Course of pregnancy, labor, and women’s satisfaction with life in the early postpartum period.

Abstract

Background: The postpartum period, including hospitalization after a birth, requires the woman in puerperium to adjust to her new social role. The subject of satisfaction with life (SWL) in women in the early postpartum period has been rarely addressed in the literature and requires up-to-date, thorough research. Aim of the study: The present study aimed to evaluate the level of SWL among women after delivery according to selected characteristics concerning the course of pregnancy and labor. Material and methods: The study included 128 females who after delivery were hospitalized at maternity units in Lublin, Poland. The participants were administered the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and a questionnaire to collect data on the course of pregnancy and labor. Results: It was found that 88 (68.75%) women had a high level of life satisfaction after childbirth, 27 (21.09%) had an average level, and 13 (10.16%) had a low level. Among the analyzed variables, a marginally significant increase in SWL was found for women in the early postpartum period that experienced skin-to-skin contact with the newborn immediately after delivery (p=0.054). The strength of the observed effect, as measured by Cohen’s d coefficient, was low (0.37). Conclusion: The current research contributes to the identification of factors occurring during pregnancy and labor that determine postpartum SWL. These results may enable the early elimination of variables that negatively affect postpartum SWL and place a focus on factors with a positive impact. The use of preventive measures designed to improve SWL are likely to aid in reducing the risk of mood disorders in the later postpartum period.