Adult attachment and birth experience: importance of a secure base and safe haven during childbirth

ABSTRACTObjective: Examine connections between mothers’ adult attachment and subjective birth experience in the context of parity and mode of delivery.Background: Research has established a clear connection between adult attachment and birth experience. This study extended previous research with an in-depth self-report attachment measure examining different dimensions of mothers’ attachment representations and their relation to subjective birth experience.  Interactions between mode of delivery and parity were also considered. Method: Participants were 257 mothers who gave birth 4 days to 12 months prior to the study. Mothers’ mean age was 30.5 years, 61% primiparas, and 26% delivered by caesarean.  Participants completed an online survey with the Birth Experience Questionnaire, the Reciprocal Attachment Questionnaire, and demographic information.Results: Hierarchical moderated regression analyses showed direct effects from adult attachment dimensions to mothers’ subjective birth experiences, specifically...