Study: Mothers' and Fathers' Pregnancy Intentions and Interparental Conflict: Is There Harm in Ambivalency? (DOI: 10.1177/08862605251355970)
A pregnancy that is unintended or met with mixed feelings may affect more than the decision about whether and when to have a child.
New research from the University of Michigan suggests that feelings of uncertainty or not wanting a pregnancy may also be linked to relationship conflict and intimate partner violence years after a child is born.
Lead author Olivia Chang, a student in U-M's joint doctoral program in social work and psychology, said mixed or uncertain feelings-or ambivalence-stood out in particular. Mothers and fathers who reported feeling unsure about the pregnancy were more likely to experience destructive conflict in their relationships. Some of those connections remained nearly three years later, suggesting that uncertainty surrounding a pregnancy may have lasting effects on family relationships.
The researchers also found connections between pregnancy intentions and intimate partner violence. Mothers who described their pregnancy as unwanted or ambivalent had higher odds of reporting that they experienced the violence 15 months later. Among fathers, those who reported ambivalent feelings about the pregnancy had higher odds of reporting intimate partner violence victimization three years later.
The findings, appearing in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, are important because much of the previous research on pregnancy intentions has focused primarily on mothers and has often divided pregnancies into two simple categories: intended or unintended, Chang said. The new findings suggest that fathers' perspectives-and the more complicated emotions that can surround pregnancy-deserve greater attention.
Understanding those feelings could help researchers and family-support professionals identify couples who may benefit from additional support as they navigate the transition to parenthood.
The study used secondary data from the federally sponsored Building Strong Families Project, supported by the U.S. Administration for Children and Families. Co-authors included Kaitlin Ward, people analytics researcher at Google; Garrett Pace, assistant professor of social work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Shawna Lee, U-M professor of social work.
