Parents' experiences of the transition to parenthood. Version 1.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring first-time parents’ concepts of emerging parenthood and relationships with their unborn baby: Experiences of the Solihull Approach antenatal programme.
IRAS ID
167350
Contact name
Adele Phillips
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
The relationship between a parent and their child is of critical importance as it is known to impact on many aspects of a child’s development and on their mental health throughout life. This has led researchers to consider what the antecedents to a secure attachment relationship are. As the attachment relationship between parent and child begins prior to the child being born, its early development should be studied antenatally. However, little is known about how a mother experiences and understands the baby and their relationship during the antenatal period. Furthermore, a lesser amount is known about how fathers experience and make sense of the baby and their relationship during this time.
The aim of this study is to explore parents’ perceptions of their unborn child and their experiences of the relationship with their baby during the antenatal period. Semi-structured interviews will take place during the third trimester of pregnancy and 8-14 weeks postpartum in order to explore how these perceptions and stories have developed. Parents will have attended the Solihull Approach antenatal group programme and their experiences of this intervention will also be explored. A greater understanding of the factors involved in the relationship between a parent and their unborn child is essential for the promotion of healthy child development.
Two phases of the study are proposed:
Phase 1:
Parent dyads attending the Solihull Approach antenatal group will be recruited. Interviews will take place separately and data analysed dyadically.Phase 2:
Individuals attending the Solihull Approach antenatal group will be recruited and interviewed.
Data collection for phase 2 will be up to 6 months after data collection for phase 1.REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/WM/0046
Date of REC Opinion
17 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion