Kelly-Ann Harris, Gleaner Writer
MANY EMBRACE the belief that if an expectant mother is miserable then it is almost inevitable that her child will adapt this attitude.
Antoinette Beaumont, a 25-year-old first time mother is one of the many who holds this view. She has a four-year-old daughter who she said is almost exactly like her.
Ms. Beaumont explained that she was an aggressive person during her pregnancy and believed her daughter is now aggressive because of this.
Dr. Asquith Reid, a clinical psychologist agreed that the mood, behaviour and experiences of the mother could really shape the foetus' developing personality.
In the Adventist home, Ellen G. White posited a similar view, "If before the birth of her child she is self-indulgent, if she is selfish, impatient, and exacting, these traits will be reflected in the disposition of the child...but if the mother ...is temperate and self-denying, if she is kind, gentle, and selfless, she may give her child these same precious traits of character."
PERSONALITY
Nevertheless, not all mothers accept the view that personality can be replicated during the prenatal period. Mrs. Rose Leon has four children and she rejected the idea that a mother-to-be can influence the attitude or personality of her child.
"I don't believe that a mother's attitude or personality during pregnancy can influence what or how the child will become. None of my children are like me and I don't see where my attitude during pregnancy has affected them in any way."
Mrs. Leon believed that a child's personality is not inherited but is influenced by external factors such as peer interaction and through other socialising agents.
Dr. Reid had a slightly different view. He said that genes affect personality, however, he was quick to note that the personality of the foetus is not only influenced by genes but by external factors. He suggested that the type of music an expectant mother listens to, the conversation and even the general health of the mother can influence the personality of the child.
"Genes are the building blocks and the environment is like the paint and decoration," Dr. Reid said. He said that if a child has the tendency to be violent based on the inherited gene, this child could actually become a calm and peaceful person if he or she is nurtured in a harmonious environment.
"Genes and the environmental factors go hand in hand," he said. If a child's mother was miserable the unborn child may turn out to be miserable as well, but after birth the environment can alter this personality," he continued.
Likewise, Ms. Beaumont is convinced that her thoughts and feelings, desire and passion likes and dislikes were communicated to her unborn daughter. Moreover, she too believed that after a child is born, his or her personality could be altered by external factors like socialising agents.
"When I was pregnant I never like milk and I didn't eat peanut, I loved every kind of music and I can now see that she is so much like me in every way because she does not eat peanut or drink milk. She is a very fun person to be around and I am exactly like that...but there are some differences in her personality that I know she learnt from her friends," Ms. Beaumont said.
MOTHER'S ATTITUDE
Considering the importance of a mother's attitude in the prenatal period, Dr. Reid advised that expectant mothers should, "create an environment before birth that will have a positive influence on the foetus and this should be continued after the birth of the child."
