A Basis of Increased DV During Pregnancies????

I am in the process of reading Dr. Keith Ablow's (a forensic psychiatrist) book entitled Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson which has been an interesting read most definately insofar as understanding the backgrounds of both Scott and Laci which may have led them to the fatefull night.

While reading the book, and in having a background with working with domestic violence situations, something that Dr. Ablow struck me funny (not funny ha ha - funny peculiar):

"Becoming a father can shake the psychological foundation of even well-adjusted men. But they can't tell anyone what is happening inside them. The subject is taboo. With all the celebration around him, a future father has no one to talk to about his doubts. His wife would be hurt to know he had any. He can't even turn to his own father, who would be loath to divulge any second thoughts he might hav had brining a child into the world, given that his child is the one asking the question.

You might think a man's friends would listen to his worries. But amongst men there is a conspiracy of silence on this topic. ...

We create a tidal wave of celebration, big enough to drown out any other emotion."

Question: Is it this same thinking that causes some men to lose it when their partner/wife is pregnant with a child??? Does more outreach need to be done to cover this area of thinking -- in an effort to diminish some of the DV during pregnancies? Should an OB/GYN refer the partner/spouse to counselling when the woman becomes pregnant instead of the entire treatment be focused entirely on the pre-natal health of the baby and the woman????

Interesting....


Some statistics --

For 30% of women who experience abuse, the first incident occurs during pregnancy. -- Gazmararian JA, Petersen R, Spitz AM, Goodwin MM, Saltzman LE, Marks JS. “Violence and reproductive health; current knowledge and future research directions.” Maternal and Child Health Journal 2000; 4(2):79-84