Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between prenatal bonding levels, self-perception, marital satisfaction, and psychological symptoms in pregnancy. It also examines whether prenatal bonding levels differ according to sociodemographic and pregnancy-related variables.
Method: The sample comprised a total of 200 women in their 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy who were admitted to the outpatient polyclinics of obstetrics and perinatology at Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Hospital in Istanbul. The sample was created by convenience sampling method. The data collection tools included ‘Personal Information Form’ designed to collect information about the demographics and pregnancy of the participants, ‘Prenatal Attachment Inventory’ designed to determine prenatal bonding levels, ‘Marital Life Scale’ designed to investigate the overall satisfaction levels in marriage, ‘Social Comparison Scale’ used to measure the self-schema that reflects impressions about the self, and the ‘Brief Symptom Inventory’ designed to evaluate general symptoms of psychological distress and psychiatric disorders.
Results: The results indicated that prenatal bonding levels differed according to certain variables such as educational background, gestational week, number of children women already had, number of pregnancies, and relationship with the partner. A weak positive correlation was found between prenatal bonding levels and marital satisfaction, while there was no significant relationship between self-perception and psychological symptoms.
Conclusions: Higher levels of marital satisfaction lead to a corresponding increase in prenatal bonding in pregnant women. Therefore, to ensure a healthy mother-child relationship, educational or social programs should be designed to improve women’s satisfaction with their married life.