Maternal parity and perinatal cortisol adaptation: The role of pregnancy-specific distress and implications for postpartum mood

•Primiparas show higher levels of mid- and late pregnancy cortisol than multiparas.•Primiparas show greater pregnancy-specific distress than multiparas.•The association between parity and cortisol is partially accounted for by distress.•At postpartum, cortisol levels poorly predict mood among multip...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018-11, Vol.97, p.86-93
Main Authors: Gillespie, Shannon L., Mitchell, Amanda M., Kowalsky, Jennifer M., Christian, Lisa M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Affect - physiology
Age Factors
Cortisol
Depression
Depression, Postpartum - metabolism
Depressive symptoms
Female
Humans
Hydrocortisone - analysis
Longitudinal Studies
Maternal Age
Parity
Parity - physiology
Parturition
Postpartum
Postpartum Period - metabolism
Postpartum Period - psychology
Pregnancy
Psychological
Stress
Stress, Psychological - metabolism
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Summary:•Primiparas show higher levels of mid- and late pregnancy cortisol than multiparas.•Primiparas show greater pregnancy-specific distress than multiparas.•The association between parity and cortisol is partially accounted for by distress.•At postpartum, cortisol levels poorly predict mood among multiparas.•At postpartum, greater cortisol levels predict poorer mood among primiparas. Compared to women who have given birth before (i.e., multiparas), those giving birth for the first time (i.e., primiparas) show higher cortisol levels. Psychological factors may play a role; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation is a well-described stress response. Primiparity also predicts greater risk for postpartum depression, which may be related to greater correspondence between cortisol and mood following prenatal cortisol elevations. The current study examined associations among parity, perinatal cortisol adaptation, pregnancy-specific distress, and postpartum mood. This longitudinal study assayed serum cortisol levels among 137 women at early, mid-, and late pregnancy and postpartum. Pregnancy-specific distress and depressive symptoms were assessed. Maternal age, race, body mass index, sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and sampling time of day were statistically controlled. Primiparous women showed higher cortisol levels than multiparous women during mid- (χ2 = 11.8, p 
ISSN:0306-4530
1873-3360
DOI:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.008