Evaluate the prevalence and phenomenology of dream-associated behaviors affecting pregnant and postpartum mothers. Episodes consist of anxious dreams and nightmares about the new infant that are accompanied by complex behaviors (motor activity, speaking, expressing emotion).
Three-group design (postpartum, pregnant, null gravida), self-report, and repeated measures.
Pregnancy and postpartum groups: completion of questionnaires in hospital room within 48 hours of giving birth and home telephone interviews; null gravida group: completion of questionnaires and interview in person or by telephone.
Two hundred seventy-three women in 3 groups: postpartum: n = 202 (mean age = 29.7 +/- 4.94 years; 95 primiparas, 107 multiparas); pregnant: n = 50 (mean age = 31.1 +/- 5.44 years); null gravida: n = 21 (mean age = 28.5 +/- 6.34 years).
Subjects completed questionnaires about pregnancy and birth factors, personality, and sleep and participated in interviews concerning the prevalence of recent infant dreams and nightmares, associated behaviors, anxiety, depression, and other psychopathologic factors.
Most women in all groups recalled dreams (88%-91%). Postpartum and pregnant women recalled infant dreams and nightmares with equal prevalence, but more postpartum women reported they contained anxiety (75%) and the infant in peril (73%) than did pregnant women (59%, P