Recent studies indicate that acceptance of pregnancy is predictive of later parental attachment. Not surprisingly, "The relation between mothers' pregnancy acceptance and toddler attachment security is noteworthy because if attachment problems continue into the later years, the child could have self-esteem problems."
In other words, negative feelings toward pregnancy can predict later feelings that parenting is burdensome. Social supports in place to lower the stress of parenting, such as high quality child care, health care, and sufficient resources can go a long way to allaying the practical struggles of childrearing. Given that a good portion of pregnancies are unplanned (in my state, 56% are reportedly unplanned, which means the real number is more like 75%), one can assume the ability to a woman to adjust to her state would have a great deal to do with the conditions in which she finds herself.
Loving and caring for children is made drastically easier when one has the time, resources, and support to do a good job.
