Limitations
The limitations of this study include the modest response rate, the potential for selection bias, and the relatively homogeneous sample. In addition, parents’ estimations of work time may not be completely accurate, and these simple estimations do not account for such factors as the intensity of work at any given time (as when one juggles numerous responsibilities concurrently) or the issue of who holds the ultimate responsibility for a given task. Though future workload projections may be even more inaccurate than current estimations, the results shown here are more than individuals’ guesses about their future work; they represent couples’ intentional plans for sharing postpartum work responsibilities.
Conclusions
These expectant first-time parents anticipated considerable expansions in their work activities after childbirth, with women planning a greater share of the total postpartum workload. This information is important for new parents and for the health care providers who attend them as they resume their household, family, and paid work responsibilities after childbirth.
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the University of Minnesota graduate school.
The author would like to thank Anne Marie Weber-Main for her editing assistance and Bruce Center for his help with data analysis.