Maternal perception of couple relationship before and after the birth of first and second child and twins

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the changes in quality of couples' relationships from pregnancy to postpartum in pregnant Italian women who conceived spontaneously and to analyze the differences in transition to motherhood with respect to birth of (a) first child, (b) second child, and (c) twins. Background: The transition to motherhood leads to several changes for parents and can significantly affect a couple's adaptation. The couple's adaptation to parenthood may depend on whether they are having a first child, a second child, or twins. Method: A total of 119 women (61 primiparous women with single pregnancy, 42 multiparous women with single pregnancy, and 16 primiparous women with twin pregnancy) completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale during the third trimester of pregnancy and 3 months after childbirth. To explore whether the three groups differed regarding the quality of the couple relationship during pregnancy, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted. Subsequently, a series of mixed 2 × 3 ANOVA with Time (pregnancy and postpartum) as the within factor and Group as the between factor for each dependent variable linked to the dimensions of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale was carried out to explore whether the quality of the couple relationship differed 3 months after childbirth. Results: Results highlighted that, during pregnancy, mothers expecting one child (both primiparas and multiparas) reported a higher level of couple relationship quality than did women expecting twins. However, after childbirth, mothers of twins reported significant improvements on some qualitative aspects of their couple relationship (Affective Expression), whereas the other mothers reported some worsening in the perceived couple relationship 3 months after the birth of the child, especially regarding global score, Dyadic Cohesion, and Affective Expression. Conclusion: In conclusion, birth preparation courses must pay attention not only to parenting transition but also to promoting involvement of both partners in household duties. Anticipating a fair division of household chores can allow partners to prepare for childbirth and limit the stress of the couple. Implications: The promotion of dyadic adjustment can reduce parenting stress and increase parents' well-being.