ABSTRACT
This chapter synthesizes what we know about the effect of the Transition to Parenthood (TtP) on three overarching aspects of adult adjustment: Family relationships, psychosocial well-being, and neurobiological changes. In each case, the review focuses on both positive and negative changes that accompany the TtP as well as the contextual and personal strengths and vulnerabilities that predict variation in parents’ adjustment in each area. Before reviewing this literature, however, the chapter begins with a summary of the demographic changes in the TtP that have characterized parenting in the United States. Next, we overview the theories typically guiding research on the TtP, which include family systems theory (Cox and Paley, 2003; Kerig, 2019), the ecological model of development (Bronfenbrenner, 1977), and the perspective of evolutionary psychology (Kenrick et al., 2010). The final sections of the chapter summarize the literature on the TtP under conditions of ecological and biological risk, including single and unwed parenthood and poor infant health. This section will also explicate the unique—and common—experiences of the TtP for relatively new family types, including same-sex couples and couples welcoming babies via surrogacy or adoption. Finally, we offer examples of publicly funded programs and policies designed to support parents through the TtP, and a cross-national comparison between the United States and the Scandinavian countries, which offer very different models of public support for new parents. Throughout, we describe the TtP as a period of interpersonal, psychological, and biological change for mothers, fathers, and families, one that sets the stage for the development of parenting behavior and parent-child relationships for years to come.
