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Becoming a Mother: The Influence of Motherhood on Women's Identity Development
Abstract
This qualitative analysis investigated women's experiences of identity change in the process of becoming mothers. Thirty semistructured interviews were completed and the analysis was conducted through a grounded theory framework. The analytic process yielded results that grouped into three overarching themes. The first of these relates to the ways in which women lost themselves for a time while incorporating their children into their identities and reforming their identities. The second theme explores the expansion of the self insofar as women incorporated children into their identities and self-boundaries. The third theme explores ways that women felt that mothering and the close relationships with their children intensified their personalities and identities. Implications for future research are explored.
... Learning about neurobehavioral development through practical demonstrations and explanations appear as an important basis for establishing rapport (Håkstad et al., 2016;Øberg et al., 2019), but the synthesis demonstrates how the perception of further comprehensive parental attachment was primarily augmented by first-hand bodily experiences. Active parental involvement illuminates the resonance between meaningful engagement and the construction of parental identity (Laney et al., 2015). What the synthesis shows regarding the interactions between the parent and the child, provides insights into how their bodily processes involving cognitive and sensorimotor experiences, contribute to connecting the dyad through both expressions and the perceptions of expressive behavior of the other. ...
... Consequently, self-confidence may affect and enhance the parental identity (Laney et al., 2015). The findings demonstrate that taking part in the interventions by direct involvement with the infant, transformed the parents' identity in relationship to becoming a parent as they became more confident in reinforcing nurturing infant interaction and play. ...
... In this regard parents appear to incorporate parenthood into their identities and who they perceive themselves in the role as a parent. Thus, based on the analysis and in line with a previous report of the influence of motherhood on women's identity development (Laney et al., 2015), becoming a parent of an infant born preterm seem to be related to an expansion of the self, which includes parents incorporating their infants into their identities, self-possibilities, and boundaries. If so, parents will likely attend to issues and engage in meaningful interactions they perceive as relevant and significant regarding the infant and her wellbeing and development, while ignoring other things. ...
Early intervention programs involving both the parent and the infant born preterm have demonstrated positive effects on developmental outcomes for the children. However, studies have also shown that parental engagement and adherence when implementing intervention programs can be challenging. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive description and new insights into key messages gleaned from the parent reports on participating in early intervention with their infant born preterm; knowledge vital to facilitate implementation of early interventions into clinical practice when using a model of direct parent involvement. Early intervention is broadly defined as a multi-interdisciplinary field provided to children from birth to five years of age to foster child health, wellbeing, development, adapting parenting and family function. For this systematic synthesis we define early intervention as programs with specific activities completed with the infant during the first year after birth. We assembled qualitative interview studies on parents’ experiences with participation in early intervention and applied Malterud’s qualitative systematic meta-synthesis to synthesize and translate the original findings across studies. In the analysis we applied enactive concepts of embodiment, autonomy, participatory sensemaking, and agency. 10 qualitative studies were identified and included. The systematic synthesis reveals how parents’ successful and meaningful participation in early intervention programs were facilitated by their “active embodied doing.” The “embodied doing” appeared as the basis for the parents’ sense-making processes, development of confidence, and the ability for parents to see new possibilities for actions within themselves, with and in the child. In that respect, a perception of mutuality in the interaction between parent, infant and interventionist was central. Consequently, an important consideration when implementing early intervention into clinical practice is to promote embodied parent–infant interactions as well as trust between the parent and the interventionist.
... Complicating this shift in relationship dynamics, women must also contend with a shift in personal identity when they become mothers (Hennekam, 2016;Laney et al., 2015), particularly as they try to navigate the pressure of 'good' motherhood. Motherhood is a demanding long-term role and one characterised by having someone almost completely dependent on you (Laney et al., 2015). ...
... Complicating this shift in relationship dynamics, women must also contend with a shift in personal identity when they become mothers (Hennekam, 2016;Laney et al., 2015), particularly as they try to navigate the pressure of 'good' motherhood. Motherhood is a demanding long-term role and one characterised by having someone almost completely dependent on you (Laney et al., 2015). As these changes occur, mothers experience a temporary loss of their sense of self, which may include their self as a partner, due to the level and urgency of newborns needs, which are often placed above their own and their partner's needs (Laney et al., 2014). ...
... As these changes occur, mothers experience a temporary loss of their sense of self, which may include their self as a partner, due to the level and urgency of newborns needs, which are often placed above their own and their partner's needs (Laney et al., 2014). Further complicating this transformation of mothers' identity is the juxtaposition between women's ideals of motherhood and the reality of becoming a mother (Laney et al., 2015). This juxtaposition is often associated with shame and guilt, which negatively impacts a mother's sense of competence in her parenting ability and acceptance of their new identity (Choi et al., 2005). ...
Unlabelled:
Good mother ideology refers to beliefs that women are only 'good' mothers if they adhere to the tenets of dominant parenting discourse, such as intensive mothering ideology, which prioritizes children's needs and child-raising above all else. Undergirded by this ideology, mothers' attempts to navigate the transition to motherhood are fraught with pressures, and the transition is associated with negative health outcomes for mothers and children; yet existing research gives little attention to the quality or dynamics of the partner relationship as part of this transition. The current study examined motherhood pressure and the impact on partner relationships through individual, semi-structured interviews with 19 mothers living in Australia who were 18 years or older in a heterosexual relationship with at least one child under the age of five. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes: discourses on motherhood: criticisms of mothers and internalised guilt; transformation of identity; entrenchment of gender roles through childrearing; and positive relationship dynamics: supportive fathers and challenging gender roles. This study contributes to the larger body of literature highlighting the complexity of dominant mothering ideology and its entanglement with and impact on partner relationships. Further, this study includes mothers' perceptions of how they navigate these pressures within the relationship with their partner and the family unit. These findings have implications for programs to support mothers and other caregivers, as well as challenge unrealistic standards for motherhood.
Supplementary information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11199-022-01345-7.
... The last three decades have seen a proliferation of research seeking to understand the challenges or experiences that new mothers or parents in Western societies face after their child is born (Austin & Carpenter, 2008;Douglas & Michaels, 2004;Guendouzi, 2005;Heisler & Ellis, 2008;Laney, et al., 2015). New mothers are said to be ill-prepared for the transition into motherhood (Bollen, 2015;Brunton, et al., 2011;George, 2005;Smith, 1999), but that, eventually, they transform their identities to happily and readily put child-related concerns before their own (Sears & Sears, 2001). ...
... For others still, constructing a mothering identity through a Christian religious perspective (Laney, et al., 2015) provided a way to mitigate potential tense relationships between oneself and a religious mothering role, which was described as ready acceptance of losing or letting go of previous and potentially conflicting identities. In seemingly seamlessly constructing Christianity as the guiding practice to mothering, mothers in Laney et al.'s (2015) study reported that their mothering behaviours and transitions were natural, with any conflicts they faced not bothering them significantly. ...
The postnatal transition to mothering is experienced in a range of ways, and brings with it diverse emotions and reflections on one’s own identity and the anticipated (spoken or not) actions that should accompany those identities. Accounts of mothering highlight some difficult and contested ideals and behaviours that new mothers have to work through. Based on empirical work conducted with new mothers from a west London borough, I will show how most mothering practices and behaviours appear to continue to be in constant battle with institutional, social and cultural expectations. The paper highlights how participants navigated those contested ideals and behaviours, judging themselves and other mothers, thereby feeding into a cycle of idealistic mothering. By embracing or challenging conceptions, a mothering identity emerges as a way for new mothers to legitimate their own feelings and seek agency while also trying to fit into a perception of what makes good mothering.
... As variações bruscas do período, além de gerarem sintomas como náusea, fraqueza, dores abdominais, dispneia, lombalgia, dentre outros e afetarem a disposição física (observado na fala de M4) 19 e emocional das mulheres (fala de M2), também as limitam no controle de seus corpos, causando-lhes a sensação de estarem perdendo sua identidade (como ilustra a desintegração de M1) 19,33,34 . O próprio Ministério da Saúde (MS) reconhece o processo como uma preparação para uma nova fase de vida, propício à adoção de mudanças e à reflexão do significados atribuído ao ser mulher, mas que exige um trabalho diário de aceitação (fala de M3) 5,6,21,34 . Para o olhar interacionista, esse movimento de adequação das mães às auxiliam a assimilarem as atitudes, gestos e símbolos pertencentes ao fenômeno da maternidade de seu contexto, de modo que possam se reconhecer e, ao mesmo tempo, serem reconhecidas pelo coletivo 35 . ...
... Segundo autores, a renúncia em prol dos filhos é característica no estereótipo da mulher moderna que, por muitos anos, semeou o valor da vigilância entre as mães 4,6,33 . A falha do cuidado era motivo de vergonha e sinalizava negligência materna 36 . ...
Objetivo: conhecer os significados atribuídos à vivência da maternidade por mulheres de um grupo de casais grávido. Método: estudo qualitativo, exploratório-descritivo realizado entre março e agosto de 2018. A coleta ocorreu por meio de observações não-participante, relatos gravados e conversas retiradas do aplicativo WhatsApp. Para análise, adotou-se a proposta operativa de Minayo e o referencial teórico do Interacionismo Simbólico. Resultados: participaram do estudo 23 mulheres que atribuíram à maternidade o significado de amor, cuidado, renúncia, mudanças identitárias, medos e estigmatizações, que afetaram todas as esferas de suas vidas. Considerações finais: os significados atribuídos ao momento afetam o comportamento e bem-estar das mães e representam um elemento de valia às equipes de saúde para a promoção de uma experiência segura. Os espaços educativos dos grupos de casais grávidos se mostraram favoráveis à reflexão e reelaboração dos elementos simbólicos da maternidade e contribuíram para a autonomia e empoderamento das mães.
ABSTRACT
Objective: to learn the meanings attributed to the experience of motherhood by women from a group of pregnant couples. Method: in this exploratory, qualitative, descriptive study, conducted between March and August 2018, data were collected by non-participant observation, recorded accounts and WhatsApp conversations. The analysis used Minayo’s operative proposal and the theoretical framework of Symbolic Interactionism. Results: the study participants were 23 women, who attributed the meanings of love, care, renunciation, identity change, fear and stigmatization to motherhood; those meanings affected all spheres of their lives. Final remarks: the meanings attributed to the moment affected the mothers’ behavior and well-being and represented valuable input to the health teams to arrange a safe experience. Pregnant couples groups proved favorable educational spaces for thinking about, and re-elaborating, the symbolic elements of motherhood, and contributed to the mothers’ autonomy and empowerment.
RESUMEN
Objetivo: conocer los significados atribuidos a la experiencia de la maternidad por parte de mujeres de un grupo de parejas embarazadas. Método: estudio cualitativo, exploratorio-descriptivo realizado entre marzo y agosto de 2018. La recolección se realizó a través de observaciones no participantes, declaraciones grabadas y conversaciones sacadas de la aplicación WhatsApp. Para el análisis, se adoptó la propuesta operativa de Minayo y el marco teórico del Interaccionismo Simbólico. Resultados: el estudio incluyó a 23 mujeres que atribuyeron a la maternidad el significado del amor, el cuidado, la renuncia, los cambios de identidad, los miedos y las estigmatizaciones que afectaron todas las esferas de su vida. Consideraciones finales: los significados atribuidos al momento afectan el comportamiento y el bienestar de las madres y representan un elemento de valía a los equipos de salud para la promoción de una experiencia segura. Los espacios educativos de los grupos de parejas embarazadas fueron favorables a la reflexión y reelaboración de los elementos simbólicos de la maternidad y contribuyeron a la autonomía y empoderamiento de las madres.
... Consistent with the experience of the women in this study, research evidence suggests that the process of planning, conceiving and being pregnant involves fundamental changes to identity and selfhood as a woman prepares to become a mother. 46,92,93 As our findings illustrate, women re-evaluate their lives, make plans and appear to be developing an 'internal sense of motherhood'. 93 In this context, miscarriage may be experienced as a traumatic event in which women grieve for the loss of their baby as well as the hoped-for future they had envisaged. ...
... 46,92,93 As our findings illustrate, women re-evaluate their lives, make plans and appear to be developing an 'internal sense of motherhood'. 93 In this context, miscarriage may be experienced as a traumatic event in which women grieve for the loss of their baby as well as the hoped-for future they had envisaged. 94,95 Furthermore, miscarriage may cause some women to feel caught in an 'in-between state', unable to return to their previous concept of self, but equally unable to continue their journey to becoming a mother. ...
Trial design
A randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study with health economic and nested qualitative studies to determine if mifepristone (Mifegyne ® , Exelgyn, Paris, France) plus misoprostol is superior to misoprostol alone for the resolution of missed miscarriage.
Methods
Women diagnosed with missed miscarriage in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy were randomly assigned (1 : 1 ratio) to receive 200 mg of oral mifepristone or matched placebo, followed by 800 μg of misoprostol 2 days later. A web-based randomisation system allocated the women to the two groups, with minimisation for age, body mass index, parity, gestational age, amount of bleeding and randomising centre. The primary outcome was failure to pass the gestational sac within 7 days after randomisation. The prespecified key secondary outcome was requirement for surgery to resolve the miscarriage. A within-trial cost-effectiveness study and a nested qualitative study were also conducted. Women who completed the trial protocol were purposively approached to take part in an interview to explore their satisfaction with and the acceptability of medical management of missed miscarriage.
Results
A total of 711 women, from 28 hospitals in the UK, were randomised to receive either mifepristone plus misoprostol (357 women) or placebo plus misoprostol (354 women). The follow-up rate for the primary outcome was 98% (696 out of 711 women). The risk of failure to pass the gestational sac within 7 days was 17% (59 out of 348 women) in the mifepristone plus misoprostol group, compared with 24% (82 out of 348 women) in the placebo plus misoprostol group (risk ratio 0.73, 95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.98; p = 0.04). Surgical intervention to resolve the miscarriage was needed in 17% (62 out of 355 women) in the mifepristone plus misoprostol group, compared with 25% (87 out of 353 women) in the placebo plus misoprostol group (risk ratio 0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.52 to 0.94; p = 0.02). There was no evidence of a difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups. A total of 42 women, 19 in the mifepristone plus misoprostol group and 23 in the placebo plus misoprostol group, took part in an interview. Women appeared to have a preference for active management of their miscarriage. Overall, when women experienced care that supported their psychological well-being throughout the care pathway, and information was delivered in a skilled and sensitive manner such that women felt informed and in control, they were more likely to express satisfaction with medical management. The use of mifepristone and misoprostol showed an absolute effect difference of 6.6% (95% confidence interval 0.7% to 12.5%). The average cost per woman was lower in the mifepristone plus misoprostol group, with a cost saving of £182 (95% confidence interval £26 to £338). Therefore, the use of mifepristone and misoprostol for the medical management of a missed miscarriage dominated the use of misoprostol alone.
Limitations
The results from this trial are not generalisable to women diagnosed with incomplete miscarriage and the study does not allow for a comparison with expectant or surgical management of miscarriage.
Future work
Future work should use existing data to assess and rank the relative clinical effectiveness and safety profiles for all methods of management of miscarriage.
Conclusions
Our trial showed that pre-treatment with mifepristone followed by misoprostol resulted in a higher rate of resolution of missed miscarriage than misoprostol treatment alone. Women were largely satisfied with medical management of missed miscarriage and would choose it again. The mifepristone and misoprostol intervention was shown to be cost-effective in comparison to misoprostol alone.
Trial registration
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN17405024.
Funding
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment ; Vol. 25, No. 68. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
... The process of developing a motherhood identity (Laney et al., 2015;Mercer, 2004) for birth mothers in same-sex relationships is underscored by an embodied transition into motherhood (Young, 2005) that differs from their partner's experience of transitioning into motherhood. Breastfeeding for same-sex birth mothers has been suggested to enhance embodied experiences of feeding and connection to one's body (Schmied & Lupton, 2001). ...
... Future research could explore these specific processes in greater depth to enable clinicians to provide appropriate support to these mothers in their transition into motherhood and to expand components of identity theories (e.g. Laney et al., 2015;Mercer, 2004). In order to reduce risks for experiences of birth mothers to be undermined or invalidated (internally or externally), future research needs to explore specific understudied aspects of birth mothers' experiences, such as postnatal depression (Maccio & Pangburn, 2011). ...
This qualitative study explored how ten birth mothers in same-sex relationships in Ireland experienced becoming a mother. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis drew on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to identify two superordinate themes and related subordinate themes. The first superordinate theme, ‘Negotiating the joy and the strain’ encapsulated the dichotomy of positive and negative experiences mothers encounter in their role. Two subordinate themes, ‘Embracing motherly connection’ and ‘Grappling with motherhood expectations’ captured the positive experiences of attachment with their child and the challenges entailed in being in the ‘stereotypical’ role of the birth mother. The second superordinate theme, ‘Building a united front’ represented the experiences within a couple pertinent to an LGBQ+ family in a heteronormative context. Two subordinate themes, ‘Creating a shared motherhood’ and ‘Uniting as a family in an insecure system’ highlighted how the couple created strength and empowerment within their relationship and family. The findings emphasize the internal and relational processes that impact on the identity formation, couple relationships, and family dynamics of birth mothers becoming a mother in a same-sex relationship. Implications and recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.
... The complex and extended identity of motherhood was reflected in each participant's discussions of daily routines and how they viewed challenges introduced or exacerbated by COVID-19. The process of becoming a mother involves reforming and expanding identities with their children (Laney et al., 2015). Each mother wanted to feel needed and know they were a proficient provider, teacher, and caretaker as they expanded their motherhood identity. ...
This study explored the experiences of mothers experiencing homelessness amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were completed with nine mothers and analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes uncovered during the interviews highlighted sources of motivation and perseverance, additional and ongoing impacts of COVID-19, sources of further mental anguish, and unmet needs challenging roles and routines. Notably, the identity of being a mother and the value placed on that role significantly influenced their daily routines and engagement in meaningful occupations. Occupational therapy practitioners can utilize these findings to deliver contextually sensitive care tailored to the unique circumstances and immediate requirements of this population.
... Keywords: social media influencers, momfluencers, breastfeeding, entertainment education, social marketing campaigns Inleiding Sociale media spelen vandaag de dag een cruciale rol in het leven van kersverse ouders. Ouders ondergaan een complexe identiteitsverandering (Laney et al., 2015) en tijdens deze turbulente periode in hun leven gaan ouders sterk op zoek naar informatie en steun op sociale media (Frey et al., 2022;Moon et al., 2019). Vooral moeders hechten veel belang aan de informatie en steun die ze krijgen en teruggeven aan hun online netwerk (Duggan et al., 2015). ...
... Changes in self-concept and processes of identity work Some literature suggests that women change their identities in various ways when they become mothers. According to Laney et al. (2015), in the transition to motherhood, women face a complex process that may involve a period of self-loss and identity reconfiguration. More than in any other type of relationship, in motherhood, women often expand their identities to include another person within the limits of the self and consciousness. ...
Introduction: Breastfeeding is much more than a biological event. It is a social construction, full of cultural meanings and framed by social structures. Being, simultaneously, a natural event and a social practice, breastfeeding poses challenges to feminist approaches in the sense it may be acknowledged as an empowering practice for women and/or as a setback in the process of women's social emancipation. Often focused on the product, i.e., the milk and its beneficial properties for the infant's health, the dominant discourse on breastfeeding makes it a trait of good mothering, withdrawing the understanding of the particular (but also structural) contexts in which this practice occurs.
Methods: Based on results from a focus group with five mothers of a first child, this paper addresses first-person testimonies about breastfeeding and transition to motherhood, aiming to capture eventual self-concept dilemmas, impacts of social judgments, difficulties related to the work-family balance, as well as negotiation processes taking place within couples and early-parents.
Results and discussion: Despite being subject to tensions and sometimes stressful adaptation processes, motherhood and breastfeeding tend to be ultimately described by women as experiences that enhance welcome changes in personal trajectories, life priorities and identities.
... In addition, the concept of stigma, and specifically the stigmatized "unfit" maternal identity, was prevalent across nearly all studies as either a guiding construct or in themes arising from the data. As such, both maternal identity theory (Laney et al., 2015;Nichols et al., 2022) and stigma theory (Goffman, 1963) were used to define our terms and iteratively guide the analysis and synthesis of results. ...
... In addition, unlike dependency due to long-term disability, dependency due to immaturity in children is usually a temporary rather than an existential state. 31 For empirical work on this, see for instance, McMahon (1995), Smith (1999), Habib (2012), Laney et al., (2015). 32 Which, in turn, are mediated by socio-economic status, ethnicity, culture-and religion-specific norms. ...
Assessing what counts as infertility has practical implications: access to (state-funded) fertility treatment is usually premised on meeting the criteria that constitute the chosen definition of infertility. In this paper, I argue that we should adopt the expression "involuntary childlessness" to discuss the normative dimensions of people's inability to conceive. Once this conceptualization is adopted, it becomes clear that there exists a mismatch between those who experience involuntary childlessness and those that are currently able to access fertility treatment. My concern in this article is explaining why such a mismatch deserves attention and what reasons can be advanced to justify addressing it. My case rests on a three-part argument: that there are good reasons to address the suffering associated with involuntary childlessness; that people would decide to insure against it; and that involuntary childlessness is characterized by a prima facie exceptional kind of desire.
... There are different perspectives on how identity is formed. Theorists such as Cattell (1943), Erickson (1950), andFreud (1961) believe that individuals function as a completely independent entity and that their identities are naturally formed individually and independent of others, whereas theorists such as Chodorow (1978), Gilligan (1982) and Josselson (1987) believe that the identity of individuals, and especially women, is formed in relation to others (Laney, Hall, Anderson & Willingham, 2015). Hull and Zacher (2007) also believe that a person's identity is formed in the course of their life and in relation to the identity of other important people in their life. ...
... Motherhood is a powerful female role identity comprising attributes of caring and nurturing (Arendell, 2000), as well as being involved, giving love, and guiding and teaching (Simon, 1997). When women become parents, their self-identities expand to incorporate the mother role (Ladge & Greenberg, 2015;Laney et al., 2015). The attributes and activities of this new identity are reinforced by a dominant standard of intensive mothering requiring engagement that is "child-centered, expert-guided, emotionally absorbing, labor-intensive, and financially expensive" (Hays, 1998, p. 8). ...
It is well documented that motherhood influences gendered outcomes in work institutions. However, how paid work influences women's private sphere and sense of self remains unclear and could vary across societies. This article focuses on identity construction among 28 college‐educated stay‐at‐home mothers in Shanghai. The findings from semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews reveal tension negotiation and reconciliation within these mothers' multiple self‐identities. Despite choosing to voluntarily leave their paid jobs and become stay‐at‐home mothers, participants differentiated between their maternal identity and their stay‐at‐home mother identity; in particular, they perceived motherhood as more valuable and socially acceptable than the choice to be a stay‐at‐home mother (i.e., participants readily identified as mothers but hesitated to describe themselves as stay‐at‐home mothers). To avoid this tension and protect their self‐image, participants incorporated aspects of their previous working identity into their stay‐at‐home mother identity, such as taking part‐time jobs and framing their childrearing experience as a future career asset. The results help explain how the notion of work shapes women's self‐image, even when they leave the labor market. Overall, the findings reinforce mothering imperatives and identities and the need to understand them from a cross‐cultural perspective in relation to societal prevailing gender norms.
... It is hardly a new idea that mothering involves transformation. The birth of a child is accompanied by intensive care that shapes motherly subjectivity (Laney et al., 2015). In contrast to studies that associate motherly transformation with the birth of a child, the current study demonstrates that mothers of transgender children experience their mothering as an ongoing process of transformation. ...
Matters of parenting transgender children are ascendant on the cultural landscape. Based on interviews with Israeli mothers of transgender children between the ages of 8–24 I explore how the process of the child's gender affirmation intersects with maternal subjectivities, and how mothers internalize the morally‐loaded narratives of good mothering in contemporary Israel. I illustrate that when children undergo gender affirmation, mothers experience their mothering as challenged and transformed. This transformative process can be conceptualized in terms of political becoming and ethical self‐formation (Foucault 1997). However, such a conceptualization does not fully encompass the complexity of mothers' daily carework. An anthropological approach, in particular the concept of "moral moods" (Throop 2014), can best capture the spontaneity and ambiguity of mothers' moral lives. This concept can be a valuable theoretical tool to grasp the diffused affective states and moral concerns of those who are constantly subjected to the critical gaze.
... However, this chapter focuses on the extraordinary inner changes needed as a girl transitions to being a mother via the process of matresence. Many changes occur in the transition to motherhood, as a new identity and self-concept emerge within the mothering role [28,30]. In line with this, the client expresses a number of issues about her change to motherhood through the imagery as individualized within this depiction of the Snow White fairy tale and its variations. ...
The transition to becoming a mother carries challenges to role, identity, and self-image. Myths and archetypes related to motherhood connect societal and personal expectations with individual experiences. The fairy tale "Snow White" emerged within a single session of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) therapy for a young mother in the postpartum phase. Although previously written up as a clinical case report, this example is now explored as a research case study, which is seen as a unique case with intrinsic qualities and explored via an explanatory approach. The systematic methodology developed for this research case study follows a typology of eight key elements of the Snow White fairy tale, comparing this pattern to the individualized narrative of this young mother. In doing so, variations to the original tale are explored in light of Jungian interpretations, which inform the experience of motherhood. In doing so, this contributes to a further understanding of the changes in role, identity, and self-image experienced by the new mother undergoing both outer and inner change, where the new mother works to fully reframe themselves into their new motherhood role. By understanding this change, additional support can be offered broadly to women during this important transition, and in turn, influence the experiences of current and future generations.
... Selama tahapan perkembangan menjadi ibu, terjadi berbagai tahapan yang mengisi perkembangan tersebut. Penguatan identitas seorang ibu mempengaruhi keberhasilan pemberian ASI (Laney et al., 2015). Hasil kajian lainnya menyatakan bahwa pendidikan ibu, semakin tinggi tingkat pendidikan maka baik efikasi diri menyusui pada ibu (Chincuanco, 2014). ...
Menyusui masih menjadi kendala pada beberapa ibu yang memiliki neonatus sakit yang sedang mendapatkan perawatan di Rumah Sakit. Efikasi diri menyusui berhubungan dengan durasi menyusui yang berdampak pada keberhasilan ibu dalam menyusui minimal secara eksklusif. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu teridentifikasinya faktor yang berhubungan dengan efikasi diri menyusui pada ibu dari neonatus sakit yang dirawat di ruang perawatan neonatus. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain Cross sectional, pada 88 ibu yang direkrut dengan metode consecutive sampling, alat ukur kuesioner BSE-SF (cronbach’s alpha 0,872) dan EPDS (cronbach’s alpha 0,87) versi bahasa Indonesia serta kuesioner yang peneliti kembangkan yaitu dukungan suami (cronbach’s alpha 0,815), dukungan keluarga (cronbach’s alpha 0,698), dan dukungan teman (cronbach’s alpha 0,849). Hasil analisis Chi square menunjukkan bahwa stres merupakan faktor yang berhubungan dengan efikasi diri menyusui pada ibu dengan neonatus sakit (p=<0,01). Perawat atau petugas kesehatan sebaiknya lebih memperhatikan kondisi psikologis ibu yang memiliki neonatus sakit yang dirawat.
... Persons with disabilities also have the rights to enjoy sexual and reproductive rights just like all other humans [8]. Motherhood is mostly a wonderful experience where women learn to form a sense of self and new identities as they integrate their new born children into their lives [9][10][11][12]. The blind mother also goes through birth and breastfeeds their newborn similar to any other mother without disability [13]. ...
Background
Females in developing countries are likely to suffer from visual impairment more than their male counterparts. People living with blindness or any other form of disability also have the right to reproduce and care for their children like all other humans. There is paucity of literature in the experiences of blind mothers in Ghana. Therefore, this study explored the experiences of blind mothers as they navigated the process of motherhood.
Methods
Qualitative exploratory descriptive design was used to conduct the study. Nineteen blind mothers were interviewed individually. Permission was sought for data to be audiotaped, transcribed and content analyzed inductively.
Results
Three main themes emerged from the data: mothering role and difficulties (sub-themes; feeding, disciplining and protection), mothering challenges (sub-themes; discrimination and prejudice, financial distress and psychological distress) and coping strategies (prayer, children and self-motivation). Most of the mothers reported difficulties in playing their roles in the areas of feeding, disciplining and protection. Challenges were poverty, discrimination, prejudices on their ability to be mothers and psychological distresses such as depression. They coped with their challenges with prayers, self motivation and the hope they had in their children.
Conclusion
A lot of public education is needed to make the lives of people living with disability better. Health professionals must be trained to treat blind mothers with dignity and respect.
... Some women reported concern about the potential effects of their ARD when parenting. Concerns about being able to incorporate children into the 'boundaries of themselves' [30] in terms of the expansion of the self to incorporate children and the associated demands were raised. ...
Objective
Women of reproductive age who have autoimmune rheumatic diseases [ARDs] have expressed a need to be better supported with making decisions about pregnancy. Women with ARDs want their motherhood identities and associated preferences to be taken into account in decisions about their healthcare. The aim of this study was to explore the interplay between illness and motherhood identities of women with ARDs during preconception decision making.
Methods
Timeline-facilitated qualitative interviews with women diagnosed with an ARD [18–49 years old]. Participants were purposively sampled based on the following three criteria: thinking about getting pregnant, currently pregnant, or had young children. Interviews were thematically analysed.
Results
Twenty-two women were interviewed face-to-face [N = 6] or over the telephone [N = 16]. Interview length ranged from 20 minutes to 70 minutes, with a mean length of 48 minutes. Three main themes were identified: prioritisation, discrepancy, and trade-off. Difficulties in balancing multiple identities in healthcare encounters were reported. Women used ‘self-guides’ as a reference for priority setting in a dynamic process that shifted as their level of disease activity altered and as their motherhood identity became more or less of a focus at a given point in time. Women’s illness and motherhood identities did not present in isolation but were intertwined.
Conclusions
Findings highlight the need for holistic person-centred care that supports women with the complex and emotive decisions relating to preconception decision-making. In practice, health professionals need to consider women’s multiple and sometimes conflicting identities, and include both their condition and family associated goals and values within healthcare communication.
... Such decreases in body satisfaction may be due to permanent changes to the body as a result of pregnancy 39,40 , changes in social status, such as motherhood not being associated with attractiveness 61 , as well as changes in self identity and social role 61,62 . Furthermore, women with children also have less time to meet their own needs, at least when the child(ren) is young 63 , resulting in women having less time to focus on their own appearance and thus negatively impacting body satisfaction. This suggests that findings of relative differences in body satisfaction would depend, at least in part, on parity status of a pregnant sample as well as parental status of a control sample. ...
Pregnancy is a time of great physical and psychological change. As well as prominent changes in the external appearance of the body, such as the baby bump, there are also substantial changes taking place within the body. Our awareness of, and attention towards, internal bodily signals (interoception) is thought to have a direct impact on how we feel about our bodies. Therefore, understanding how our experience of these interoceptive signals might change during pregnancy may have important implications for maternal wellbeing. This study examined body satisfaction and interoceptive sensibility (subjective experience of interoception) in pregnant and non-pregnant women with and without children. Feelings towards pregnancy-specific changes in body satisfaction and interoceptive sensibility were also examined in women in their first pregnancy (primigravida) and subsequent pregnancies (multigravida). It was found that pregnancy did not directly impact levels of body satisfaction, instead pregnant and non-pregnant women with children reported less satisfaction with their bodies compared to those without children. Primigravida women were more satisfied with the appearance of pregnancy specific bodily changes compared to multigravida women. Interestingly, these differences in body satisfaction in those with children (pregnant and non-pregnant) were mediated by the extent to which women trusted their bodies (measure of interoceptive sensibility). All other pregnancy related changes in interoceptive sensibility and body satisfaction were either non-significant or had small effect sizes. These results may suggest body trust as an important factor to support during the transition to parenthood in order to improve body satisfaction in mothers.
... In general, new parents enrich their identities not only by adding new aspects to their identity structure, but also by reorganizing the already-existing elements of the self-concept (Strauss & Goldberg, 1999). However, parenthood is not always experienced as an opportunity for enrichment and growth: Transitioning to parenthood may involve feelings of self-loss and difficulties in integrating the new elements into the identity structure (Laney et al., 2015). Similar to other significant life transitions, therefore, the identity change deriving from the transition to parenthood can enrich or threaten the identity itself (Cigoli & Scabini, 2007). ...
The current study explored whether and to what extent different procreative options (natural conception, adoption, homologous techniques, and heterologous techniques) were perceived as enriching or threatening to young adults’ expectation of identity motives fulfillment. Our sample consisted of 1380 Italian young adults (62.9% women) aged between 18 and 33 years who participated in a national online survey on young adulthood. Results showed that participants expect natural conception to be more enriching to their identity, whereas they expected heterologous techniques to be more threatening to their identity compared to all other procreative options. Moreover, participants perceived adoption in the event of one’s partner’s sterility to be more enriching to their identity compared to both homologous and heterologous assisted reproductive techniques. Data were also analyzed taking into account the participants’ sex, age, and religious beliefs.
... Similarly, infertility was the main motivation for majority of married women to consult gynaecologist. Motherhood marks the onset of an important phase in the life of a woman which is mainly characterised by 'self-loss' as women tend to redefine themselves during the entire course of looking after their child (Laney et al., 2015). Oberman and Josselson (1996) argue that motherhood makes a woman to lose herself in order to evolve and enter into adulthood, which is very significant in the life course development of a woman. ...
The main symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are hirsutism, menstrual irregularity, obesity, infertility, and so on. Respondents for the present study were interviewed at Sri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital in the Jammu district of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India. In-depth interviews were conducted for 41 respondents suffering from PCOS. It was observed that women in this part of the country fail to understand this disease and expressed their dilemma related to it. Except for a few, majority of the respondents were not aware that the disease they were suffering from was PCOS. For unmarried women, this disease was either the onset of hirsutism or menstrual irregularity or acne whereas for married ones, it was usually the onset of infertility. Depending upon their social desire, they consulted doctor to get rid of that particular symptom only. By means of constructivist perspective, it was found that it is the social impact of PCOS which makes these women to consult a doctor. In India, role of women is usually determined by their social status, and this determines their health-seeking behaviour. Since married women with no children are looked down in the Indian society, these women seek treatment only for infertility. Similarly, unmarried women fail to understand physiological disturbances resulting in menstrual irregularity and they seek treatment for that. Others wanted treatment for acne and hirsutism. There was an absence of common discourse related to PCOS due to which different respondents had different expressions for the same disease.
... Even though gender norms are gradually becoming more progressive, they still impose a distinction between the tasks of men and women in paid and unpaid work, especially when they are parents (that is, the bulk of unpaid work is carried out by mothers; Craig and Mullan 2011). Becoming a mother makes a woman's identity switch to a "woman with children identity," which differs from a "woman with no children identity" (Laney et al. 2015). In short, after experiencing parenthood, the attitudes of individuals might change to adhere more closely to the prevailing gendered social norms for their new parental identity. ...
People’s attitudes about how paid and unpaid work should be divided between the members of a couple determine gendered socioeconomic outcomes to a great extent. It is thus important to understand how gender role attitudes (GRA) are formed and evolve. This article concentrates on a path-breaking event in life: becoming a parent. Using longitudinal data from the United Kingdom, the study shows that, in general, becoming a parent significantly shifts women’s GRA toward more traditional positions but leaves men’s attitudes unaffected. Prenatal attitudes are a critical factor. After parenthood occurs, results find a substantial traditionalization of attitudes for (both) progressive parents, while no significant change is observed for parents with conservative prenatal attitudes. Novel analyses show that the traditionalization of attitudes for progressive individuals, after they become parents, is stronger as postnatal arrangements in the division of paid and unpaid work are more traditional.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Gender role attitudes (GRA) become more conservative once one becomes a parent.
• Progressive prenatal GRA and traditional postnatal settings are key determinants.
• Cognitive dissonance and changes in gender identity are two potential mechanisms.
• Results suggest that traditional institutions can foster conservative GRA.
• More childcare services, paternity leaves, and part-time work for men are needed.
... As some work has noted, throughout pregnancy women must create, or envision, a new sense of self (Bailey, 1999). Due to this, pregnancy women experience a process of losing their sense of autonomy, reforming and re-negotiating their social identity, and reconstructing their personality (Laney et al., 2015). Research has also noted that women's transition to motherhood is associated with complex feelings surrounding identity and body image; as Ogle et al. (2011, p. 40) summarise, in pregnant women engage in a process of 'recapturing, redefining, and reclaiming' their bodies. ...
The colloquial concept of ‘baby brain’ suggests that throughout pregnancy and into the immediate postpartum period, women have reduced cognitive abilities and are more distracted, forgetful, and incompetent. To date, a plethora of cognitive and neuropsychological research testing the cognitive functioning of pregnant women relative to other groups has yielded inconsistent and unclear findings. However, there is a notable lack of literature that adopts a social psychological perspective, critically assessing the contribution of social context to the ‘baby brain’ phenomenon. In this paper, we review the current ‘baby brain’ literature and outline two potential social perspectives that provide insights into this research area: stereotype threat theory and objectification theory. We argue that inconsistencies in the ‘baby brain’ cognitive literature may be impacted by under‐explored social phenomena, which may result from activation of stereotypes or objectifying cues throughout pregnancy and into early new motherhood. We end with suggestions for future social and personality psychological research directions in the area of ‘baby brain’.
... Physical and mental illness, loss, and embarking on motherhood, especially for the first-time, provoke a changing a sense of self and of self-identity [49][50][51][52]. Motherhood is a fracturing of a woman's identity to allow space for a new identity in her new life [53]. This rupturing and reformation is a multidimensional process comprising the stages of triggering event (becoming a mother), loss of self, and redefining the new self; the women in our study repeated this process with the trigger event of CDPP. ...
Introduction:
Cardiac disease affects an estimated 1%-4% of all pregnancies and is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. There is a lack of data on the healthcare experiences of affected women to inform health service delivery and person-centred care. This study sought to explore and understand the healthcare experiences of women with cardiac disease in pregnancy and postpartum.
Methods:
This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with women who had cardiac disease in pregnancy or the first 12 months postpartum. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results:
Participants were 25 women with pre-existing or newly diagnosed acquired, genetic and congenital cardiac disease. Analysis of the interviews highlighted the discrepancy between care aspirations and experiences. The participants had a wide range of cardiac diseases and timing of diagnoses, but had similar healthcare experiences of being dismissed, not receiving the information they required, lack of continuity of care and clinical guidelines and of feeling out of place within a healthcare system that did not accommodate their combined needs as a mother and a cardiac patient.
Conclusion:
This study identified a lack of person-centred care and responsiveness of the healthcare system in providing fit-for-purpose healthcare for women with complex disease who are pregnant or new mothers. In particular, cardiac and maternity care providers have an opportunity to listen to women who are the experts on their emergent healthcare needs, contributing to development of the knowledge base on the healthcare experiences of having cardiac disease in pregnancy and postpartum.
Patient or public contribution:
Public and patient input into the value and design of the study was gained through NSW Heart Foundation forums, including the Heart Foundation's women's patient group.
... In addition to changes in physical appearance, women may also experience changes in their identity, roles and occupations (16), especially during their first pregnancy (17). Changes in relationships may also occur as a new understanding of self and the roles of others are developed (18). ...
Background
On May 3, 2016, residents of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, Alberta were evacuated due to an uncontrolled wildfire. The short-notice evacuation had destabilizing consequences for residents, including changes in routines, loss of control, and increased uncertainty. These consequences were especially detrimental to women who were pregnant or pre-conception during the evacuation. Pregnant and pre-conception women are particularly susceptible to a vast range of negative consequences during and post natural disasters, including elevated stress and higher incidence of pregnancy complications including gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy induced hypertension and C-section. The aim of this study was to understand the experiences, perceived stress and resilience of women who were pregnant during the wildfire. As well as to explore potential interventions to promote the health and enhance resilience of pregnant women and to assist in recovery after exposure to a natural disaster or other traumatic events.
Methods
A qualitative thematic analysis of 16 narratives penned by pregnant women and recounted in Ashley Tobin's compilations 93/88,000 and 159 More/ 88,000: Stories of Evacuation, Re-Entry and the In-Between was conducted.
Results
Analysis revealed five key themes: (1) experience of stress responses due to personal and external factors, (2) social connectedness and support as a facilitator of resilience, (3) performance of resilience-enhancing activities, (4) the roles of pregnancy and motherhood in the experiences of loss and resilience, and (5) the importance of home.
Conclusion
Pregnant women have unique barriers that may negatively impact them during a natural disaster or other form of stressful event. They may benefit from assistance with navigating role transition during pregnancy, training in stress management strategies, and writing interventions to build resiliency and begin the process of recovery from trauma.
... Pregnancy, birth, the postpartum period, breastfeeding and illness are fundamentally embodied experiences. The body is our access to perceiving and interacting with the world and is integral to identity and sense of self [55]. Biographical disruption is a disruption or disturbance of one's embodied perception and experience of the world [56]. ...
Background
Women with cardiac disease in pregnancy and the first year postpartum often face uncertainty about their condition and the trajectory of their recovery. Cardiac disease is a leading cause of serious maternal morbidity and mortality, and the prevalence is increasing. Affected women are at risk of worsening cardiac disease, chronic illness, mental illness and trauma. This compounded risk may lead to significant and long-term negative outcomes. The aim of this study is to correct the lack of visibility and information on the experiences of women with cardiac disease in pregnancy and the first year postpartum.
Methods
A qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews with twenty-five women who had acquired, congenital or genetic cardiac disease during pregnancy or the first year postpartum. Data were analysed and interpreted using a thematic analysis framework.
Results
Analysis of the interviews produced three major themes: 1) Ground zero: index events and their emotional and psychological impact, 2) Self-perception, identity and worthiness, and 3) On the road alone; isolation and connection. There was a narrative consistency across the interviews despite the women being diverse in age, cardiac diagnosis and cardiac health status, parity and timing of diagnosis. The thread prevailing over the temporal and clinical differences was one of distress, biographical disruption, identity, isolation, a necessitated re-imagining of their lives, and the process of multi-layered healing.
Conclusion
Acknowledging and understanding the breadth, complexity and depth of women’s experiences is fundamental to improving outcomes. Our findings provide unique insights into women’s experiences and challenges across a spectrum of diseases. Most women did not report an isolated trauma or distressing event, rather there was a layering and persistence of psychological distress necessitating enhanced assessment, management and continuity of care beyond the routine 6-week postpartum check. Further research is required to understand long-term outcomes and to refine the findings for specific disease cohorts to be able to respond effectively.
... As for CCITexposed individuals who report a less stable and more fragmented identity, differentiating personal needs and feelings from those of others could prove more difficult, especially following a new birth when parents are often cocooned together at home. Previous studies showed that mothers who report feeling as though they are losing their own identity through their parenting role or becoming someone else are prone to more distress during the first months postpartum (Abrams & Curran, 2011;Laney et al., 2015). Our results therefore confirm a key role of identity in the link between CCIT and parenting stress in mothers and fathers. ...
Background:
The birth of a child is a life-defining event which tends to widen the gap between parents' resources and the demands they face, generating parenting stress. In this regard, individuals who experienced childhood trauma, particularly cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma (CCIT), appear more vulnerable, with higher rates of parenting stress. However, dyadic studies are lacking and the mechanisms explaining the association between CCIT and parenting stress remain unknown, limiting the promotion of resilience in parental couples.
Objective:
Based on the Self-Trauma Model and the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, this study examined the role of self-capacities disturbances (i.e., affect dysregulation, identity impairment and interpersonal conflicts) in the association uniting CCIT and parenting stress.
Participants and settings:
A randomly selected sample of 421 parental couples of an infant.
Methods:
Participants completed self-reported measures online.
Results:
Path analyses revealed that CCIT was associated to greater parenting stress through affect dysregulation and identity impairment, in both mothers and fathers (R2 = 22.4%; 20.7%). APIM modeling revealed a dyadic association between mothers' proneness to interpersonal conflicts and fathers' parenting stress, in addition to indirect effects involving all three self-capacities in the associations between one parent's CCIT and their partner's parenting stress.
Conclusions:
CCIT-exposed individuals may experience parenting stress through difficulties with self-capacities at the individual and dyadic level, highlighting these capacities as promising intervention targets during the postpartum period, and emphasizing the need to involve both parents since intricate dyadic patterns may be at play.
... La maternidad puede ser particularmente desafiante para aquellas mujeres que no están preparadas para una sensación de pérdida de sí mismas mientras desarrollan una identidad de madre. El proceso de convertirse en madre implica fracturar su identidad como mujer para redefinirla e incorporar la identidad de madre (Laney et al., 2015). El papel que juega la maternidad a nivel socio-cultural está relacionada con los estereotipos de género (i.e., el ser "buena madre" y con la ética del cuidado) la expectativa cultural que representa el rol de la mujer como la responsable de los cuidados en la familia (McGannon et al., 2019). ...
Changes in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rulebook at the beginning of 2019 regarding the special ranking for pregnancy or parental start and the uprising in sports psychology investigations regarding this theme in elite sport, inspired this study. The aim was to explore whether the changes in the WTA regulations modifies the vision of the possibility to combine motherhood and professional tennis career in both current and former elite tennis players. Participants were 10 Spanish female elite tennis players, some mothers (n = 3) and others non-mothers (n = 7). For data collection, a semi-structured interview was used and, through thematic content analysis, three themes were defined: (a) game, set and match: is it enough just by changing the rules? (b) Centre court: to serve tennis player and mom vs. at the return tennis player and (c) warning coaching: tennis as a team sport. The results of the study revealed that motherhood and an elite tennis career is possible to combine even though it is still a feat for the mother athlete. Our study suggests strategies that could favour motherhood with an elite tennis career: (a) have the support from the athletes’ entourage, (b) having financial support or funding, (c) have some areas or rooms destined for children in tournaments and (d) provide basic services for children in tournaments.
El cambio de normativa de la Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) a principios del 2019 sobre maternidad y el auge de investigaciones en psicología del deporte sobre este tema en el deporte de élite, inspiraron este estudio cuyo objetivo fue explorar si el cambio de normativa modifica la visión de la compaginación de maternidad y carrera tenística en tenistas profesionales en activo y retiradas, madres y no madres. Participaron 10 mujeres tenistas españolas, algunas madres (n = 3) y otras no (n = 7). Para la recolección de datos se utilizó una entrevista semi-estructurada y a partir de un análisis temático del contenido se definieron tres temas: (a) game, set and match: ¿es suficiente solo con cambiar la normativa? (b) Centre court: al servicio mama-tenista versus al resto tenista, y (c) warning coaching: el tenis como deporte de equipo. Los resultados revelan como las modificaciones del reglamento facilitan un primer paso hacia la compatibilización de la maternidad con el tenis de élite, pero aún hacen falta más medidas de acompañamiento como las sugeridas en este estudio: (a) contar con el apoyo del entorno psicosocial de la deportista, (b) disponer de una ayuda económica, (c) disponer de espacios para los hijos en el entorno deportivo y (d) facilitar elementos básicos para los niños en los torneos.
A mudança nos regulamentos da Women's Tennis Association (WTA) no início de 2019 sobre a maternidade e o surgimento das pesquisas em psicologia do esporte sobre o assunto no esporte de elite inspiraram este estudo cujo objetivo foi explorar se a mudança nos regulamentos modifica a visão da combinação de maternidade e carreira de tênis em tenistas profissionais ativos e aposentados, mães e não mães. Participaram 10 tenistas espanholas, algumas mães (n = 3) e outras não (n = 7). Para a coleta de dados, foi utilizada uma entrevista semiestruturada e, a partir da análise temática de conteúdo, foram definidos três temas: (a) jogo, jogo e jogo: basta mudar o regulamento? (b) Quadra central: servir a jogadora-mãe contra o resto da jogadora, e (c) orientação de advertência: tênis como esporte de equipe. Os resultados revelam como as modificações nas normas facilitam um primeiro passo para compatibilizar a maternidade com o tênis de elite, mas ainda são necessárias medidas de apoio como as sugeridas neste estudo: (a) contar com o apoio do ambiente psicossocial da atleta, (b) ter auxílio financeiro, (c) ter vagas para crianças no ambiente esportivo e (d) fornecer elementos básicos para as crianças em torneios.
... La maternidad puede ser particularmente desafiante para aquellas mujeres que no están preparadas para una sensación de pérdida de sí mismas mientras desarrollan una identidad de madre. El proceso de convertirse en madre implica fracturar su identidad como mujer para redefinirla e incorporar la identidad de madre (Laney et al., 2015). El papel que juega la maternidad a nivel socio-cultural está relacionada con los estereotipos de género (i.e., el ser "buena madre" y con la ética del cuidado) la expectativa cultural que representa el rol de la mujer como la responsable de los cuidados en la familia (McGannon et al., 2019). ...
RESUMEN El cambio de normativa de la Women's Tennis Association (WTA) a principios del 2019 sobre maternidad y el auge de investigaciones en psicología del deporte sobre este tema en el deporte de élite, inspiraron este estudio cuyo objetivo fue explorar si el cambio de normativa modifica la visión de la compaginación de maternidad y carrera deportiva en tenistas profesionales. Participaron 10 mujeres tenistas españolas, en activo y retiradas, algunas madres (n = 3) y otras no (n = 7). Para la recolección de datos se utilizó una entrevista semi-estructurada y a partir de un análisis temático del contenido se definieron tres temas: (a) game, set and match: ¿es suficiente solo con cambiar la normativa? (b) centre court: al servicio mama-tenista versus al resto tenista, y (c) warning coaching: el tenis como deporte de equipo. La interpretación de los resultados nos muestra cómo las modificaciones del reglamento facilitan un primer paso hacia la compatibilización de la maternidad con el tenis de élite, pero aún hacen falta más medidas de acompañamiento como las sugeridas en este estudio: (a) contar con el apoyo del entorno psicosocial de la deportista, (b) disponer de una ayuda económica, (c) disponer de espacios para los hijos en el entorno deportivo, y (d) facilitar elementos básicos para los niños en los torneos. Palabras clave: mujer; deportista de élite; transiciones; investigación cualitativa.
ABSTRACT Changes in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rulebook at the beginning of 2019 regarding the special ranking for pregnancy or parental start and the uprising in sports psychology investigations regarding this theme in elite sport, inspired this study. The aim was to explore whether the changes in the WTA regulations modifies the vision of the possibility to combine motherhood and professional sports career. Participants were 10 Spanish female elite tennis players, both current and former players, some mothers (n = 3) and others non-mothers (n = 7). For data collection, a semi-structured interview was used and, through thematic content analysis, three themes were defined: (a) game, set and match: is it enough just by changing the rules? (b) centre court: to serve tennis player and mom vs. at the return tennis player and (c) warning coaching: tennis as a team sport. The interpretation of the results show how motherhood and an elite tennis career is possible to combine even though it is still a feat for the mother athlete. Our study suggests strategies that could favour motherhood with an elite tennis career: (a) have the support from the athletes' entourage, (b) having financial support or funding, (c) have some areas or rooms destined for children in tournaments, and (d) provide basic services for children in tournaments.
... Women who are still struggling with postpartum depression use first-person singular pronouns to communicate their experiences. Although pregnancy can influence or shift a woman's identity, becoming a mother could potentially expand her experiential horizons (Laney et al., 2014(Laney et al., , 2015. When an individual perception of a woman shifts into the collective form, such as "family/us", rather than individual "I/me", this could potentially enable adaptive and positive psychological effects. ...
Objective
This qualitative study examines the linguistic features associated with postpartum depression.
Methods
In this longitudinal online study, 53 mothers completed self-report questionnaires assessing symptoms of postpartum depression and an expressive writing exercise about their pregnancy and birth. Mothers were randomly divided into two groups (intervention and control groups). Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count [LIWC] was used to examine the written data for depression and no depression groups.
Results
The overall use of words varied depending on the severity of depressive symptoms. Negative emotions and introspective terms were associated with depression and lower use of first-person plural pronouns but not singular pronouns. Additionally, the groups of individuals with depression showed a positive correlation between depressive symptoms and words referring to friends, leisure activities, the body, breastfeeding, exercise, and eating attitudes.
Conclusion
In addition to self-disclosure, word analysis and appropriate categorization could be useful for perinatal symptomatology in pregnant women, and interestingly also a meaningful tool that can be taught and used as a preventive care measure among pregnant and postpartum women.
... Motherhood is traditionally viewed as central to a woman's identity whereas fatherhood is seldom perceived as central to a man's identity (Katz-Wise et al., 2010). Across the transition to parenthood, traditional gender-role beliefs may influence new parents' parenting behaviors (Katz-Wise et al., 2010;Laney et al., 2015), as well as their increased risk for PCA (Gowda & Rodriguez, 2019). Such gender role beliefs may prompt parents to develop parenting identities modeled after their same-gender parent, magnifying intergenerational effects of parenting style by gender. ...
Background
Intergenerational transmission of abuse processes imply that individuals abused as children are more likely to abuse their own children when they become parents, with similar intergenerational patterns observed for parenting styles.
Objective
The present study addresses an important gap in the literature regarding the intergenerational cycle, investigating how perceived parenting style history predicts mothers' and fathers' child abuse risk across the transition to parenthood, with particular attention to the role of gender by comparing cross-gender and same-gender grandparent-parent dyads.
Participants and methods
The sample is drawn from a four-wave longitudinal study that enrolled 203 families beginning the final trimester of mothers' pregnancy until children were four years old. Parents responded to measures on parenting style history received from both their mothers and fathers as well as measures of their own child abuse risk, parent-child aggression, and personal parenting style.
Results
Mothers demonstrated more same-gender effects, whereas fathers demonstrated more cross-gender effects–both patterns supportive of a tendency to follow maternal influences when considering child abuse risk. With regards to behavior, both mothers' and fathers' reports of parent-children aggression were most influenced by perceived harsh parenting received from their fathers.
Conclusions
Future development of parenting interventions could be more individualized to the participating parent's reported personal history of parenting style and gender.
... Becoming a parent can be seen as one of the most important transitional experiences in adulthood that has significant implications for psychosocial development, including identity development in the life course (Saxbe et al., 2018). Reconstructing one's identity, recreating self-continuity and finding new life-goals beyond this transition can be challenging and if not experienced successfully and supported appropriately can lead to poor mental health outcomes for parents and children alike (Caperton et al., 2020;Kings et al., 2017;Laney et al., 2015). ...
Becoming a parent is one of the most important transitional experiences in adulthood that has significant implications for new parents’ mental and physical health and psychosocial development. A growing body of research examines how men transition to fatherhood and balance their work and family obligations in complex contemporary societies. However, this phenomenological evidence remains under-theorised from the life-course development perspective. In this paper, a semiotic cultural approach to life-course transitions is used to explore how a sample of educated and employed Australian men in heterosexual relationships experienced and made sense of their fatherhood and work and family conflicts. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 20 fathers highlights how these fathers attempt to navigate between multiple, ambiguous and sometimes contradictory societal expectations about fatherhood, while also struggling to balance their desires to be a ‘good father’ with their wives and partners’ attempts to be a ‘good mother’, thus evidencing the weak cultural guidance of transition to fatherhood. The analysis shifts the focus away from developmental outcomes and moves towards understanding the semiotic processes through which development occurs in the complex intertwinement between person and their environment. The discussion of men’s dilemmas about fatherhood also underscores the future orientation of human development and highlights how persons are actively and intentionally involved in this movement towards an unpredictable but imagined future.
... Motherhood is one of the most common and desired life roles among adult women [9,10]. Mothers frequently identify themselves through motherhood, perceive the maternal role of higher importance and prioritize it over other life roles, such as work or community roles [11,12]. The maternal role is experienced by mothers as extremely meaningful and it includes various occupations and activities, such as caring and assisting children with IADL occupations [13]. ...
Motherhood is a meaningful life role among adult women. Occupations within the maternal role of younger mothers have been well documented, but less is known regarding the maternal-role at older age. This review aimed to describe the occupations, activities, and perceptions that older women ascribe to their maternal role. In the future, this information may promote health and wellbeing of older women. A systematic search of peer reviewed articles, that included healthy, community-dwelling mothers, 60 years of age or older, was conducted. Maternal-role occupations and perceptions of older mothers were identified and classified according to the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF). Fourteen articles, representing 3102 older mothers, were included. The identified occupations and activities within the maternal role were from two categories: Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) (such as assistance with daily chores) and social participation (such as sharing holiday rituals). Three themes reflecting maternal-role perceptions were identified: providing support; relationship with children; and motherhood as a never-ending role. Maternal occupations were identified in only a few articles and from only two categories, IADL and social participation. These findings together with the perception that motherhood is a ‘never-ending’ role suggests that further research is needed to better characterize the maternal role of older women from an occupational perspective.
... For example, becoming a parent is often a desired event, but it is nonetheless a stressful transition that requires substantial adaptation (Cowan & Cowan, 1992) and can challenge new parents' sense of self (van Scheppingen et al., 2018). Integrating the parenting role into one's broader identity seems to contribute to greater confidence and satisfaction with parenting roles (Laney et al., 2015) and greater well-being (Dunlop et al., 2017). Identity integration is also salient during life transitions associated with aging, such as retirement (Feldman & Beehr, 2011), becoming a caregiver, (Eifert et al., 2021), and bereavement (Walter, 2003). ...
Though Erikson recognized identity development as a lifelong project, most research on identity has focused on adolescents and emerging adults. Less is known about how the identity formed in adolescence is maintained and adapted across the adult life span. The purpose of the present paper is to provide a conceptual review and elaboration of Erikson's (1968) theory focused on identity integration, a construct that is particularly relevant to adult identity development. Identity integration describes the process of bringing together various aspects of one's self into a coherent whole, and the sense of self-continuity and wholeness that emerges as a result of these processes. Informed by the identity and life span development literatures, we present a conceptual framework that describes how identity integration is maintained across the adult life span, and how it is reestablished when changing life circumstances present threats to an individual's identity. These maintenance and reestablishment processes help to support adults' well-being and adaptation to major life transitions and stressful events. This conceptual framework is intended to facilitate research on identity integration in adulthood, a time of life that has been less often studied in the identity literature but that can involve identity dynamics that are just as critical as those in adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
This study explores how mothers of children who are young adults with developmental disabilities in South Korea experience identity strain and tension when they engage in advocacy on behalf of their children. Based on in‐depth interviews with 20 mothers in Korea who are members of parents’ advocacy groups, this article found that women experienced feelings of tension that arose when they deviated from normative understandings of what it means to be “devoted mothers.” Furthermore, they created two alternative versions of maternal roles—professional “I” mothers and professional “WE” mothers—that supported their identities as “disability advocates” in order to alleviate their emotional experiences. Such differences led them to practice different styles of advocacy in their interactions with disability welfare services. Based on these findings, this article discusses identity strain that emerges during the mothers’ political engagement on behalf of their disabled children. In doing so, it contributes to expanding current attention to parental advocacy activities in order to more deeply understand women's agential power to force social change and to act against existing state policies and power.
Motherhood is often positioned as incompatible with further education, and various cohort studies have revealed the many ways in which mothers are discouraged from and disadvantaged in higher education. Guided by role theory, we investigated the experiences of more than 1300 'PhD mums' from across the world as they simultaneously navigate the roles of doctoral researcher and mother (or mother-like role). Using a mixed-methods survey design, qualitative and quantitative results were analysed to reveal the contradictions and complexities of the PhD mum experience, with motherhood both straining and enhancing the doctoral journey. Motherhood may place considerable strains on doctoral researchers, including on their ability to conduct and write-up their research. These strains are exacerbated by inequitable and gendered role expectations, finite resources, and limited support, often at the expense of doctoral researchers' physical and mental well-being. However, it is not all negative, and PhD mums can bring a range of skills and attributes that are valuable to individual doctoral studies as well as doctoral programmes and institutions more broadly. The benefits also extend to the PhD mums themselves, their families, and their communities. This paper challenges unfounded assumptions about the commitment and ability of mothers to succeed in doctoral education, but also raises serious concerns about the role of institutions in perpetuating social inequalities while espousing commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion.
Background:
Participation in meaningful everyday occupations and life-roles is crucial to the health and wellbeing of older adults. However, little is known regarding meaningful life-roles of older women. Although the maternal-role remains meaningful to women throughout their life, previous literature focused on earlier stages of motherhood.
Aims:
To describe the occupations and perceptions within the maternal-role of older women.
Materials and method:
An online survey was distributed via social media. It included closed and open-ended questions regarding the engagement and relatedness of occupations to the maternal-role; and the perceptions of older women towards their maternal-role. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis was used to analyze data from open-ended questions.
Results:
The survey was answered by 317 community-dwelling older mothers (aged 65-87). High frequency of engagement and relatedness of occupations to the maternal-role were found. Most participants perceived the maternal-role as a never-ending and evolving life role. Seven categories, describing both 'doing' and 'being' aspects of the maternal-role, were identified.
Conclusion:
The maternal-role is meaningful to older women. It continues to develop over time, and includes new occupations which have not been central at earlier stages of motherhood.
Significance:
These findings have significant implications for healthcare professionals striving to promote healthy aging by enhancing the participation of older women in meaningful occupations. Further research is needed to broaden the understanding of the unique characteristics of the maternal-role at older age.
Postpartum physical activity can positively impact mental and physical health. There is a need to better understand how physical activity is related to various psychological constructs to support physical activity in postpartum women. Thus, the purpose of this exploratory, quantitative, study was to examine differences between postpartum women who were physically active and those who were physically inactive on psychological (e.g., self-compassion) and mental health constructs. Five hundred twenty-five women ( M age = 28.4) completed an online survey. Participants who reported being active following the birth of their last child had significantly higher exercise self-efficacy, self-compassion, and basic psychological needs fulfillment for exercise and significantly lower levels of perceived fatigue, anxiety, and depression compared with their inactive counterparts. However, active mothers had lower body satisfaction than inactive mothers. Women who are active after the birth of a child have improved psychological constructs that may benefit overall well-being and mental health during this challenging transition.
Pregnancy and postpartum are full of developmental change for both women and their families. Family members are adjusting to their new roles in the family and women are beginning to define their abilities as a mother and caretaker. For some women, their experience during this time is convoluted by the experience of a perinatal mood and/or anxiety disorder (PMAD). In these cases, women's self of competency or mastery in their role as a mother can become entangled, leading to insecurities along with their depression or anxiety symptoms. Medication treatments and psychotherapy interventions have been established to address the mood and anxiety symptoms and to support the family system. However, a treatment is needed that addresses the PMAD symptoms and the internalization of women's feelings and emotions experienced during this impressionable and often defining time. In this article, we explore the use of Narrative Family Therapy as a way to help women deconstruct unhelpful narratives they may have created during pregnancy and postpartum. A case study is provided to illustrate how Narrative Family Therapy can be used to emotionally reauthor women's stories, and construct new meanings by separating their PMAD symptoms from their identity as a mother.
Women undergo profound psychological and cognitive shifts throughout their life course, and motherhood entails dramatic mind–body adjustments. Growing maternal responsibilities and evidence from social sciences suggest motherhood enhances cognitive functioning, but mothers typically claim otherwise. This article uses maternal life stories to reveal cultural schemas of mommy brain as told by mothers in the United States. Our findings illustrate what mommy brain is in practice and how cultural narratives promote associations between motherhood and diminished cognitive functioning. We found that interruptions, cognitive overload, and newfound anxieties were fundamental components in mothers’ mommy brain experiences. We believe that these factors, along with social isolation, play a salient role in self‐reported deficits in maternal cognition. Understandings of mommy brain must move beyond neurobiology and attention and memory studies and consider how interruptions, overload, and other subjective experiences shape our definitions and what we know about maternal cognition.
Well-being is clearly of significance for women in the postnatal period; however, in the past, it has mainly been seen as an absence of pathology rather than a concept in its own right. This chapter presents the case for a holistic approach to women’s well-being in the postnatal period. We describe the perinatal well-being framework which was developed in three stages based on both published literature and findings from a survey of women and healthcare professionals. We suggest that well-being is influenced by a variety of domains and that it is subjective and individual and is experienced physically, emotionally and psychologically, as well as is dynamic and fluctuating over time. An overarching element of postnatal well-being is the often-overwhelming nature of motherhood: the responsibility for the baby, the competing demands on mothers’ time, the lack of time for oneself and profound changes to women’s sense of identity and purpose. Self-care was a core element of women’s efforts to experience or foster a sense of well-being. We describe one potential approach to effectively promote women’s ability to engage in self-care and enhance well-being. We consider HCPs’ attitudes and the context they work in as part of supporting well-being. We suggest that training and culture in healthcare tend to characterise the perinatal period as risky, with a focus on seeking to reduce risk and to avoid harm rather than actively promoting well-being. We conclude that a move towards a well-being-focused approach will need a major paradigm shift in both training and services.
Research on women’s lived experiences of their transition to motherhood and the role that spirituality plays in the process of transformation reports how the experiences of motherhood and spirituality are connected and influence each other. Some mothers may struggle through this transformation, and therefore it highlights the need for midwives to attend to the potential positive and negative roles of spirituality in women’s transition to motherhood. Guidance and early interventions of midwives to address any indications of spiritual struggle in women’s adjustment are vital. The recent development of the four key spiritual care competencies through the ‘EPICC Standard’ (https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/epicc/files/2019/06/EPICC-Spiritual-Care-Education-Standard.pdf) may assist midwives how to go about, enhance and provide high-quality, compassionate and safe care to mothers who find it difficult to make sense of events that challenge their world view during transition to motherhood.
This article is based on mixed-method participatory research with incarcerated mothers in Ireland. It draws on this research which aimed to profile imprisoned mothers, hear their experiences of motherhood and mothering and examine their available supports. An overview of relevant literature on motherhood, incarceration, trauma and addiction in the context of incarceration is presented, followed by a detailed outline and discussion of the participatory methods used. Participants were involved in the design and implementation of the research, but not the data analysis and reporting. Prominent themes highlighted in the lives of participants include trauma, addiction and mother–child separation. Rich accounts of child and adult trauma, associated addiction and criminality and voluntary and enforced separations from their children are described and discussed. The article concludes with a reflection on the key issues that arose for participants and considers how these might be responded to in the future.
First-time motherhood is a well-studied yet poorly understood determinant of health. Giving birth has significant physical, mental and social health impacts across the life course. Maternal transition research has attempted to understand first-time mothers' psychological and social needs to improve overall health. However, much of this research struggles to capture the fluid and fluctuating nature of affects, senses and bodies across human and non-human spheres and has reached conceptual saturation. In this paper, I develop mother-baby-assemblages as a way forward in theorising first-time motherhood to better understand how maternal health is produced intra-actively through the relationality between human and non-human actants. I achieve this by plugging into feminist psychoanalytic and new materialist theory, diffractively reading across published qualitative maternal transition literature spanning five decades and enriching affectively through my own mothering encounters. I engage with topics at the forefront of maternal health research, including bodies, babies, vibrant matter, physical and online spaces and paid employment demands. I theorise trans-subjective and more-than-human emergent mother-baby-assemblages that invite relationality and difference over identity and linearity in the becoming-mother to replace human agency with the capacity to affect and be affected through human and non-human forces. I weave together theory, published data and personal encounters to move beyond understanding becoming-mother as a linear process, and instead think of this becoming-through-each-other as mother-baby-assemblages. Health outcomes therewith become products of distributed, emerging, fluctuating, and affecting agencies across human and non-human spheres. Such an approach can steer towards health interventions for first-time mothers that are socio-materially grounded, consider reciprocity of needs, diversify responsibilities for child-rearing and encourage future scholarship of the human and non-human emergence of maternal health.
Compreender as influências na construção do significado da maternidade vivenciadas por mulheres interagentes de um grupo de casais grávidos. Pesquisa qualitativa, exploratória-descritiva, que ocorreu entre março e agosto de 2018, por meio de observação não-participante e fontes documentais. Para análise, utilizou-se a proposta operativa de Minayo e o referencial teórico do Interacionismo Simbólico. Participaram 23 mulheres que atribuíram como influências o cumprimento de normativas advindas das relações de gênero; das expectativas histórico-sociais do meio familiar e cultural e dos saberes “da boa mãe” disseminados pela ciência. As influências apresentaram poder ambíguo na construção simbólica da maternidade e agiram tanto para a validação de condutas, quanto para a censura e mal-estar das mulheres. O grupo de casais grávidos se mostrou uma estratégia de educação e saúde importante para a reflexão dessas influências, favorecendo o protagonismo da mulher, a resolução de conflitos e a interação com a equipe de saúde. Descritores: Educação em Saúde, Saúde da Mulher, Identidade de Gênero, Interacionismo Simbólico. Influences on the construction of the meaning of motherhood Abstract: To understand the influences in the construction of the meaning of motherhood experienced by interacting women from a group of pregnant couples. Qualitative, exploratory-descriptive research, which took place between March and August 2018, through non-participant observation and documentary sources. For analysis, Minayo's operative proposal and the theoretical framework of Symbolic Interactionism were used. 23 women participated, who attributed compliance with norms arising from gender relations as influences; the historical-social expectations of the family and cultural milieu and the knowledge of “the good mother” disseminated by science. The influences presented ambiguous power in the symbolic construction of motherhood and acted both for the validation of conduct and for the censorship and malaise of women. The group of pregnant couples proved to be an important education and health strategy for reflecting on these influences, favoring the role of women, conflict resolution and interaction with health professionals. Descriptors: Health Education, Women's Health, Gender Identity, Symbolic Interactionism. Influencias en la construcción del significado de la maternidad Resumen: Comprender las influencias en la construcción del significado de la maternidad vividas por mujeres de un grupo de parejas embarazadas. Investigación cualitativa, exploratorio-descriptiva, que ocussió entre marzo y agosto de 2018, por fuentes documentales y observación no participante. Para el análisis se utilizó la propuesta operativa de Minayo y el marco teórico del Interaccionismo Simbólico. Participaron 23 mujeres, quienes atribuyeron como influencias el cumplimiento de las normas derivadas de las relaciones de género; expectativas histórico-sociales y el conocimiento de la ciencia. Las influencias presentaron poder ambiguo en la construcción simbólica de la maternidad y actuaron tanto para la validación de la conducta como para la censura y malestar de las mujeres. El grupo de gestantes resultó ser una estrategia de educación y salud importante para piensar en estas influencias, favoreciendo el poder de la mujer, la resolución de conflictos y la interacción con el cuidado. Descriptores: Educación en Salud, Salud de la Mujer, Identidad de Género, Interaccionismo Simbólico.
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui gambaran penerimaan diri ibu yang tidak menyusui secara eksklusif. Penerimaan diri diperlukan untuk menghadapi perasaan-perasaan kehilangan seperti sedih dan perasaan bersalah ketika harapan untuk menyusui tidak dapat terpenuhi. Seseorang yang memiliki penerimaan diri dapat menunjukkan sikap positif terhadap diri sendiri, serta mengakui dan menerima berbagai aspek diri berupa kelebihan dan kekurangan. Proses penerimaan diri ini dilihat dari lima tahapan penerimaan milik Kubler-Ross. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif metode studi kasus intrinsik dengan teknik wawancara. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa partisipan mengalami tahapan penolakan, marah, tawar-menawar, dan depresi sebelum dapat menerima kondisi dirinya yang tidak lagi menyusui secara eksklusif. Penerimaan kondisi diri dari partisipan dipengaruhi oleh beberapa faktor seperti, pemahaman diri yang baik, harapan yang realistis, tidak adanya hambatan di lingkungan sekitar, sikap sosial yang positif, tidak adanya stres berat, identifikasi penyesuaian diri, perspektif akan diri sendiri, serta konsep diri yang stabil.
Objective
Women of reproductive age who have autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) have expressed a need to be better supported with making decisions about pregnancy. Women with ARDs want their motherhood identities and associated preferences to be taken into account in decisions about their healthcare. The aim of this study was to explore the interplay between illness and motherhood identities of women with ARDs during preconception decision making.
Methods
Timeline-facilitated qualitative interviews with women diagnosed with an ARD (18-49 years old). Participants were purposively sampled based on the following three criteria: thinking about getting pregnant, currently pregnant, or had young children. Interviews were thematically analysed.
Results
Twenty-two women were interviewed face-to-face (N=6) or over the telephone (N=16). Interview length ranged from 20 minutes to 70 minutes, with a mean length of 48 minutes. Three main themes were identified: prioritisation, discrepancy, and trade-off. Difficulties in balancing multiple identities in healthcare encounters were reported. Women used ‘self-guides’ as a reference for priority setting in a dynamic process that shifted as their level of disease activity altered and as their motherhood identity became more or less of a focus at a given point in time. Women’s illness and motherhood identities did not present in isolation but were intertwined.
Conclusions
Findings highlight the need for holistic person-centred care that supports women with the complex and emotive decisions relating to preconception decision-making. In practice, health professionals need to consider women’s multiple and sometimes conflicting identities, and include both their condition and family associated goals and values within healthcare communication.
Alienation describes an individual's sense of separation between themselves and various objects, such as other people, their community or society. Alienation is mediated by a wide range of psychological and social factors, and most people likely experience it in some form across their lifespan. Previous research suggests that migrants may be at an increased risk of experiencing alienation due to the challenges associated with adapting to a new environment. When migrants become parents in their adopted culture, this has the potential to exacerbate experiences of alienation because parenting introduces further life changes. This scoping review identifies and describes qualitative research studies that explored migrant mothers' feelings/experiences of alienation associated with parenting. It also identifies different conceptualizations of alienation reported in these studies. All methods for the literature search strategy, study screening and selection and data extraction were determined a priori. Eight studies were included from 1250 publications identified by the literature search. Alienation was a subtheme of each of the included studies, rather than a primary focus. Three conceptualizations of alienation were reported by migrant mothers across these studies, including isolation, normlessness and powerlessness. The reported findings suggest that these migrant mothers from diverse backgrounds did experience alienation, and their experiences of alienation were associated with parenting challenges. Given none of the studies comprehensively examined alienation, more work that explicitly explores associations between alienation and parenting is needed.
Objective
The aim of this study was to explore the changes in quality of couples' relationships from pregnancy to postpartum in pregnant Italian women who conceived spontaneously and to analyze the differences in transition to motherhood with respect to birth of (a) first child, (b) second child, and (c) twins.
Background
The transition to motherhood leads to several changes for parents and can significantly affect a couple's adaptation. The couple's adaptation to parenthood may depend on whether they are having a first child, a second child, or twins.
Method
A total of 119 women (61 primiparous women with single pregnancy, 42 multiparous women with single pregnancy, and 16 primiparous women with twin pregnancy) completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale during the third trimester of pregnancy and 3 months after childbirth. To explore whether the three groups differed regarding the quality of the couple relationship during pregnancy, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted. Subsequently, a series of mixed 2 × 3 ANOVA with Time (pregnancy and postpartum) as the within factor and Group as the between factor for each dependent variable linked to the dimensions of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale was carried out to explore whether the quality of the couple relationship differed 3 months after childbirth.
Results
Results highlighted that, during pregnancy, mothers expecting one child (both primiparas and multiparas) reported a higher level of couple relationship quality than did women expecting twins. However, after childbirth, mothers of twins reported significant improvements on some qualitative aspects of their couple relationship (Affective Expression), whereas the other mothers reported some worsening in the perceived couple relationship 3 months after the birth of the child, especially regarding global score, Dyadic Cohesion, and Affective Expression.
Conclusion
In conclusion, birth preparation courses must pay attention not only to parenting transition but also to promoting involvement of both partners in household duties. Anticipating a fair division of household chores can allow partners to prepare for childbirth and limit the stress of the couple.
Implications
The promotion of dyadic adjustment can reduce parenting stress and increase parents' well-being.
Offering new perspectives on motherhood, distinguished contributors from a variety of fields look at the conflicting positions on motherhood within the feminist movement; draw on psychoanalysis to grapple with mothers' profoundly ambivalent feelings toward their children; discuss how advances in medicine influence the meaning of motherhood; and examine how representations of mothers in art, film, literature, the social and behavioral sciences, and historical writing have affected women. "The significant contribution of this collection of essays is its repeated re-presentation of the mother as a fully bodied, real, complex person, a subject in her own right, both liberated and oppressed by the demands of birthing and rearing children."-Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, Cross Currents
Presents a summary of research findings that suggests that the qualitative nature of 1-yr-olds' attachment to their mothers is related both to earlier mother–infant interaction and to various aspects of their later development. The way in which they organize their behavior toward their mothers affects the way in which they organize their behavior toward other aspects of their environment, both animate and inanimate. This organization provides a core of continuity in development despite changes that come with cognitive and socioemotional developmental acquisitions. Despite the need for further research into children's attachment to their parents and to other figures, findings to date provide relevant leads for policies, education in parenting, and intervention procedures to further the welfare of infants and young children. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Motherhood is commonly referred to as a transformational experience. Where the psychoanalytic literature articulates the maternal subject and her development, transformation is figured as a working through of infantile issues prompted by the psychic crisis that motherhood represents. Juxtaposing recent autobiographical accounts of the transition to motherhood with the work of Irigaray, and using my own experiences of early motherhood, I look at the way motherhood as a transformational experience is represented as either the movement from unity towards fluidity, or its reverse, the movement from fluidity to the hardening of desire around the unity of the child. I use a discussion of wigs to show how transformation itself is caught by its own material effects, inevitably failing to pass itself off as the magical movement from one state to another. The transition to motherhood is understood as both the painful and playful realisation of the impossibility of transformation itself.
This article focuses on transition to first-time motherhood and explores the experiences of a group of women as they anticipate, give birth, and engage in early mothering. It illuminates how these women draw on, weave together, and challenge dominant strands of discourse that circumscribe their journeys into motherhood. Using qualitative longitudinal data, prenatal and postnatal episodes of transition are explored. The analysis and juxtaposing of these data reveal the different ways women anticipate and gradually make sense of becoming mothers. While there is a disjuncture between expectations and experiences for these new mothers, this article draws attention to the different ways women discursively position themselves through transition. It reveals how birth experiences can act as a discursive turning point and underscores the obduracy of some strands of dominant discourse. These findings contribute to a subtler and more nuanced understanding of the dynamic interplay between personal experience and gendered discourses.
Psychoanalysis has begun to place motherhood in a theoretical context, but mainly mothering is seen through the unconscious fantasies of children and adults in analysis who are reflecting on the mothers of their childhood. Little has been written about how mothers unconsciously view themselves and their mothering. Through the analyses of two women and their mothering anxieties, I focus on the intrapsychic conflicts of gender identity that can be masked by a culturally sanctioned obsessive preoccupation with their children. I describe how their developmental search for their female selves leads them to disavow states of being that they concretely deem as masculine.
Partner relationships are relevant in the psychological adjustment during the transition to parenthood, but mothers have been studied more often than fathers in this respect. The Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) to assess positive and negative dimensions of the partner relationship, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) to assess depression and the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to assess anxiety were administered to forty‐three women and their partners recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy and seen again until after delivery in order to assess differences in women's/men's anxiety and depression according to partner relationships. Results indicate that women/men with a less positive relationship with the partner show higher anxiety than women/men with a more positive partner relationship, and those women/men with a more negative relationship with the partner show both higher depression and higher anxiety than women/men with a less negative relationship with the partner. Also partners of women/men with a more negative partner relationship show higher depression than partners of women/men with a less negative partner relationship. Psychological adjustment during the transition to parenthood of both the women/men and the partner is impacted by the partner relationship.
This study explored women's role-related identity structures through in-depth interviews with 60 employed and stay-at-home women married to professional men. The employment, wife, mother, and homemaking roles of these women were examined to understand how married women integrate employment and family roles (i.e., wife, mother, and homemaking roles) within their identity. The women arranged the structure of their multiple roles in a variety of ways: Most structured their roles hierarchically, others intertwined several roles, some perceived their roles as equally important, a few indicated that they were "more than" their roles, and a small group of women were actively reworking their role-related identity structure. The structures observed are interpreted as representing a range of personal settlements with contemporary adult gender-role-related societal expectations.
A woman's psychological state during pregnancy has been shown in previous research to be predictive of her adaptation to maternal functioning. Two hypotheses were examined: (a) women who have a negative attitude to pregnancy and motherhood have children who exhibit slower development at 2 years, compared with children of women who have more positive attitudes; (b) women with poor psychological health antenatally have children who exhibit slower development at 2 years, compared with children of women who have good psychological health antenatally. Three aspects of child development were assessed: cognitive, motor and behaviour, as measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. This prospective, longitudinal study recruited primiparous women in the last trimester of pregnancy, registered at seven health centres in socially deprived areas of Bristol City ( N ?=?436). Baseline data were collected antenatally, and postnatally at 6 weeks, 1 year and 2 years. Developmental assessments were administered at 1 and 2 years of age. Fifty-seven percent of women had planned their pregnancy. Using the EPDS, 25% scored above the cut-off (12/13) for risk of depression antenatally. Multivariable analyses found associations between advanced cognitive development and children whose mothers had been aware of the changes that motherhood might bring. Associations were also found between cognitive development and pregnant women who scored below the cut-off for risk of depression (EPDS<13). The effect sizes were small and could therefore be due to chance, but the associations were consistent.
This paper describes a British-based longitudinal qualitative study of postpartum depression over the transition to motherhood. 24 women (aged 21–41 yrs) were interviewed during pregnancy and 1, 3, and 6 mo after the birth. The data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed from a symbolic interactionist perspective to identify themes surrounding the meaning of motherhood and experiences of depression during this time. The findings presented here demonstrate an important paradox in women's experiences: they are happy to be mothers to their children, while unhappy at the losses that early motherhood inflicts upon their lives—losses of autonomy and time, appearance, femininity and sexuality, and occupational identity. It is argued that if these losses were taken seriously and the women encouraged to grieve that postpartum depression would be seen by the women and their partners, family, and friends as a potentially healthy process toward psychological re-integration and personal growth rather than as a pathological response to a "happy event." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article presents an overview of philosophy of science and research paradigms. The philosophy of science parameters of ontology, epistemology, axiology, rhetorical structure, and methodology are discussed across the research paradigms of positivism, postpositivism, constructivism-interpretivism, and the critical-ideological perspective. Counseling researchers are urged to locate their inquiry approaches within identifiable research paradigms, and examples of "locating" 2 popular inquiry approaches--consensual qualitative research and grounded theory--are provided. Examples of how counseling research would proceed from varying paradigms are explored, and a call is made for expanding the training students receive in philosophy of science and qualitative approaches to inquiry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
To investigate how women's and men's personal goals change during the transition to parenthood, the authors studied 348 women (152 primiparous and 196 multiparous) and 277 of their partners at 3 times: early in pregnancy, 1 month before the birth, and 3 months afterward. At each measurement, participants completed the Personal Project Analysis questionnaire (B. R. Little, 1983). The results showed that during pregnancy women became more interested in goals related to childbirth, the child's health, and motherhood and less interested in achievement-related goals. After the birth women were more interested in family and health-related issues. These changes were more substantial among the primiparous than among the multiparous mothers. Although the men's personal goals changed during the transition to parenthood, these changes were less substantial than those found among the women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article examines concepts of the trustworthiness, or credibility, of qualitative research. Following a "researcher-as-instrument," or self-reflective, statement, the paradigmatic underpinnings of various criteria for judging the quality of qualitative research are explored, setting the stage for a discussion of more transcendent standards (those not associated with specific paradigms) for conducting quality research: social validity, subjectivity and reflexivity, adequacy of data, and adequacy of interpretation. Finally, current guidelines for writing and publishing qualitative research are reviewed, and strategies for conducting and writing qualitative research reports are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article explores how religion, as a meaning system, influences coping with adversity. First, a model emphasizing the role of meaning making in coping is presented. Next, religion as a meaning system is defined, and theory and research on the role of religion in the coping process are summarized. Results from the author's study of 169 bereaved college students are then presented to illustrate some of the pathways through which religious meaning can influence the coping process in making meaning following loss. Findings indicate that associations between religion and adjustment vary across time since loss, and that these associations are mediated by meaning-making coping. Finally, implications for individual and societal well-being and suggestions for future research are discussed.
As theories of developmental psychology continue to define educational goals and practice, it has become imperative for educators and researchers to scrutinize not only the underlying assumptions of such theories but also the model of adulthood toward which they point. Carol Gilligan examines the limitations of several theories, most notably Kohlberg's stage theory of moral development, and concludes that developmental theory has not given adequate expression to the concerns and experience of women. Through a review of psychological and literary sources, she illustrates the feminine construction of reality. From her own research data, interviews with women contemplating abortion, she then derives an alternative sequence for the development of women's moral judgments. Finally, she argues for an expanded conception of adulthood that would result from the integration of the "feminine voice" into developmental theory.
Research on women's identity development has indicated that women generally form and view their identities within the context of their relationships and connections to others. Previous research has looked at various aspects of motherhood identity including paradoxical, conflictual, and ambivalent components of motherhood. The current study contributes by exploring 30 university faculty women's personal experiences of motherhood through a grounded theory framework to determine the contributions of motherhood to adult identity development. Mothering expanded the women's selves and identities multivariously, by developing new personal qualities, by increasing relational capacity and concern for others, by creating a sense of lasting influence by contributing to younger generations, and by enhancing their engagement with their careers. In this way, motherhood was personally, relationally, generationally, and vocationally expansive. Implications for clinical work and research are included.
This phenomenological study used individual, semistructured, face-to-face interviews to explore motherhood experiences among 15 women receiving public assistance in a large urban area on the West coast. A primary phenomenon observed was that motherhood was described as an experience of identity change, with resulting emotional, behavioral, and sense-of-self changes. Within this broad theme, two categories emerged: the experience and process of change, and consequences of change. It was concluded that motherhood may serve as an important catalyst for change in some women and that the context of poverty is essential for understanding the motherhood experience. These results suggest that interventions aimed at leveraging emerging motherhood identities may be beneficial in setting women on the path out of poverty, drug addiction, and incarceration. Future research should examine the consequences of maternal change within the specific context of the stages of change documented in the recovery process from drug addiction.
A total of 96 mothers of preschool children participated in a study examining the relationships among identity status and the variables of family attachment style and understanding of children’s development. Results indicated that women in the committed identity statuses of identity achievement and, contrary to expectation, foreclosure, were highest in secure attachment. Fearful attachment predominated among the uncommitted identity statuses of moratorium and identity diffusion. Achievement women were the highest and diffusion women lowest in their understanding of children’s development. Examination of attachment styles as categorical variables, for achievements and foreclosures, revealed two different patterns within each status: secure and insecure. When achievements and foreclosures were grouped according to their attachment classifications and their perspectivistic scores analysed, achieved-insecure women had relatively high perspectivistic scores (in fact, the highest among the statuses) and foreclosed-insecure women had relatively low ones (almost as low as diffuse women). These results suggest that there may be two distinct patterns of both foreclosure and achievement for adult women.
Questions about how women integrate maternity into their sense of self have generated a quest for an heuristic model. We suggest that mothers struggle to balance themselves amid a set of polarities/tensions and that mothering can be situated within a phenomenological matrix of such tensions. We propose a model that includes the following developmental issues: loss of self/expansion of self; omnipotence/liability; life-destroying/life-promoting behavior; maternal isolation/maternal community; cognitive strategies/intuitive responses; maternal desexualization/ maternal sexualization. Investigation and understanding of how mothers cope with these tensions could yield insights into both universal and particular aspects of mothering.
I held him so and rocked him. I cradled him. I closed my eyes and leaned on his dark head. But the sun in its course emerged from among the water towers of down-town office buildings and suddenly shone white and bright on me. Then through the short fat fingers of my son, interred forever, like a black and white barred king in Alcatraz, my heart lit up in stripes.
— Grace Paley, The Little Disturbances of Man
The aim of this qualitative study was to comprehend how mothers understood and accounted for their experiences in relation to the ideology of motherhood which has been socially constructed as a critical aspect of femininity. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 24 primiparous and multiparous women, and transcripts analysed using open and axial coding with triangulation. Using a material‐discursive approach to interpret the data, two higher order themes are presented: ‘the realization of new motherhood’ and ‘coping with new motherhood’. These themes demonstrate how unprepared for motherhood the women were and how their expectations were based on various myths of motherhood. This led to feelings of inadequacy as they struggled with the myth versus reality discrepancy. However, they could not be seen to be inadequate and therefore employed greater efforts to portray themselves as supermum, superwife, supereverything and hide the opposite. These findings are interpreted within the context of the social construction of femininity and how it is performed within motherhood. Implications for antenatal and postpartum care are discussed.
Drawing on data from a study of middle-class women undergoing the transition to motherhood, this paper critically examines the early 1990s' work of Giddens and Beck on self-identity. Parallels with the work of Giddens and Beck are drawn, but it is argued that more attention needs to be paid to gendered and embodied identity. Using discourse analysis, it is suggested that the women are `excused' from aspects of their identity in the process of pregnancy, but remain within the same regime of subjectification. Six dimensions of an altered sense of self are identified, and the discourses on which the women draw in maintaining a coherent sense of self are discussed. The concept of a refracted self is proposed as a means of theorsing these changes.
Psychosocial development in adulthood is viewed from several perspectives. Stage-specific crises in ego growth associated with different life cycle periods are addressed in terms of status measures expanding on Erikson's polar alternative resolutions (Erikson, 1959). The developmental linkages between these stages are discussed using these status measures, and development from one status to another within a particular psychosocial stage is examined. With respect to identity itself, the cyclical process that might describe identity re-formulation through the adult psychosocial stages is discussed and illustrated. Finally, 2 case studies are presented as examples of adult psychosocial development.
Mothering and motherhood are the subjects of a rapidly expanding body of literature. Considered in this decade review are two predominant streams in this work. One is the theorizing of mothering and motherhood and the other is the empirical study of the mothering experience. Conceptual developments have been propelled particularly by feminist scholarship, including the increasing attention to race and ethnic diversity and practices. The conceptualizations of the ideology of intensive mothering and of maternal practice are among the significant contributions. Study of mothering has focused attention on a wide array of specific topics and relationships among variables, including issues of maternal well-being, maternal satisfaction and distress, and employment.
examines the ways in which childcare manuals represent and discuss the experience of motherhood / consideration is given to the way 'motherhood' is constructed by the medical and psychological 'professionals,' looking in particular at the prescriptions attached to being a 'mother', how a 'good mother' should behave, the responsibilities she should fulfil and the aims she should have in mind as she brings up her children
the manuals examined in this study have been selected on the basis that they sell extensively in the UK [United Kingdom] and include some consideration of women as mothers rather than focusing purely on the child's development / the manuals selected for the study were: Gordon Bourne, "Pregnancy" (1979); Hugh Jolly, "Book of Child Care" (1986); Penelope Leach, "Baby and Child" (1988); the National Childbirth Trust, "Pregnancy and Parenthood" (1987); Benjamin Spock, "Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care" (1988, 40th edition); Penny Stanway, "The Mothercare Guide to Child Health" (1988); and Miriam Stoppard, "Baby Care Book" (1983) / a discourse analytic approach is used to examine the recurrent themes and constructions of motherhood in these manuals (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Results of factor analyses of personality have been inconsistent because of the use of different measures (ratings, behavior, questionnaires), biases of investigators, limited sampling of subjects and of aspects of personality, and varying naming of traits. The writer suggests that these difficulties may be overcome by a factor analysis of the entire 'sphere' of trait names, on the argument that these adequately represent personality. By grouping synonyms and opposites, Allport and Odbert's list of trait names was reduced to 150 categories, to which were added the names of 10 special abilities and 11 special interests. One hundred adults representative of the general population were each rated by an intimate as to whether the subject was above or below average on each trait. Tetrachoric correlations of the 171 traits were surveyed for clusters in which items intercorrelated above .45. Sixty such clusters are listed and interpretations deferred. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
26 of the author's papers, covering a period of 25 years (1931-1956), are collected in this volume and divided into 3 sections: emotional problems of child development, the impact of psychoanalytic concepts on pediatrics, the author's original contributions to psychoanalytic theory and practice. The 26 chapters deal with such subjects as: psychoses and child care, the antisocial tendency, pediatrics and childhood neurosis, appetite and emotional disorder, hate in the counter-transference, withdrawal and regression, aggression and emotional development. 89-item bibliography. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)