The effect of a cognitive-behavioral counseling approach on primipara mothers' maternal-fetal attachment

Background: Pregnancy and delivery are among the most sensitive periods of a woman's life, which is considered the most vital crisis in her life. A mother who is attached to her fetus during pregnancy is ready to establish a pleasant relationship with the newborn after childbirth, and prenatal cognitive-behavioral counseling can improve the emotional maternal-neonatal connection. This study aimed to investigate the effect of counseling with a cognitive-behavioral approach on maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) behaviors in primipara mothers. Method: In this quasi-experimental study with two test and control groups, 40 primipara women in 22-24 weeks of gestation participated in eight 90-minute weekly sessions as a group counseling session with a cognitive-behavioral approach. A demographic questionnaire and Cranley's maternal-fetal attachment scale (MFAS) were completed by the participants before the study, immediately after the intervention, and 4 weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 software at the 95% confidence level (P ≤ 0.05). Results: The results of the research indicated that the highest average scores of the MFAS in the test and control groups belonged to the test group after 4 weeks of the intervention. Conclusions: The high average scores of the MFAS after 4 weeks of the intervention indicate the effectiveness and positive effect of cognitive-behavioral counseling on primipara mothers in improving and increasing MFA.