Experiences Of Mothers Research Articles

Disrupting hegemonic conceptions of parental engagement: Somali mothers’ (communal) pedagogies of quiet resistance

ABSTRACT This research draws on Intersectionality, Coloniality and Quiet Resistance (QR) to explore the experiences of working-class Somali immigrant mothers in an urban school in East London, UK. Particularly, the study explores communal pedagogies of resistance that Somali women engage in their mothering work. We do this by centering the stories and experiences of mothers with their children’s school. Our analysis shows three interrelated themes that characterize Somali mothers collective/individual forms of quiet resistance; a) for protecting self and children; b) for maintaining community life and dignity; c) and finally generational differences in how mothers enacted quiet resistance. Findings emphasize the importance of community knowledge in shaping Somali mothering pedagogies of resistance rooted in ethics of care. Finally, we discuss ways in which Somali mothering practices can contribute to deeper engagement with non-Western family knowledge and practices for research and practice.

Coming to Terms with Our Racecar Brains: Academic Mothers Experiencing Adult Diagnosis of ADHD

ABSTRACT This collaborative autoethnography explores the experiences of women academics and mothers who received late diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Due to the historical underdiagnosis of women, little research has focused on this specific demographic. We shed light on how ADHD presents in women, interweaving our stories with extant literature and emphasizing the need to understand this demographic’s experiences better. This piece discusses our process of seeking diagnosis and treatment, the communicative disenfranchisement we faced, and the stigma associated with ADHD. Our narratives highlight the generational impact of ADHD, with family members often sharing our diagnosis. Through divulging our experiences, we hope to contribute to the destigmatization of ADHD, particularly for women and academics.

Taking Сare of Family Members’ Health Provided by Women in Low-Resource Conditions

The article analyzes the practices of caring for the health of women from families with low socio-professional status. The study uses the analytical category of “care”, which is understood as a special type of household work aimed at maintaining and preserving one’s health and the health of family members. To analyze health practices, the concept of “health lifestyle”, developed in the sociology of medicine, is used. The empirical basis consists of 16 interviews conducted in St. Petersburg with women from families whose members do not have higher education and are employed in jobs with unfavorable working conditions (according to the informants). The study asked the question in what situations and how women belonging to this group take care of their health. Women with low socio-professional status, caring for loved ones, rarely seek medical help for themselves. Their attitude towards their own health can be described as instrumental. It was found that in the context of the experience of motherhood, the attitude towards health changes, it becomes more self-preserving, without losing its instrumentality, but in the interests of the child.

Experiences of young mothers with the uptake of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy: a cross-sectional study in the Lake endemic region, Kenya.

A substantial proportion of the world population is affected by malaria with 241 million malaria cases reported globally. Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) is an effective chemotherapy but its utilisation has not been optimised. Few studies focus on young mothers and their experiences regarding the optimal uptake of IPTp-SP. The study design was cross-sectional with data derived from six focus group discussions with mothers aged 15-24 years who had a pregnancy and gave birth to a live baby within the last two years in Kisumu and Migori counties, Kenya. Inductive analysis was used to identify themes and patterns. Young mothers were motivated to take IPTp-SP during pregnancy if they had prior knowledge about SP and its associated benefits and if they were knowledgeable about the consequences of malaria infection during pregnancy. Perceived side effects of SP, lack of awareness of SP as a malaria prevention therapy, lack of knowledge on the benefits of SP, dosage and frequency of uptake, poor communication by health providers towards young mothers, and inconsistent supply of SP at health facilities inhibited young mothers from attaining the recommended 3+ doses of IPTp-SP. There is a need for health literacy programmes that focus on increasing knowledge of IPTp-SP dosage, timing and benefits for both the young pregnant mother and her foetus. Community engagement through dialogue with mentor mothers and male partners will be an important complementary approach in establishing a support system for young women for positive health outcomes including attaining the recommended 3+ doses of IPTp-SP.

"I do my best to do right by her": Autistic motherhood and the experience of raising a non-autistic adolescent daughter.

Little is known about the parenting experiences of autistic mothers, especially those who have daughters who are not on the autism spectrum. In this study, we interviewed seven autistic mothers who have raised or are currently raising non-autistic teenage daughters. Mothers were asked to describe what parenting was/is like during their daughters' teenage years. We analyzed the transcripts of the interviews and found several common themes. Mothers described their relationships with their daughters to be loving, safe, and empathetic. Mothers described several strengths when it came to parenting, such as helping their daughters solve problems and using positive strategies to handle conflict with their daughters. Mothers also described challenges they faced when interacting with other non-autistic people and when trying to form relationships with them. Mothers tried to build their daughters' social skills so that they would not experience the same challenges. This study shows that autistic mothers have close, loving relationships with their non-autistic teenage daughters but have trouble forming relationships with other non-autistic people. It is, therefore, important that non-autistic parents are more understanding and welcoming of autistic mothers.

Stories from the “Pressure Cooker”: U.S. Women Navigating Motherhood and Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic

<i>The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the difficult juggling act women in the U.S. have to do between parenting their children and working outside the home. The pandemic has also led to a decline in maternal mental health, particularly among mothers with young children, mothers of color, and those with previous mental health issues. The authors noted these experiences in their own lives as mothers with children and observed them in the lives of the women around them. These observations informed the design of this narrative inquiry study, in which we used semi-structured interviews to explore mothers’ shifting ideas and experiences of mothering, work, and family life during a global pandemic. We used creative analytic practice (CAP) to compose reflexive researcher conversations around the interview data that enabled us to highlight nuances in the data, show more transparently our meaning-making, make visible our researcher subjectivities, show uncertainties about aspects of data interpretation, and create a more accessible data representation.</i>

The Experiences of Mothers Giving Birth with Tohu Danga's Assistance in Indragiri Hulu Regency

Tohu Danga are believed to be maternity assistants who care for women and infants before and after birth. This study aimed to explore the experiences of women in the Indragiri Hulu Regency who gave birth with the assistance of Tohu Danga. This study used a descriptive phenomenological approach with a total of 12 women. Participants were obtained by the snowball method until data saturation was reached. Data was collected through in-depth interviews. The Colaizzi analysis technique was used. The findings of this study generated six themes: (1) the significance of childbirth for women who give birth with Tohu Danga, (2) the context that determines the women's choice of birth attendant, (3) the cultural practice of Tohu Danga's birth aid, (4) the difficulty of the longer birth process, (5) the relationship between Tohu Danga birth care and traditional medicine, and (6) the positive and negative responses of women regarding the birth process with Tohu Danga. Nurses are forced to think critically when a woman's cultural practices can affect health and provide nursing care according to their patient’s cultural requirements.

Missed Opportunities for Addressing Maternal Mental Health: A Thematic Analysis of Mothers’ Experiences of Using the Well Child Tamariki Ora Service in Aotearoa NZ

Maternal mental health plays a vital role in the overall wellbeing of mothers, children, families, whānau (core support network) and communities. However, many mothers face mental health challenges during the transition to parenthood. In this study, we used an online story-sharing platform to collect the experiences of mothers who have faced unmet needs while using the Well Child Tamariki Ora (WCTO) service in Aotearoa New Zealand. From the 420 submitted stories, 125 stories related to mental health need while using the WCTO service. Using thematic analysis, we identified three main themes that highlighted the experiences of mothers with the service. This includes (1) making it seem that I’m coping: Mothers’ fear of being judged; (2) i wish I had connected with my WCTO nurse: Fostering meaningful relationships to facilitate personal information sharing; and (3) beyond the baby: Mothers desire for recognition and support during WCTO visits. These findings point to several missed opportunities for WCTO providers to inquire about mental health and offer support needed by mothers. To address this, a relational approach to care would prioritise families and whānau as the focus of care rather than just monitoring the development of babies.

Centering Mothers in Feminist Criminology: A Critical Review of Literature on Mothers of Victims and Offenders

This article reviews the literature on mothers of victims and mothers of offenders through a feminist criminological lens. Results of our analysis of 52 articles from a twenty-year period indicated that, though situated on opposite sides of the criminal justice system, aspects of the experiences of mothers of victims and offenders were similar. Specifically, the mothers shared perceived accountability for their offspring’s involvement in crime, the burden of care for their offspring, and the negotiation strategies they employed. Our analysis makes visible these mothers as a unique sub-category in the study of crime and proposes a matricentric feminist criminology model.

Measuring Women's Satisfaction with Childbirth: A Literature Review of Measurement Properties.

Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of the quality of care provided. Evaluating women's satisfaction with childbirth is essential to improving obstetric care and ensuring a positive experience for mothers and newborns. The tools used to measure women's satisfaction with childbirth are very heterogeneous and multidimensional. Assessment tools used in practice should be tested and meet characteristics that are consistently validated.The aim is to identify currently available instruments measuring women's satisfaction with childbirth and to evaluate their structure, content and psychometric properties. A systematic search for sources was carried out according to the criteria set. For the included studies, psychometric properties were assessed in accordance with the principles of the guideline for completing systematic reviews of patient-reported outcome measures, COSMIN. The review included 31 studies that reported the psychometric properties of six measurement instruments (questionnaires, scales). Content validity, structural validity, internal consistency, reliability and cross-cultural validity were assessed for the included studies. The Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ/CEQ2) and Birth Satisfaction Scale - Revised (BSS-R) were the most commonly used questionnaires in the studies. Thorough testing of tools measuring women's satisfaction with childbirth, and adapting them to cultural and social contexts, is still essential. It is crucial that valid and reliable questionnaires are available for midwives in practice, for use in research, to inform clinical practice and for the results to help develop the services offered.

The perceived mental health experiences and needs of postpartum mothers living in the United Arab Emirates : A focus group study

BackgroundAfter childbirth, mothers are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems including anxiety and depression, which often remain undetected and untreated. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), recent figures revealed a substantial prevalence of postpartum depression. However, postpartum mental health remains largely understudied in the country's clinical and research settings. Therefore, given the paucity of literature in the UAE and building upon previous epidemiological findings, this study aimed to explore the perceived mental health experiences and needs of mothers during the postpartum period to guide the development of targeted interventions that address mothers’ unique mental health challenges. MethodologyFour focus groups were conducted, involving a total of 27 Emirati and multicultural expatriate mothers aged 32.47 ± 4.56 years old, living in the UAE and within their first year postpartum. Descriptive interpretive thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. AnalysisSix themes were generated that capture the mothers postpartum experiences and mental health needs: (1) distinct postpartum experiences of primiparous and multiparous mothers, (2) experiences of emotional distress in the initial postpartum stage, (3) multifaceted challenges in breastfeeding, (4) multifactorial influences on postpartum mental health, (5) postpartum social support resources and providers, and (6) the need for formal and informal resources. ConclusionsThe findings highlight the importance of considering the unique cultural and societal factors that impact maternal mental health in the UAE, given its diverse population. A collaborative multidisciplinary approach, integrating culture sensitivity, is vital to address the mental health needs of postpartum mothers and to guide the development of tailored evidence-based interventions.

From Challenge to Success: Lived Experiences of Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

From Challenge to Success: Lived Experiences of Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Great Mother for Special Needs Children: A Qualitative Study of The Role of A Single Mother

The presence of children with special needs is a challenge faced by parents of children with special needs. Sometimes some families experience things that are not ideal, such as losing their husband's role and thus becoming a single mother. Challenges in parenting are often faced by single mothers with children with special needs. The aim of this research is to explore the experiences of single mothers who have children with disabilities in less than ideal family living conditions. The research method is qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The sample was selected using a purposive sampling technique with four participants and data collection using interviews and observation. Data analysis uses descriptive phenomenological method with presentation in the form of themes. The research results show several themes that combine the phenomena experienced by single mothers, namely loss of the role of husband, challenges in raising children, financial independence, negative environmental experiences, figure support, religious coping. The conclusion of the research is that the life journey of a single mother with special needs requires a difficult and long process starting from acceptance to positive adjustments in parenting patterns as well as interesting religious coping strategies and can be a model for other single mothers and increase self-esteem.

Unraveling reproductive and maternal health challenges of women living with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam: a qualitative study

BackgroundHuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a significant public health concern worldwide. Women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) have the additional and unique need to seek sexual and reproductive health services. WLHA’s maternal health journeys can be shaped by the cultural norms and resources that exist in their society. This study sought to understand if and how WLHA’s family planning, pregnancy, and motherhood experiences could be influenced by the patriarchal culture, gender roles, and HIV stigma in Vietnam, specifically.MethodsBetween December 2021 and March 2022, 30 WLHA with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and childbirth experiences were interviewed in Hanoi, Vietnam. These semi-structured interviews covered topics including HIV stigma, gender norms, pregnancy experiences, and child-rearing challenges. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analysed using ATLAS.ti.ResultsQualitative analyses of participant quotes revealed how limited information on one’s health prospects and reproductive options posed a significant challenge to family planning. Societal and familial expectations as well as economic circumstances also influenced reproductive decision-making. WLHA often encountered substandard healthcare during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Stigma and lack of provider attentiveness resulted in cases where women were denied pain relief and other medical services. Communication breakdowns resulted in failure to administer antiretroviral therapy for newborns. Motherhood for WLHA was shadowed by concerns for not only their own health, but also the wellbeing of their children, as HIV stigma affected their children at school and in society as well. Many WLHA highlighted the constructive or destructive role that family members could play in their childbirth decision-making and care-giving experiences.ConclusionsOverall, this study underscores the complex ways that cultural expectations, family support, and stigma in healthcare impact WLHA. Efforts to educate and engage families and healthcare providers are warranted to better understand and address the needs of WLHA, ultimately improving their reproductive and maternal health.

Lived Experiences of Single Mothers After Childbirth: Postpartum Depression (PPD) Stories

This qualitative study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyze single mothers' postpartum depression experiences. The study highlighted the problems participants faced as students and single mothers. Satellite campus students participated in the study. The researcher used purposive and snowball sampling to identify 15 teenage single mothers with one to three children. They weren't necessarily diagnosed or treated for PPD. Single mothers experience different postpartum depression symptoms. Insecurity, tearfulness, irritability, physical symptoms, self-blame, self-harm, unreasonableness, giving up, isolation, and suicidal ideations are symptoms experienced during postpartum depression. According to their stories, PPD symptoms could be a result of the abrupt changes in their life as new mothers. Emotion-focused coping, problem-focused coping, and religious coping were most commonly used by single mothers. Future research should investigate these coping methods. This study contributes a theoretical understanding of the postpartum depression experiences and coping mechanisms of single mothers.

Experience of Pregnant Mothers Suffering from Covid-19 during Pregnancy until Childbirth in Indonesia

The outbreak of COVID-19 becomes a pandemic with many psychological impacts on humans, the disease that attacks the respiratory system has a negative impact on health. The aim of this study was to find out how the experience of a pregnant mother who suffered from Covid-19 during pregnancy to childbirth, using qualitative methods this study took as many as 12 pregnant mothers suffering from COVID-19 during the pregnancies as participants to be interviewed with the age range of 25-36 years. The results of the in-depth interview were processed using the Collaizi and NVivo methods. The results obtained five themes, namely mother’s knowledge about the transmission of Covid-19, symptoms experienced when infected, emotional reactions of mothers during infection, changes in emotional responses during childbirth and still infected with COVID-19, as well as family responses in accompanying mothers who are going to give birth. The conclusion of the study was that the participants experienced the transmission of Covid-19 from the surrounding environment through both direct and indirect contact, and the symptoms that appeared vary from symptoms, fever, and loss of sensory function, a variety of feelings of fear, sadness, stress and distress but there are also those who have confidence. Feelings of concern and fear for themselves and their babies vulnerable to exposure to the virus, the response from the family when the participants were infected with COVID-19 generally provided both moral and material support, but there were also participants who did not get support and even stay away from the participants.

In Hospital Experiences of Mothers of Children with Major External Birth Defects During Hospitalisation at a Tertiary Hospital in South Western Uganda

Mothers are regarded as primary care givers and in many African countries, women are culturally held responsible for the child’s health. The birth of a child with birth defect (s) may have significant impact on mothers psychological, physical and socioeconomic well-being. The in hospital experience of mothers of children with birth defects has not been adequately explored and therefore not fully attended to especially in low resource settings. At Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), the medical care team often is more directed towards medical treatment and surgery of the child born with a birth defect with little or no focused psychosocial support to their mothers.  Objectives The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of mothers of children with major externally visible birth defects during their hospitalization at MRRH.  Method A phenomenological study with purposive sampling of 12 participants. The adjusted ecological model was used. Data was collected by self-report using unstructured face to face interviews until saturation was reached. Five themes emerged from the study which include: Negative emotional experience, acceptance of child’s condition, supportive part of the medical team despite some medical system challenges (like stock outs of medications and sundries, fewer staffs in the night) financial challenges and spiritual, family plus health team support were cope strategies.  Conclusion Mothers of children with major external birth defects were negatively affected especially, emotionally and financially. These mothers, therefore require psychosocial, financial and also spiritual support during their hospital stay at MRRH.

Stroking in early mother-infant exchanges: The role of maternal tactile biography and interoceptive sensibility.

Caress-like is a crucial component of caregiving and a key factor in mother-infant interactions. Mother's experience of touch during her own childhood (i.e., tactile biography) has been found to be related to maternal actual use of caress-like touch (i.e., stroking) during mother-infant exchanges. Evidence also suggests that maternal interoceptive sensibility (i.e., self-perceived sensitivity to inner-body sensations) might be related to sensitive caregiving abilities. However, further empirical investigation is needed to understand to what extent tactile biography and interoceptive sensibility have an impact on mothers' stroking when interacting with their infants. Using an online survey, this cross-sectional study explored the potential association between maternal tactile biography, interoceptive sensibility and use of touch for interaction with their own infants in a group of 377 Italian mothers (mean age = 33.29; SD = 4.79). We tested and compared a series of multivariate linear mediation models using maternal tactile biography as predictor, maternal use of affective touch as outcome variable and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) subscale scores as mediators. We found that, if a mother had positive touch experiences in her own childhood, she may be more likely to use touch in a positive and nurturing way with her own infant (i.e., stroking). Furthermore, mothers' interoceptive sensibility in the form of attention regulation, self-regulation and body listening mediates the association between their past experiences of positive touch and their use of caress-like touch in mother-infant exchanges. This study highlights that maternal tactile biography is directly associated with mothers' use of caress-like touch and indirectly linked to it through the mediating role of interoceptive sensibility.

Resisting stigma: the role of online communities in young mothers’ successful breastfeeding

BackgroundBreastfeeding initiation and continuation rates are shaped by complex and interrelated determinants across individual, interpersonal, community, organisational, and policy spheres. Young mothers, however, face a double burden of stigma, being perceived as immature and incompetent in their mothering and breastfeeding abilities. In this study, we aimed to understand the experiences of young mothers who exclusively breastfed for six months and beyond and explore their experiences of stigma and active resistance through social media.MethodsIn 2020, in-depth telephone interviews about breastfeeding experiences were conducted with 44 young mothers under age 25 in Aotearoa New Zealand who breastfed for six months or longer. Participants were recruited via social media. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.ResultsAnalysis yielded four themes on young mothers’ negotiation of breastfeeding and support. The first three themes revealed young mothers’ encounters with socio-cultural contexts. They faced negative judgments about maturity and competence, adverse guidance to supplement or cease breastfeeding, and an undermining of their breastfeeding efforts. The fourth theme showed how young mothers sought alternative support in online environments to avoid negative interactions. Online spaces provided anonymity, convenience, experiential knowledge and social connections with shared values. This facilitated identity strengthening, empowerment and stigma resistance.ConclusionOur research highlights the importance of online communities as a tool for young mothers to navigate and resist the societal stigmas surrounding breastfeeding. Online spaces can provide a unique structure that can help counteract the adverse effects of social and historical determinants on breastfeeding rates by fostering a sense of inclusion and support. These findings have implications for the development of breastfeeding promotion strategies for young mothers and highlight the potential of peer support in counteracting the negative impacts of stigma. The research also sheds light on the experiences of young mothers within the health professional relationship and the effects of stigma and cultural health capital on their engagement and withdrawal from services. Further research should examine how sociocultural barriers to breastfeeding stigmatise and marginalise young mothers and continue to reflect on their socio-political and economic positioning and how it can exacerbate inequities.

“Until I Had My Son, I Did Not Realise That These Characteristics Could Be Due to Autism”: Motherhood and Family Experiences of Spanish Autistic Mothers

“Until I Had My Son, I Did Not Realise That These Characteristics Could Be Due to Autism”: Motherhood and Family Experiences of Spanish Autistic Mothers