Maternicity: Motherhood can be divided into two components: Emotional factors (Maternicity) and Physical care taking (mothering). The emotional factors: diagnosis for the emotional component of the maternal role. a synonym for related terms. Reorganization of a woman’s identity from woman to mother (considerably more complicated), the development of which indicates a high probability for the successful learned development of a healthy mother-child relationship. Women may have a high level of maternicity regardless of working full time Motherliness: bond, attachment, tie, affection, dependency

Mothering: physical caretaking: activities such as diapering, feeding, bathing, burping. a person can be mothering w/out experiencing the emotion that makes bonds the infant

Maternal: the role incorporating new attitudes, beliefs, responsibilities, and relationships, all revolving around a child, reorganization of the household
Establishing a relationship with the newborn:
1. Identification process: (usually begins prior to birth, intensifies during the third trimester of pregnancy.) desire to know sex, traits, establish personality and characteristics
a. Comparisons with preconceived notions:
1 fulfills, identification process facilitated
2 does not meet, identification process delayed
b. Reaching, or active holding, rather than passive holding
1a. Touch progression: confirms existence of separate person, index of how mother feels about her relationship w/child
1 fingertips, arms, skin-to-skin
2 palmar touch
3 chest positioning: usually left side (heartbeat, soothing, security of familiar sound)
4 eye to eye contact
a increasing frequency and duration= increasing maternicity

Adapted from Postpartum: Development of Maternicity, Susan M. Luddington-Hoe, American Journal of Nursing, July 1977

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