How We Can Help Working Moms “Win”: The Impact of Social Support During Pregnancy on Postpartum Working Mom Guilt

Study on the impact of social support during pregnancy on postpartum working mom guilt.

Social Support Sources: Supervisor, coworkers (work domain); Spouse, friends (non-work domain).
Work-Family Guilt: Negative emotional reaction stemming from conflicting work and family expectations.

Supervisor, coworker, and friend support enhance job satisfaction by reducing work-induced guilt.
Spouse support improves family satisfaction by lessening family-induced guilt.
Supervisor and spouse support are more effective than coworker and friend support.
Support signals during pregnancy reduce information asymmetry about future workplace and family expectations.

Expanded understanding of work-family guilt during a pivotal time: returning to work post-childbirth.
Confirmed the role of signaling theory in illustrating how social support acts as a signal reducing guilt.

Insights relevant for management and organizational practices to support working mothers effectively.
Addressing guilt can improve job and family satisfaction for new mothers post-maternity leave.

Organizations should foster supervisor and coworker support during pregnancy to mitigate guilt.
Training employees to support pregnant colleagues can lead to lower levels of postpartum stress and guilt.

Investigate the longitudinal effects of support and guilt over time.
Examine the roles of different types of social support (emotional, instrumental, informational) on guilt and satisfaction.
Explore how social support impacts new fathers in relation to work-family dynamics.

Social Support Sources: Identifying sources of social support such as supervisors and coworkers (work domain), and spouses and friends (non-work domain) is crucial, as they affect emotional well-being and can influence postpartum experiences.
Work-Family Guilt: The concept of work-family guilt highlights the negative emotional reactions that arise from conflicting work and family expectations, which can exacerbate feelings of depression in new mothers.
Findings on Support: Supervisor and coworker support can enhance job satisfaction and reduce work-induced guilt, while spouse support can improve family satisfaction and lessen family-induced guilt. This demonstrates the importance of emotional and practical support in mitigating psychological distress.
Theoretical Contributions: Theoretical backing through signaling theory implies that social support serves as a signal to reduce guilt, potentially alleviating depressive symptoms related to the transition into motherhood.
Research Significance: Understanding and addressing these factors are relevant for improving job and family satisfaction, which can contribute to better mental health outcomes for new mothers post-maternity leave.