Background: Parents' experiences and their relationship to their baby undergo various changes over the course of the first year. This is particularly the case for mothers, who still tend to take on the primary caregiver role in most families in the UK. Better understanding the changes mothers experience in the first year is of importance given the impact of the parent-infant relationship for children's socio-emotional development.
Methods: This qualitative longitudinal study explored first-time mothers' experience of parenting confidence and relationship with their baby from their third trimester of pregnancy to the end of their babies' first year of life. This study also examined trajectories of relevant consistent parenting factors: perceived social support, relationship with partner, expectations, and coping mechanisms. The sample consisted of ten first-time expectant mothers from a low-risk community urban sample, all White, the majority married or in committed relationships and with higher education. Participants were interviewed at four time periods (prenatal, 1-, 6-, and 12-months).
Results: The findings indicate that in this homogenous, low-risk sample, most mothers' parenting confidence improved with time, as did their relationship with their baby. However, most faced many changes in their experiences where, overall, the first six months after birth were the most challenging with many mothers feeling disconnected or having strong shifts in their views of relationship with their baby, feeling unsure about how to parent, having unmet prenatal expectations, and diminished partner support.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the complexity of change at multiple levels, both within individuals and within the 15 months of transitioning to motherhood. Consideration of these changes can help inform maternity services and mental health and social care professionals working with expectant parents and those in early parenthood to improve parenting confidence and mother-infant relationships.
Keywords: Longitudinal; Mother-infant relationship; Motherhood; Parenting confidence; Partner support; Pregnancy; Prenatal expectations; Prenatal representations; Qualitative; Traumatic birth.
© 2025. The Author(s).