3-121 - Predictors and Outcomes of the Division of Shared Infant Care

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Adding a new baby into the family unit, whether the first or an additional child, necessitates a change in parents’ division of labor related to who is going to do what and when for the new baby. While research has shown that parents are dedicating more time to parenthood than in generations past, mothers are still performing significantly more of the caregiving (Wilcox, 2013). Additionally, there is still much work to be done examining predictors and outcomes of parents’ division of labor (DoL) for shared infant care. This series of presentations will focus on (1) predictors of parents’ DoL, (2) the influence of discrepancies between mothers’ experiences and concurrent preferences regarding the DoL on their postnatal adaptation, as well as (3) predictors of mothers’ satisfaction with the DoL and moderators of the association between mothers’ satisfaction with the DoL and their postnatal mental health. Each of the presentations relies on longitudinal data from families residing in the United States. Unlike much of the prior literature on DoL, the samples are comprised of cohabitating couples as well as married couples, and data from two of the three presentations include experienced parents (i.e., parents that already have at least one additional child in their home). Furthermore, DoL is assessed at a different postnatal time point in each presentation, ranging from 2 months to 1 year after birth. After the three presentations, the chair will lead the audience in a discussion of the presentations and provide recommendations for future work.

Sub Unit

• Family Context & Processes

Chair

• Darcey Nicole Powell, Roanoke College

Individual Presentations

• Changes in the Division of Childcare after the Birth of a Second Child: A Comparison of Single and Dual-Earner Families - Presenting Author: Patty Kuo, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Brenda L Volling, University of Michigan

• Unmet Desires for Shared Infant Care and Mothers’ Postnatal Adaptation - Presenting Author: Darcey Nicole Powell, Roanoke College; Katherine Karraker, West Virginia University

• Parent Role Beliefs, Satisfaction with the Division of Childcare Labor, and Mental Health among Dual-Earner New Mothers - Presenting Author: Lauren Altenburger, Ohio State University; Letitia Ellen Marie Kotila, Ohio State University; Sarah Jane Schoppe-Sullivan, Ohio State University; Claire M. Kamp Dush, Ohio State University