A Study on Postpartum Experiences and Coping Mechanisms of Primipara and Multipara
CHAPTER I
The Problem and Its Background
Introduction
Postpartum is the stage after the childbirth. The word “para” refers to the number of pregnancies that have progresses to 20 or more weeks at delivery, whether the fetus was born live or was still born. It is also defined as a number of pregnancies, not the number of fetuses. A woman who has given birth once after a pregnancy for at least 20 weeks of gestation is called primipara while a woman who has given birth 2 or more times at 20 or more weeks of gestation is termed as multipara. Coping mechanisms are patterns of behavior toward managing and resolving various problems, events and stressors. (Mc Kinney et al., 2005)
Becoming a parent can be one of the most awe-inspiring and beautiful transitions in a person’s life, but it can also be one of the most challenging. Being a mother, every woman has their own difficulties adjusting to being a mom, particularly after the firstborn. They have tumultuous mix of experiences, with many extremes from high to low. Having a baby and becoming a mother can often bring a mix of contradictory feelings. Pregnancy and childbirth are a happy and joyous time for some women, but for others the experience can be one of anxiety, fear, and confusion. Due to the fact that our society holds pregnancy and motherhood in high regard, many women suffer in silence when their experience is anything less than sublime, because of fear they will be negatively judged. Speaking about one 's negative feelings challenges powerful cultural myths. Many myths tell people that becoming a mother should be the happiest time in a woman 's life, that all women possess an all-powerful maternal instinct, that motherly love is limitless and unwavering, and that the baby is supposed to provide the mother with total fulfilment. These messages about mothering, that are everywhere, can be intimidating and harmful. They set mothers up to feel ashamed for any negative feelings they may be having. These
The Problem and Its Background
Introduction
Postpartum is the stage after the childbirth. The word “para” refers to the number of pregnancies that have progresses to 20 or more weeks at delivery, whether the fetus was born live or was still born. It is also defined as a number of pregnancies, not the number of fetuses. A woman who has given birth once after a pregnancy for at least 20 weeks of gestation is called primipara while a woman who has given birth 2 or more times at 20 or more weeks of gestation is termed as multipara. Coping mechanisms are patterns of behavior toward managing and resolving various problems, events and stressors. (Mc Kinney et al., 2005)
Becoming a parent can be one of the most awe-inspiring and beautiful transitions in a person’s life, but it can also be one of the most challenging. Being a mother, every woman has their own difficulties adjusting to being a mom, particularly after the firstborn. They have tumultuous mix of experiences, with many extremes from high to low. Having a baby and becoming a mother can often bring a mix of contradictory feelings. Pregnancy and childbirth are a happy and joyous time for some women, but for others the experience can be one of anxiety, fear, and confusion. Due to the fact that our society holds pregnancy and motherhood in high regard, many women suffer in silence when their experience is anything less than sublime, because of fear they will be negatively judged. Speaking about one 's negative feelings challenges powerful cultural myths. Many myths tell people that becoming a mother should be the happiest time in a woman 's life, that all women possess an all-powerful maternal instinct, that motherly love is limitless and unwavering, and that the baby is supposed to provide the mother with total fulfilment. These messages about mothering, that are everywhere, can be intimidating and harmful. They set mothers up to feel ashamed for any negative feelings they may be having. These
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