MOTHERING AND WOMEN’S HEALTH: I LOVE BEING A MOTHER BUT… THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO WORRY ABOUT

Abstract

Little about experiential aspects of motherhood and its consequences to the health of women appears in the nursing literature. Rather, the discourses on motherhood in the health literature tend to focus on bio-medical and scientific aspects, pregnancy and the perinatal period. Using a feminist story-telling approach, this paper draws on the experiences of 20 mothers of adolescent and adult children. Findings are grouped into the following themes: On being a mother: ‘unconditional love, and how love can really hurt’; adolescence: ‘a whole lot more to worry about’; ‘easy’ children and ‘hard’ children: ‘it’s been rear guard action the whole time’; mothers’ health: ‘just getting through each day’; and, seeking support: ‘does anyone really care?’. Findings provide new insights into the nature of mothering, and its perceived long term effects on women’s health and well being. Implications for women’s health and the provision of women’s health services are drawn from the findings.