Expectant Mothers' Reflections on Childhood and Parenting: Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The significance of parenting practices for children's development and health has gained increased attention, aligning with life course perspectives on health. Adverse childhood experiences are widespread and linked to impaired parenting in adulthood. Understanding how expectant parents reflect on their childhoods, and how such reflections can be fostered as part of antenatal care, is essential for supporting healthier caregiving and helping to break cycles of intergenerational adversity.

Objective: This study aimed to explore pregnant women's perspectives on parenting and sources of support in light of their childhood experiences, including responses to a key question about what they want to pass on to their child.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2022 among pregnant women recruited through social media platforms, including Facebook groups and Instagram accounts. The Pearson chi-square test was used to examine associations between the assessment of childhood and 4 parenting-related variables. Free-text responses were analyzed for content, categorized, and quantified.

Results: Among 1402 pregnant women across Norway, 10% (139/1393) reported difficult childhoods. Among them, 28.1% (39/139) felt that their upbringing would significantly influence their parenting, compared to 15.9% (171/1074) of those with good childhoods (P<.001). Most participants expressed a desire to pass on positive values. For some, the key question prompted disclosure of difficult childhoods and a strong wish to break with their past. Approximately 10% (139/1389) of the participants reported they lacked someone to turn to for parenting advice. This was more common among those with difficult childhoods (37/139, 26.6%) than those with average (28/176, 15.9%) or good childhoods (74/1067, 6.9%; P<.001).

Conclusions: Expectant women's upbringing shapes their parenting expectations and support needs. Many, especially those with difficult pasts, expect these experiences to affect parenting. These findings highlight the role of intergenerational transmission and the value of inviting such reflection as part of antenatal care to identify support needs.

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences; general practice; key questions; parenting; person-centered care; pregnancy; primary health care.

Figure 1

To what extent pregnant women reported that their childhood would influence how they would raise their children, whether the antenatal visits had prepared them for parenthood, and how they viewed becoming a parent, according to how they viewed their own childhood.