Women look at their experience of pregnancy

This investigation asked à diverse sample of women to identify retrospectively what they considered to be the central psychological events of their pregnancy. There was substantial agreement on eight of these. These events subsequently were scaled by a larger sample of women in terms of the emotional impact of each, using ratio scales based on each subject's individual frame of reference. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences in the remembered impact of the various events. For example, mothers who had amniocentesis or ultrasound rated getting the results of these prenatal tests second only to the moment of childbirth itself. At least six of the eight events as a group are tentatively offered as predictable crises in the biopsychosocial process that takes place from conception onward. As such, focusing on these events in the course of a pregnancy may have substantial educative and prophylactic value.