The education of experience: Mixed methods evidence demonstrates the benefit of multiparity.
Ariana M Albanese, Pamela A Geller, Jackson M Steinkamp and 3 others
PMID 38688050WHAT IT FOUND
Multiparous parents reported better functioning and less anxiety than first-time parents.
Experience helped by building practical skills and disproving catastrophic fears. First-time parents may need more early support to normalize initial doubts and fears.
Key findings
01Multiparous parents had significantly better postpartum functioning, lower perceived stress, and fewer anxiety and depression symptoms than primiparous parents.
02Qualitative data showed that parenting experience improved outcomes by increasing confidence through skill acquisition and by disproving maladaptive beliefs about parenting.
03Primiparous parents reported higher distress early in the postpartum period, which alleviated with experience, whereas multiparous parents carried forward confidence from prior parenting.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (n=30), limiting the generalizability of the quantitative findings. The participants were generally high-functioning with low depression scores, so results may not apply to those with more severe mental health challenges. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that parenting experience causes better outcomes, only that they are associated. One author conducted all interviews and coded the data, which introduces potential bias despite the use of a second coder.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by NIH and non-US government grants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the statistically significant differences as proof that parenting experience causes better mental health. This was a small, cross-sectional study of generally healthy parents, so the findings are descriptive and may not apply to patients with severe postpartum mood disorders.