The interplay between prenatal psychological flexibility and couple secure base in promoting postpartum parenting.

Abstract

Given that parents encounter considerable stress during the pregnancy-postpartum transition and early toddler years, the degree to which parents can draw upon regulatory resources to manage escalating parenting stress is likely to shape their ability to skillfully parent their children. Despite the interrelated nature of individuals within a family systems framework, there is limited research investigating if and how both intrapersonal and interpersonal forms of regulation contribute to parenting. In this study, we examined whether the interaction of intrapersonal (i.e., greater psychological flexibility) and interpersonal (i.e., a stronger secure base with partner) regulatory resources available to parents during pregnancy sets the stage for more mindful, attuned parenting of toddlers by fostering a strong bond with infants. Aims were pursued in a sample of 159 mixed-gender couples across four waves of data spanning pregnancy to 2 years postpartum. Data were analyzed within a dyadic framework, and findings suggest that prenatal psychological flexibility largely drives postpartum parenting for both mothers and fathers. Bonding impairments with infants emerged as a mechanism for mothers, but not fathers, through which prenatal flexibility impacts mindful parenting of toddlers. Further, an additive effect of flexibility and secure base emerged for fathers, such that high levels of both prenatal flexibility and secure base were needed to achieve the highest levels of present-centered attention when parenting. Thus, prenatal interventions aimed at promoting adaptive postpartum parenting should integrate efforts to bolster both flexibility and secure base between intimate partners to enhance parenting across early childhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).