Personality traits and their relationship with the prenatal period

Objective and aim; The aim of this review study is to examine the relationship between personality traits and the prenatal period in terms of prenatal distress and prenatal comfort. Material and method; In this review study, domestic and foreign literature related to personality traits in pregnant women and prenatal distress and comfort was reviewed, and parameters known to be associated were included in our study. Results and conclusion; The prenatal period is a complex period in which physical and psychological changes occur. It is reported that the changes and some factors can cause prenatal distress in pregnant women. Prenatal distress is the anxiety that occurs as a result of changes in a pregnant woman's body, roles, lifestyle, responsibilities, and relationships, and it can have negative effects on maternal-fetal health. A concept that affects maternal-fetal health during pregnancy is pregnancy comfort. Pregnancy comfort is the state of being stress-free and comfortable for the pregnant woman physically, psychologically, and socially. Prenatal distress and pregnancy comfort focus on the anxiety and stress of the pregnant woman. There are studies showing that pregnant women with personality traits prone to anxiety and stress are affected in terms of prenatal distress and comfort during pregnancy. It is thought that providing midwifery care during the prenatal period by paying attention to individual personality traits, considering that each woman is unique and different in terms of personality traits, may have a positive contribution to maternal-fetal health. As a result; although the physical and psychological changes experienced during the prenatal period may seem similar as a process, each pregnant woman perceives these changes according to her own personality traits. Therefore, it is extremely important for midwives providing care and counseling services to pregnant women to plan prenatal care and psychosocial support strategies in line with the personality traits of pregnant women for the maintenance of maternal and fetal health. This will contribute to the improvement of maternal-child health specifically and public health generally.