Transition to Parenthood

The birth of a child constitutes a major, if normative, transition in the life span marked by dramatic changes in psychology, sociology, and health. Many dramatic role changes accompany the advent of parenthood, including redefinition of identity, psychological preparation, realignment of relationships, and eventually negotiation of child care responsibilities, and the transition to parenthood is moderated by multiple factors. It is little wonder that a book titled What to Expect When You’re Expecting has long tenanted the best-seller list. All that said, the transition to parenthood is only one stage in the individual and family life course. This entry covers stages of the transition to parenthood and variability in them, the demographics and biology of the transition, family systems and the transition, moderators of the ...