Parental Bonding and Maternal-Fetal Attachment among Indonesian Pregnant Women

Pregnant women generally have a certain emotional bond with the fetus they are carrying. Sometimes, this emotional connection and attachment can be a projection of the pregnant woman's relationship with her own parents. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship and influence between the dimensions of parental bonding (PB) and maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) among pregnant women in Indonesia. This research employs a correlational design involving 120 pregnant women in their second and third trimesters in Indonesia. Data collection was conducted using the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (α 0.878) and the Parental Bonding Instrument (α > .70). The study found that parental care (PC) and parental autonomy encouragement (PAE) positively correlate with MFA. Specifically, PC can predict MFA. In other words, the higher the positive care received by the mother during her childhood and adulthood, the more it influences the care and attachment of the mother towards the fetus. Future research is expected to test the model of these variables with a larger and more diverse sample, and with a more complex model.