Bonding with bump: Interoceptive sensibility moderates the relationship between pregnancy body satisfaction and antenatal attachment

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bonding with bump

T2 - Interoceptive sensibility moderates the relationship between pregnancy body satisfaction and antenatal attachment

AU - Stafford, Lucy

AU - Munns, Lydia

AU - Crossland, Anna E

AU - Kirk, Elizabeth

AU - Preston, Catherine E J

N1 - © 2024 The Author(s)

PY - 2024/4/1

Y1 - 2024/4/1

N2 - PROBLEM: There is limited understanding and contradictory results regarding the contribution of the pregnant bodily experience to antenatal attachment.BACKGROUND: Antenatal attachment is an important aspect of pregnancy, which has been linked with positive maternal and infant outcomes. Given the profound physical process of pregnancy, it is likely that bodily experience is implicated in antenatal attachment, with research supporting the involvement of pregnancy body (dis)satisfaction. However, previous research reveals conflicting results and has only focused on exteroceptive bodily experience (appearance) rather than internal physiological sensations (interoception).AIM: To examine the relative contributions of both external and internal bodily experience in antenatal attachment.METHODS: This cross-sectional study collected online survey data from 159 pregnant participants with measures capturing interoceptive sensibility (subjective experience of interoception), pregnancy body dissatisfaction and antenatal attachment.FINDINGS: We replicated previous findings that pregnancy body dissatisfaction is related to antenatal attachment. However, the relationship between pregnancy body dissatisfaction and antenatal attachment was moderated by worry about interoceptive signals. The interoceptive construct of body trust was most strongly associated with antenatal attachment.DISCUSSION: The results suggest that interoception is important for antenatal attachment, particularly feelings of body trust. Moreover, for individuals who were less worried about bodily sensations, high levels of body dissatisfaction were associated with low attachment scores, whilst for those who were more concerned about these sensations, the relationship between body dissatisfaction and antenatal attachment was mitigated.CONCLUSION: The results suggest that focusing on internal sensations may be a protective strategy against pregnancy body dissatisfaction to strengthen maternal bonds.

AB - PROBLEM: There is limited understanding and contradictory results regarding the contribution of the pregnant bodily experience to antenatal attachment.BACKGROUND: Antenatal attachment is an important aspect of pregnancy, which has been linked with positive maternal and infant outcomes. Given the profound physical process of pregnancy, it is likely that bodily experience is implicated in antenatal attachment, with research supporting the involvement of pregnancy body (dis)satisfaction. However, previous research reveals conflicting results and has only focused on exteroceptive bodily experience (appearance) rather than internal physiological sensations (interoception).AIM: To examine the relative contributions of both external and internal bodily experience in antenatal attachment.METHODS: This cross-sectional study collected online survey data from 159 pregnant participants with measures capturing interoceptive sensibility (subjective experience of interoception), pregnancy body dissatisfaction and antenatal attachment.FINDINGS: We replicated previous findings that pregnancy body dissatisfaction is related to antenatal attachment. However, the relationship between pregnancy body dissatisfaction and antenatal attachment was moderated by worry about interoceptive signals. The interoceptive construct of body trust was most strongly associated with antenatal attachment.DISCUSSION: The results suggest that interoception is important for antenatal attachment, particularly feelings of body trust. Moreover, for individuals who were less worried about bodily sensations, high levels of body dissatisfaction were associated with low attachment scores, whilst for those who were more concerned about these sensations, the relationship between body dissatisfaction and antenatal attachment was mitigated.CONCLUSION: The results suggest that focusing on internal sensations may be a protective strategy against pregnancy body dissatisfaction to strengthen maternal bonds.

KW - Pregnancy

KW - Humans

KW - Female

KW - Cross-Sectional Studies

KW - Emotions/physiology

KW - Anxiety

KW - Interoception/physiology

KW - Personal Satisfaction

U2 - 10.1016/j.midw.2024.103940

DO - 10.1016/j.midw.2024.103940

M3 - Article

C2 - 38335693

SN - 0266-6138

VL - 131

JO - Midwifery

JF - Midwifery

M1 - 103940

ER -