Abstract
Motherhood is often a desirable state and frequently results in excitement and happiness associated with expectations of the coming of a new family member. On the other hand, it involves uncertainty related to responsibility and vulnerability which may result in negative experiences. A combination of positive and negative experiences constitutes maternal ambivalence which arises from the contradictory nature of motherhood represented by opposing feelings and emotions. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to explore women’s experiences of motherhood using focus group discussions. Participants were drawn from randomly selected health facilities within Lusaka province. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and involved identifying themes on women’s construction of motherhood. Women constructed motherhood as an ambivalent experience given that both positive and negative experiences occurred simultaneously. The positive experiences reported by mothers included a sense of prestige, future investment and cementing of marital relation that accompanied the birth of a child, while negative experiences include vulnerability to diseases like HIV, diminishing social support and compromised decision making powers. The occurrence of both positive and negative experiences in the same woman underscores the complexity of motherhood. Maternal ambivalence therefore should be held as a normal component of the processes and experiences of motherhood. Key words: Ambivalence, antenatal, postnatal, motherhood, experiences.
Highlights
Becoming a mother is a multi-dimensional process that is not entirely rational (Sevon, 2005)
Results from Green and Kafetsios (1997) show that motherhood can be a positive experience for most women, with two-thirds of the participants giving a maximum score for enjoying looking after their babies, 79 percent for being proud of being mothers while 72 percent did not have any disappointments about motherhood
Positive experience about motherhood have been reported even among mothers who had their first pregnancy as teenagers (Seamark and Lings, 2004)
Summary
Becoming a mother is a multi-dimensional process that is not entirely rational (Sevon, 2005). For Sevon (2005), pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood as a whole alter a woman’s life. From the Zambian perspective, Maimbolwa (2004) asserts that becoming a mother is a life event for a woman, which marks a turning point in an individual’s life. In a traditional Zambian setting, the entire responsibility of child care vis-à-vis hygiene, feeding, cuddling lies on the mother and other female members of the household, with very limited or no participation of the father. Motherhood is often a desirable state and frequently results in excitement and happiness associated with expectations of the coming of a new family member, on the other hand, early.
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