Couples' psychological adjustment to twin parenthood: mode of conception (spontaneous versus assisted reproduction) and gender differences

Aim: To examine whether mode of conception and gender are associated with parents’
psychological adjustment across the transition to twin parenthood. Background: There is
limited knowledge on the psychological adjustment of couples to twin parenthood during
pregnancy and early postpartum, especially for fathers. The available research suggests that
first-time mothers of twins conceived by assisted reproduction techniques (ART) may
experience lower psychosocial well-being than mothers of spontaneously conceived (SC) twins.
Methods: A total of 41 couples expecting twins, 25 of whom conceived spontaneously and 16
conceived by assisted reproduction techniques, completed measures of depressive and anxiety
symptoms, marital relationship, attitudes to sex, and attitudes to pregnancy and the baby.
Findings: ART parents showed a decline in marital relationship quality, no changes in attitudes
to pregnancy and the baby and no changes in attitudes to sex over the postpartum. In contrast,
SC parents did not change their perception of the marital relationship, reported more positive
attitudes to pregnancy and the baby, and more positive attitudes to sex over the postpartum.
Compared with the other groups (SC mothers and fathers, ART fathers), ART mothers
exhibited a higher increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms from pregnancy to postpartum
and only anxiety symptoms exhibited a decline trend over the postpartum. These findings
suggest that ART parents may experience more psychological difficulties during the transition
to twin parenthood than SC parents. ART mothers, in particular, appear to be more at risk of
high levels of postpartum depressive symptoms.
(undefined)
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion