the mother bears most of the stress. In hospital, after delivery, most mothers are not encouraged to ask the questions which trouble them. Unless the hospital permits the baby to stay all, or nearly all, the time with the mother she may have difficulty in knowing her baby and being able to interpret his cry. She does not know whether the baby is crying because of hunger, the desire for cuddling, or because it is in pain.
When she leaves hospital she may have insufficient confidence to face the demands of an unpredictable baby. In the past, parents and relatives were able to help her. But today, particularly in urban living, the new mother may feel increasingly isolated because distance precludes her mother from visiting and helping her. Even those visitors who come to see her often give her conflicting advice, and tell her of their experiences of caring for a newborn baby. These experiences are usually that the baby always smiled, rarely cried, put on weight, and was no trouble! The harassed mother contrasts this with the reality of her own baby, who wakes frequently, cries often, and seems to demand her constant attention.
*186/16/1*
Add A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.