Analyzing of The Mother And Father's Parenthood Behaviours at The Early Postpartum Period

There are many physiological and psychological changes in the postpartum period. One of the changes that occur in the family is the process of becoming a parent. Parenthood is a process that begins with the spouses deciding to get pregnant and continues throughout life (Özdemir et al., 2021; Ergin and Özdilek, 2014). The foundations of an individual's future perspective on themselves and the world are largely determined by the parental interactions they experience in the first year of life and their quality. Parenting behaviors exhibited in the early postpartum period show the extent of communication parents have with their babies in later periods. It is also important because it can have short- and long-term effects on the baby (Lazoğlu et al., 2022; Özlem Koç, 2016; Özkan et al., 2013). Parenting behaviors are behaviors in which the mother and father show interest in their baby, such as looking at the newborn baby in the postpartum period, asking questions about the baby, smiling at the newborn baby or making noise (Çalışır et al., 2009). Research shows that these behaviors are affected by socioeconomic reasons, the psychological state of the mother and father, their age, whether the pregnancy was planned, and the general health of the newborn. Parenting behaviors should be observed in the prenatal and postnatal period and supported with education when necessary (Özdemir et al., 2021; Koç et al., 2016). Parents need to adapt to their changing roles, develop new relationships, and organize their existing relationships according to their new roles (Kaya and Şahin, 2020; Özkan et al., 2016). During the transition to parenthood, in addition to the current home and workplace demands, baby care demands are potential stress factors that can disrupt the organization and process of family life and threaten family and marital functioning (Ngai and Ngu, 2014). During the parental transition, couples with a greater sense of family cohesion willingly take on the challenges of new parenthood, are committed to seeking meaning in the parenting role, and overcome any challenges encountered during the transition, leading to a more satisfying family and marital relationship (Ngai & Ngu, 2014). Additionally, spousal support and involvement in infant care have been found to be associated with higher satisfaction in marital relationships and family functioning (Salmela-Aro et al., 2010; Menéndez et al., 2011). Research suggests that spousal involvement and support for each other are particularly important for family and marital functioning during the transition to parenthood (Planalp et al., 2019). Although significant research has been conducted on family and marital functioning during the transition to the parenting role, research on the effects of family cohesion, social support, and stress during the perinatal period on family and marital functioning is limited. This study aimed to examine the parenting behaviors and marital adjustment of mothers and fathers during the postpartum period.