The relationship between maternal self-esteem, maternal competence, infant temperament and post-partum blues
Denis, A.; Ponsin, M.; Callahan, S.
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology 30(4): 388-397
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 0264-6838
DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2012.718751
Accession: 036594526
Several studies emphasise the link between infant temperament and maternal cognitions, particularly in terms of maternal self-esteem and feelings of competence, and how this may affect the post-partum period. The aim of this study is to evaluate the link between infant temperament, maternal cognitions and post-partum blues. At 2 days post-partum, 69 women completed three questionnaires along with a form providing sociodemographic data: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Maternal Self-Report Inventory (MSI), and the Mother and Baby Scale (MABS) measuring post-partum blues symptoms, maternal self-esteem and perceptions of competency and infant temperament, respectively. Correlation analyses showed a link between post-partum blues intensity and low maternal self-esteem, an impression of lacking competence in caretaking and feeding abilities, and the perception of the infant as difficult . A multiple regression analysis showed that the perception of.