Stress and arousal during pregnancy and childbirth

Sixty primigravidae were assessed on the short form of the Stress-Arousal Adjective Check List (SACL) at the commencement of the third trimester of pregnancy. Fifty-four of these were also administered the SACL in the labour ward and at three days after birth. On the first assessment the mean levels for the group of mothers were above normative levels of stress but not normative levels of arousal. In labour there was a significant increase in stress accompanied by a significant decrease in arousal. On the third day stress and arousal means were at approximately normative levels. Of those women stressed antenatally, four-fifths were also stressed in labour and half were stressed postnatally. Correlates of stress and arousal are examined and the utility of the measures discussed.