The Protective Role of Savoring on Coping Motives for Cannabis Use and Consequences.

Fetal movements are one of the earliest and most salient ways the fetus interacts with the environment, providing the pregnant person reassurance of the fetus’s health and development [, ]. Through fetal movement, the fetus not only signals its presence but also fosters a sense of awareness and connection in the mother, contributing to the emotional bond that forms during pregnancy – referred to as maternal-fetal attachment [, ]. The prenatal period is a critical time for the development of maternal attachment to their fetus, as it is during this stage that parents begin to form mental representations of their unborn child [, ]. These early attachments are shaped by various factors, including the onset of maternal fetal movement perception as well as maternal experiences and expectations [–]. Through their influence on prenatal attachment, these factors may indirectly shape the early mother-child relationship after birth, reinforcing the importance of early attachment in fostering postnatal caregiving behaviors and mother-child bonding [–]. Specifically, maternal prenatal attachment has been shown to predict early postnatal maternal involvement, with higher prenatal attachment associated with more engaged and stimulating mother–infant interactions []. This link may be driven by the activation of the caregiving system during pregnancy, promoting protective and attuned behaviors that carry over into the postnatal period []. Other prenatal factors that have evidenced associations with MFA include clinical symptomatology. Prenatal depressive symptoms have been found to be a significant predictor of MFA, with lower depression scores predicting higher levels of MFA [, ]. Additionally, higher symptoms of prenatal trait and state anxiety were associated with lower quality of MFA []. Additionally, prenatal anxiety, depression, and MFA are associated with postpartum bonding []. Prior work has also found that nulliparous women report higher MFA scores, indicating that parity can play a role in MFA []. Finally, it is worth noting that prior studies have found associations between maternal knowledge of fetal sex and MFA scores, although findings are mixed; one study reported that knowing fetal sex was associated with lower MFA, while another found it was associated with higher MFA scores [, ]. Scales measuring MFA focus on the unidirectional attachment of the pregnant person to the fetus [, , –]. Although these attachment scales are maternal-centered, the fetus plays an essential role in the attachment process, as reflected in specific items. For example, in the Prenatal Attachment Inventory-Revised (PAI-R), the MFA scale used in the present study, items such as “I know why my baby is moving” and “I can make my baby move” highlight that without the contribution of the fetus’s movements as interactive feedback for the pregnant person and indication of independent, volitional action on behalf of the fetus, maternal fetal attachment would be significantly diminished []. Early literature consistently demonstrates that quickening – the first experience of feeling fetal movement – is linked to the development of prenatal attachment [, –]. These movements prompt maternal awareness and emotional responses, reinforcing the attachment between the pregnant person and their unborn child [, ]. As the pregnancy progresses, fetal movements become more pronounced, and, relatedly, MFA scores increase [, , ].