Psychological adjustments of pregnancy

Reproduction in the human species is a universal phenomenon. This is such an obvious statement as to appear banal, and yet, considering the length of time that this phenomenon has been in operation, the gaps in our knowledge of the processes involved should be a cause of concern. Perhaps the fact that this phenomenon has been occurring for so many hundreds of thousands of years, has inspired an attitude of acceptance without enquiry. Certainly, there is an increasing body of medical knowledge as the result of many research enquiries into the physiological processes involved in pregnancy and the ways in which they may affect the mother and the foetus. Efforts have been made very successfully to reduce the level of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, but surprisingly few studies have concerned themselves with the emotional aspects of this biological condition. Such studies, fortunately, are increasing and in the years to come, our knowledge of the psychological phenomena associated with child bearing will be more comprehensive than at the present time. Whilst in the last half century there has been a considerable body of speculative theory on the emotional aspects of pregnancy, it is only in comparatively recent years that attempts have been made in anything like a systematic or scientific way to study this particular aspect of child birth. This paper then must, of necessity, be something of a hotchpotch of current knowledge and current theories - some facts, some speculations - perhaps not as neatly tied up in a package deal as you would like.