The DOI matches its Crossref record; 28 of the 29 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Prenatal expectations and marital satisfaction over the transition to parenthood
Abstract
Associations among prenatal expectations, the extent to which expectations were confirmed or disconfirmed, and trajectories of marital satisfaction over the transition to parenthood were assessed 7-11 times in a sample of newlywed couples. Piecewise growth curve analyses were conducted to examine levels of marital satisfaction at the beginning of marriage and rates of change over 2 periods: from the beginning of marriage through the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and from the 3rd trimester of pregnancy through 18 months postpartum. Postpartum marital decline was greater than decline from marriage through pregnancy. Spouses who were more satisfied at the beginning of marriage reported higher expectations. There was marked variability in the extent to which prenatal expectations were confirmed; some expectations were unfulfilled, others were met, and still others were surpassed. Associations between the extent to which expectations were confirmed and rates of change in marital decline differed as a function of the specific type of expectation. Implications for understanding vulnerability and resiliency in couples negotiating the transition to parenthood are discussed.
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“Studies show that parents’ prenatal expectations of these postpartum experiences impact intrapersonal adjustment to parenting and interpersonal couple functioning.95,96”
From The transition to parenthood in obstetrics: enhancing prenatal care for 2-generation impact (2022) · cites this paper as [95]
In the citing paper
“In another report with heterosexual couples, having higher prenatal expectations relative to experiences once the baby was born (eg, about being a parent, competency as a parent, outside help and emotional support, and satisfactory division of family responsibilities) was associated with greater declines in levels of marital satisfaction after birth.95”
From The transition to parenthood in obstetrics: enhancing prenatal care for 2-generation impact (2022) · cites this paper as [95]
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
The effect of the transition to parenthood on relationship quality: An 8-year prospective study.
Doss, B. D., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2009) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0013969 · Cited by 656
“Additionally, a recent study (Lawrence et al., 2007) fit separate slopes of change before and after birth.”
Marital satisfaction across the transition to parenthood.
Lawrence, E., Rothman, A. D., Cobb, R. J., Rothman, M. T., & Bradbury, T. N. (2008) · Journal of Family Psychology · doi:10.1037/0893-3200.22.1.41 · Cited by 445
“Lawrence, Nylen, and Cobb (2007) analyzed trajectories of marital satisfaction from the beginning of marriage through the third trimester of pregnancy and found that levels of marital satisfaction remained relatively stable for husbands and declined for wives during this period.”
BackgroundSelf-citationMaternal gatekeeping, coparenting quality, and fathering behavior in families with infants.
Schoppe‐Sullivan, S. J., Brown, G. L., Cannon, E. A., Mangelsdorf, S. C., & Sokolowski, M. S. (2008) · Journal of Family Psychology · doi:10.1037/0893-3200.22.3.389 · Cited by 383
Fahey, J. O., & Shenassa, E. (2013) · Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health · doi:10.1111/jmwh.12139 · Cited by 232
From partnership to parenthood: A review of marital change across the transition to parenthood
Kluwer, E. S. (2010) · Journal of Family Theory & Review · doi:10.1111/j.1756-2589.2010.00045.x · Cited by 195
“In their longitudinal study, Lawrence, Nylen, and Cobb (2007) found that husbands and wives had very different expectations and perceptions about the transition to parenthood.”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Lawrence, E., Nylen, K., & Cobb, R. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Iowa (US)
- Simon Fraser University (CA)
- Venue
- Journal of Family Psychology
- Published
- 2007
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 155-164
- ISSN
- 0893-3200 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1293
- OpenAlex
- W2048445499
- Cited by
- 156
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 12.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Family Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health
- University of Iowa
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Keywords
- prenatal expectations, marital satisfaction, transition to parenthood, newlyweds, pregnancy
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Marriage, Parents, Personal Satisfaction, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trimester, Third, Set, Psychology
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