Abstract
Purpose: For all women, maternal psychosocial adaptation occurs throughout pregnancy and into the postpartum period. Researchers studying non-military pregnant women have demonstrated that support from a role model provides information and validation for the changes the gravida experiences prenatally and postnatally. Researchers have only begun to study the effects of prenatal psychosocial adaptation in women within the military setting. Weis, Lederman, Lilly & Schaffer (2008) found gravidas having deployed military husbands had greater conflict with their prenatal maternal adaptation (pregnancy acceptance and identifying with their maternal role) than pregnant military wives without deployed husbands.
Methods: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mentors Offering Maternal Support (MOMS) program in promoting maternal fetal attachment, maternal adaptation to pregnancy, self-esteem, and perceived community support in women within a military environment. A randomized, controlled, repeated measured design pilot study compared two groups of pregnant military wives, a control group receiving standard prenatal care and an intervention group receiving a structured 8-week MOMS program. Sixty-five military wives in their first trimester of pregnancy completed all aspects of the study. Women randomized to the MOMS program received eight structured classes starting in the first trimester of pregnancy and occurring every-other week until the third trimester. Outcome measures were obtained in each trimester. The women in the control group received usual prenatal care.
Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups for any of the outcome variables.
Conclusion: There were two statistically significant results for the interaction of the amount of contact the women had with their deployed husbands and group assignment for the variables of Relationship with Husband scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory.
Sigma Membership
Unknown
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Social Support, Prenatal Adaption, Military Deployment
Recommended Citation
Ryan, Teresa W. and Weis, Karen L., "Mom-to-mom: A program to mentor and support pregnant women whose spouses are deployed to the combat zone" (2012). INRC (Congress). 198.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2012/presentations_2012/198
Conference Name
23rd International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Brisbane, Australia
Conference Year
2012
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Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Mom-to-mom: A program to mentor and support pregnant women whose spouses are deployed to the combat zone
Brisbane, Australia
Purpose: For all women, maternal psychosocial adaptation occurs throughout pregnancy and into the postpartum period. Researchers studying non-military pregnant women have demonstrated that support from a role model provides information and validation for the changes the gravida experiences prenatally and postnatally. Researchers have only begun to study the effects of prenatal psychosocial adaptation in women within the military setting. Weis, Lederman, Lilly & Schaffer (2008) found gravidas having deployed military husbands had greater conflict with their prenatal maternal adaptation (pregnancy acceptance and identifying with their maternal role) than pregnant military wives without deployed husbands.
Methods: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mentors Offering Maternal Support (MOMS) program in promoting maternal fetal attachment, maternal adaptation to pregnancy, self-esteem, and perceived community support in women within a military environment. A randomized, controlled, repeated measured design pilot study compared two groups of pregnant military wives, a control group receiving standard prenatal care and an intervention group receiving a structured 8-week MOMS program. Sixty-five military wives in their first trimester of pregnancy completed all aspects of the study. Women randomized to the MOMS program received eight structured classes starting in the first trimester of pregnancy and occurring every-other week until the third trimester. Outcome measures were obtained in each trimester. The women in the control group received usual prenatal care.
Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups for any of the outcome variables.
Conclusion: There were two statistically significant results for the interaction of the amount of contact the women had with their deployed husbands and group assignment for the variables of Relationship with Husband scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory.