ABSTRACT
The prevalence in women presenting with psychiatric problems is even higher. Anxiety in an unfamiliar situation can of course inhibit confidence and affectionate behaviour. Women who have trained in child care, for example as paediatric nurses or nannies, may have high expectations of their responses to their own children, and be unprepared for the strong ambivalence which most mothers feel at times. Two studies have looked at aspects of the mother's femininity or masculinity, but the results are somewhat conflicting. A prospective study which looked at attitudes in pregnancy, delivery, and up to six weeks postpartum found that the most significant predictors of later poor parenting were to be noted in the delivery room. Several studies have examined the effect of increased early contact between mother and baby in the later acquisition of good mothering skills and in child development.
