Adult Attachment, Couple Adjustment and Triadic Interactions during the Transition to Parenthood

During the transition to parenthood many different characteristics of the family are involved. Pregnancy and the first year of a child’s life are particular and critical moments during which a re-organization of the partners’ roles takes place. On this scenery, the individual, dyadic and triadic sub-systems influence each other, creating new balances. It is necessary, according to the systemic theory, to consider the different sub-systems without losing the focus of the family as whole, more than just the sum of its parts. In the present study the mother-father-child triad, the couple adjustment and finally the relation between the adult romantic attachment (individual aspect) and the two characteristics above mentioned (triadic and dyadic system) have been considered. Results show the trend of the couple adjustment and of the triadic interactions, from the seventh month of pregnancy to the ninth month post-partum. Moreover, the adult attachment has been analyzed in relation both to the triadic interactions and to the couple adjustment.