This research project

What is this?

This study is being conducted by Soledad Coo Calcagni, psychologist and PhD Candidate at the Psychology Department of the University of Melbourne - Australia, under the supervision of Prof. Jeannette Milgrom, and Prof. John Trinder.
Our purpose is to assess the personal or subjective perception women have about their own experience of pregnancy and childbirth to increase our comprehension of the factors that promote a positive postnatal adjustment.


Why is this study important?

What happens during pregnancy and childbirth may have a significant influence on the mother's and her baby's wellbeing, therefore, several studies have been conducted to gain a deeper understanding of this period and to identify risk factors that may lead to negative outcomes - such as anxiety or depression. Surprisingly, the role of the personal or subjective experience of women has been usually disregarded. This project intends to explore this important aspect and its influence on postnatal adjustment.


What will we ask you to do?

Participants will be required to complete a set of questionnaires at three different times, namely during the third trimester of pregnancy (26-38 weeks), one week after delivery, and 10 weeks after childbirth.
Questionnaires include items on mood, sleep, and expectations about pregnancy and the forthcoming baby, as well as some questions about demographic variables (i.e. country of birth, education, marital status, etc.)
Questionnaires will be posted to every woman's personal address, and a pre-paid envelope will be enclosed to mail the survey back.

How can I participate?

If you are pregnant and would like to participate please contact me - Soledad - through this blog or by emailing me at s.coocalcagni@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au and I will come back to you as soon as possible to ask you your mailing address and expected due date in order to send you the questionnaire, participant information, and consent form.
By reading this blog you will find out more about this study and its core issues.