Emotions of the Childbearing Year: A play for four actors, seen from my office.

Childbearing is a developmental period in couples' lives. Pregnancy is played out, to a large extent, on the backdrop of the pregnant woman's past and present experiences. Besides the mother-to-be and the future child, two other actors are involved in the scene: the spouse and the pregnant woman's mother. By being aware of the role of each of these players, the family physician (or any other primary health care provider) can help foster a good parent-child relationship.