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Becoming a mother — an analysis of women's experience of early motherhood
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a qualitative study conducted by midwife researchers into women's experience of new motherhood. Data were collected using focus groups involving 55 first‐time mothers and analysed using grounded theory method. The analysis produced six categories: ‘realizing’, ‘unready’, ‘drained’, ‘aloneness’, ‘loss’ and ‘working it out’. The core category, ‘becoming a mother’, integrates all other categories and encapsulates the process of change experienced by women. Also explained are factors mediating the often distressing experience of becoming a mother. The analysis provides a conceptualization of early motherhood enabling the development of strategies for midwives, nurses and others helping women negotiate this challenge.
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“Despite increased levels of stress as a result of physiological, emotional and economical demands from the baby (1)”
From Neuroendocrinology of Parental Response to Baby‐Cry (2011) · cites this paper as [1]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Barclay, L., Everitt, L., Rogan, F., Schmied, V., & Wyllie, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Technology Sydney (AU)
- St George Hospital (AU)
- Venue
- Journal of Advanced Nursing
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1997-04
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 719-728
- ISSN
- 0309-2402 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2648
- OpenAlex
- W1990811317
- Cited by
- 324
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 5.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Advanced Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Keywords
- early motherhood, primiparous women, maternal experience, transition to motherhood, maternal distress, maternal exhaustion, loss, midwifery practice
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Fatigue, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, New South Wales, Psychological Theory, Social Isolation, Social Support, Focus Groups
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