The relationship between hope and resilience with promoting maternal attachment to the fetus during pregnancy

Maternal attachment to the fetus is an emotional bond and the unique relationship of the pregnant woman to the fetus. Attachment is an important predictor of mental health. One of the psychological factors affecting mental health is resilience and hope. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between hope and resilience with promoting maternal attachment to the fetus during pregnancy.

This is a descriptive correlational study performed on 386 pregnant women referred to community health centers in Isfahan‑Iran. The research instruments were standard questionnaires of Hope Snyder, Conor and Davidson Resilience, and maternal attachment to the fetus of Cranley. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation test.

The results showed that there is no significant relationship between the overall score of maternal attachment to the fetus and the total score of hope (P = 0.73). The overall score of maternal attachment to the fetus was positively and significantly correlated with hope subscales, including thinking (P = 0.004) and path (P = 0.047). The overall score of maternal attachment to the fetus was positively and significantly correlated with the overall score of resilience (P = 0.03). There was a correlation between the dimensions of maternal attachment to the fetus, including interaction with the fetus (P = 0.003) and self‑sacrifice (P = 0.015). Maternal role acceptance (P = 0.001) was positively and significantly correlated with hope thinking subscale. Self‑sacrifice (P = 0.027) and differentiation between self and fetus (P = 0.035) were positively and positively correlated with hope path subscales. Self‑sacrifice (P = 0.03) and attribution to fetus (P = 0.001) had a significant positive relationship with resilience.

The results of this study showed that hope and resiliency are positively and significantly associated with maternal attachment to the fetus during pregnancy. Hope and resiliency are positively and significantly associated with maternal attachment to the fetus, thus increasing the expectation of pregnant mothers to increase their attachment to their fetus. As a result, they are paying more attention to prenatal care, which can guarantee the health of their mothers and their babies.