Pregnancy, Autonomy and Wellbeing Study

Reproductive autonomy is recognized by scholars as an inherent right for women, essential to their wellbeing. Limitations on one’s reproductive autonomy can increase the risk of postpartum depression, reduce parenting happiness, increase parenting stress, and impede both maternal-fetal and maternal-infant bonding. Although experiences of reproductive autonomy may be important intervention targets when working to address the mental health crisis among perinatal women, researchers have struggled to accurately conceptualize its complex multidimensional nature. This is in part due to the utilization of single questions and the overall lack of strong psychometrically supported scales. In an attempt to rectify this gap, the Reproductive Autonomy Scale (RAS) was created. The RAS is the first validated multidimensional measure to assess reproductive autonomy and does so by examining interpersonal power in the reproductive domain. Although a promising new assessment tool, the scale still has numerous psychometric limitations as it has not been fully validated amongst pregnant individuals. Furthermore, it’s association with perinatal mental health more broadly has not been widely examined. Thus, this study aims to address these gaps in two ways. First, this study will validate the RAS in a sample of pregnant individuals. Second, this study will examine how aspects of reproductive autonomy are associated with psychological experiences including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and fetal bonding and important demographic characteristics.