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    "Waiting for baby" : first-time parents talk about worries during pregnancy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Marshall, Annabel Florence
    Previous research indicates that positive and negative changes of mood are not unusual during pregnancy, and both men and women may be faced with an overwhelming amount of worries [sic]. Although attention has begun to focus on the impact of anxiety disorders during pregnancy, less is known about the nature of the unique time-bounded concerns parents experience during this time. The purpose of this exploratory study was to increase understanding of expectant parents’ worries during first pregnancies. The research was guided by a social constructionist approach. By conducting semi-structured interviews, the study aimed to explore the ways a group of 20 first-time parents talked about worries during pregnancy, to bring us closer to the psychology of this transition. Participants were recruited through local antenatal education providers and by word of mouth. Interviews were audio-recorded digitally, transcribed by the researcher, and analysed discursively. Analysis focused on the discursive detail of worries, including how participants constructed worry, what they worried about, and how they managed and made sense of their concerns. The participants drew upon salient discourses to construct aspects of pregnancy and parenthood in a variety of ways. Similarities as well as differences emerged from the men’s and women’s data. An example of a marked difference was apparent in the way participants constructed worry. That is, while women drew upon a discourse of all-consuming worry to construct concerns as negative, pervasive and consuming, the men drew upon a discourse of sudden reality to construct their concerns as intense but comparatively short-lived, in response to a tangible event during pregnancy. Both women and men drew upon discourses of the healthy baby and responsibility to describe and explain the content of their worries. More positive aspects of their talk were captured by discourses of trust and positive change, which participants utilised to manage and make meaning of their concerns. Increased understanding of pregnancy-related worries is important for informing the development of psycho-education for new parents as well as therapeutic practices. Ultimately, helping new parents manage their worries is essential in preventing the development of more serious distress or illness, as well as working to strengthen the family unit.
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    A good start : supporting families with a first baby : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD in Social Policy and Social Work at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2011) de Haan, Irene Anne
    The study explored first time parents’ experiences during transition to parenthood, focussing on types and aspects of support found helpful or unhelpful. In New Zealand the state has a role in supporting new parents; yet high rates of child maltreatment indicates room for improvement in support provided. In recognising that infants have a basic right to optimal care, and in exploring how families can be better supported to provide such care, the study is aligned with a human rights approach to social work research. Twenty five women in diverse circumstances were interviewed before and after the birth of a first baby. Twelve ‘significant others’ were also interviewed, each once, after the baby’s birth. In order to build enough knowledge of participants’ experience to make pertinent recommendations for beneficial change in the system of support for families in transition to parenthood, attention was paid to gathering detail about practical realities of participants’ everyday experience. A narrative approach and a resilience perspective were used in analysing results. It was found that while keen to parent well, participants were unprepared for the realities of life with a baby. Issues they had not expected included: uncertainty associated with learning to parent; isolation; financial strain; problems linked to returning to paid employment; role and relationship change; and concern about being a ‘good’ parent. An overarching theme was ‘the constantness of it’, a phrase denoting absorption in an unremitting new routine marked by chronic tiredness and ‘24/7’ responsibility. The study indicates that first-time parents go through a process of developing competence while coping with new challenges. While financial strain was a pressing issue for participants in diverse circumstances, many wanted to ‘be a mum’ and were reluctant to use childcare and return to jobs. The data indicate that current policy and service provision does not always meet first time parents’ actual needs, including opportunities to learn infant care skills and relevant information for new fathers. A more flexible, responsive set of services might be created by customising standard services to more closely match needs and preferences of specific groups of new parents.