Three models are proposed to predict the effect of antepartum stress on the family. These models consider external and internal family environments and individual characteristics as they influence an individual family member's health status, dyadic relationships within the family, and the family's functioning as a unit. Research to date validates the complex interrelationships between antepartum stress, social support, self-esteem, sense of mastery, anxiety, depression, and their effect on health status, dyadic relationships, and family functioning. The theoretical models presented identify relationships between these important variables that can guide much-needed research on the effects of antepartum stress on the childbearing family.