FROM PREGNANCY TO PARENTING. The influence of pregnancy-related anxiety on parenting stress in the contest of COVID-19 pandemic

The present research is part of a larger corpus of knowledge that highlights the relevance of pregnancy as a critical period, a time marked by significant transformations and reorganizations that lay the foundation of the future woman and mother. More specifically, the focus is directed to the association between perinatal mental health and parenting behaviours in the months after childbirth. This connection is even more meaningful in the contest of COVID-19 pandemic, since pregnant women have been subjected to relevant changes in prenatal care and to a climate of fear and uncertainty that may have exacerbated fears for pregnancy and childbirth. Furthermore restrictions imposed by governments have significantly altered family routines, reducing social support and facilities families relied on. More precisely, this research takes into account two principal constructs, pregnancy-related anxiety and parenting stress, assessed respectively during pregnancy (t0) and 12 months after childbirth (t2) which have been used as predictor and outcome. We tested the direct relation between these two variables and the indirect one, moderated by type of birth or by birth partner presence during labour, both assessed at 6 months after childbirth (t1). A sample of 371 Italian pregnant women completed a web-based survey from April 8th to May 4th, 2020 (t0) and two follow-up at t1 and t2. Results highlight a significant association between high levels of pregnancy-related anxiety and high scores on PSI (Parenting Stress Index); the indirect relation is confirmed with birth partner presence as moderator while it’s not significant with type of birth. This study supports the link between perinatal mental health (i.e. pregnancy-related anxiety) and parenting outcomes, suggesting the relevance of pregnancy experience for parenting behaviours in the months after childbirth. Moreover it sheds light on possible risks COVID-19 has put on pregnant women and, consequently, on offspring development.