CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 68Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumMaternal and Perinatal Health InterventionsMaternal and Neonatal Healthcare

Concept analysis of transition to motherhood: a methodological study

Open access
Hwang, Woon Young, Choi, Sun Yeob, An, Hae Jeong·2022·Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing
DOI 10.4069/kjwhn.2022.01.04PMC PMC9334210
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Purpose: Although the term “transition to motherhood” is commonly used in research, the concept is not clear. This study, hence, was conducted to clarify the concept of “transition to motherhood.”Methods: The concept analysis framework developed by Walker and Avant is used to analyze the concept of transition to motherhood.Results: Transition to motherhood is defined as the physical, psychological, social, and relational (mother-baby relationship/interpersonal relationship) changes that happen to a woman after pregnancy and delivery of a baby. The attributes of the transition to motherhood include: 1) adapting to physical changes after pregnancy and childbirth; 2) experiencing various psychological changes; 3) changing of her social perception from being a woman to someone’s mother; and 4) forming and developing a relationship with the newborn, adjusting priorities, and redefining the relationship between family and others. Meeting the newborn is regarded as an antecedent of the transition to motherhood. Redefining identity and physical image, ensuring mother’s well-being, maternal attachment, and confidence in the maternal role are regarded as consequences of the transition to motherhood. The concept was clarified by the presentation of model, borderline, and contrary cases.Conclusion: The significance of this study lies in the clarification of the concept of transition to motherhood and defining its attributes. It is recommended that tools be developed to measure transition to motherhood based on the results of this study. Furthermore, nurses and midwives can use study findings to better understand the concept of transition to motherhood in providing care and support to mothers who experience it.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.4069/kjwhn.2022.01.04

Cites

4 of 4 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • The history of nonspecific constructs often used to describe maternal psychology such as "transition to motherhood", "becoming a mother", "maternal role attainment", or "maternal identity formation" is conceptually fuzzy.

    “This conceptual “fuzziness” also extends into the history of nonspecific constructs often used to describe maternal psychology such as “transition to motherhood”, “becoming a mother”, “maternal role attainment”, or “maternal identity formation” (22).”

    From A critical need for the concept of matrescence in perinatal psychiatry (2024) · cites this paper as [22]

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 54

  1. [1]Miller T Making sense of motherhood: a narrative approach Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2005
  2. [3]van Vugt E Versteegh P “She gave me hope and lightened my heart”: The transition to motherhood among vulnerable (young) mothers Child Youth Serv Rev 2020 118 105318 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105318 · DOI
  3. [4]Razurel C Bruchon-Schweitzer M Dupanloup A Irion O Epiney M Stressful events, social support and coping strategies of primiparous women during the postpartum period: a qualitative study Midwifery 2011 27 2 237 242 10.1016/j.midw.2009.06.005 19783333 · DOI
  4. [5]Rubin R Maternal identity and the maternal experience New York, NY Springer Publishing 1984 242
  5. [7]Fouquier KF The concept of motherhood among three generations of African American women J Nurs Scholarsh 2011 43 2 145 153 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011.01394.x 21605318 · DOI
  6. [8]Uriko K Dialogical self and the changing body during the transition to motherhood J Constr Psychol 2019 32 3 221 235 10.1080/10720537.2018.1472048 · DOI
  7. [9]Yopo Díaz M Enacting motherhood: time and social change in Chile J Gend Stud 2018 27 4 411 427 10.1080/09589236.2016.1223619 · DOI
  8. [10]Spector M Cinamon RG Identity exploration during the transition to motherhood: facilitating factors and outcomes Career Dev Int 2017 22 7 829 843 10.1108/CDI-01-2017-0021 · DOI
  9. [11]Wu WR Hung CH First-time mothers psychiatric health status during the transition to motherhood Community Ment Health J 2016 52 8 937 943 10.1007/s10597-015-9892-2 25986393 · DOI
  10. [12]Tekavc J Wylleman P Cecić Erpič S Becoming a mother-athlete: female athletes’ transition to motherhood in Slovenia Sport Soc 2020 23 4 734 750 10.1080/17430437.2020.1720200 · DOI
  11. [13]Bartlett A Babydaze: maternal time Time Soc 2010 19 1 120 132 10.1177/0961463X09354419 · DOI
  12. [15]Talmon A Finzi-Dottan R Ginzburg K “I will love you (me) forever”—a longitudinal study of narcissism and emotional adjustment during the transition to motherhood Personal Disord 2021 12 6 534 545 10.1037/per0000442 33030948 · DOI
  13. [16]Müller D Teismann T Hirschfeld G Zmyj N Fuths S Vocks S The course of maternal repetitive negative thinking at the transition to motherhood and early mother-infant interactions: is there a link? Dev Psychopathol 2019 31 4 1411 1421 10.1017/S0954579418000883 30585563 · DOI
  14. [17]Isosävi S Flykt M Belt R Posa T Kuittinen S Puura K Attachment representations among substance-abusing women in transition to motherhood: implications for prenatal emotions and mother-infant interaction Attach Hum Dev 2016 18 4 391 417 10.1080/14616734.2016.1151904 26978721 · DOI
  15. [18]Meleis AI Sawyer LM Im EO Hilfinger Messias DK Schumacher K Experiencing transitions: an emerging middle-range theory ANS Adv Nurs Sci 2000 23 1 12 28 10.1097/00012272-200009000-00006 10970036 · DOI
  16. [19]Lee MJ Kim MJ Concept analysis of volition for health behavior practice in patients with chronic disease J Korean Acad Nurs 2016 46 5 687 696 10.4040/jkan.2016.46.5.687 27857012 · DOI
  17. [20]Walker LO Avant KC Strategies for theory construction in nursing 6th ed New York, NY Pearson/Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River 2019 251
  18. [21]Bell AF Erickson EN Carter CS Beyond labor: the role of natural and synthetic oxytocin in the transition to motherhood J Midwifery Womens Health 2014 59 1 35 108 10.1111/jmwh.12101 24472136 PMC3947469 · DOI
  19. [22]Camberis AL McMahon CA Gibson FL Boivin J Age, psychological maturity, and the transition to motherhood among English-speaking Australian women in a metropolitan area Dev Psychol 2014 50 8 2154 2164 10.1037/a0037301 25069055 · DOI
  20. [23]Shin HJ Maternal transition in mothers with high risk newborns J Korean Acad Nurs 2004 34 2 243 251 10.4040/jkan.2004.34.2.243 15314319 · DOI
  21. [24]Erfina E Widyawati W McKenna L Reisenhofer S Ismail D Exploring Indonesian adolescent women's healthcare needs as they transition to motherhood: a qualitative study Women Birth 2019 32 6 e544 e551 10.1016/j.wombi.2019.02.007 30928175 · DOI
  22. [25]Aber C Weiss M Fawcett J Contemporary women's adaptation to motherhood: the first 3 to 6 weeks postpartum Nurs Sci Q 2013 26 4 344 351 10.1177/0894318413500345 24085672 · DOI
  23. [26]Lawler D Begley C Lalor J (Re)constructing myself: the process of transition to motherhood for women with a disability J Adv Nurs 2015 71 7 1672 1683 10.1111/jan.12635 25691270 · DOI
  24. [27]Talmon A Shaham Salomon N Ginzburg K Differentiation of the self and the body and adjustment to motherhood: a latent class analysis J Affect Disord 2020 276 287 296 10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.093 32697711 · DOI
  25. [29]Talmon A Horovitz M Shabat N Haramati OS Ginzburg K "Neglected moms" - the implications of emotional neglect in childhood for the transition to motherhood Child Abuse Negl 2019 88 445 454 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.12.021 30623819 · DOI
  26. [30]Taubman-Ben-Ari O Shlomo SB Sivan E Dolizki M The transition to motherhood: a time for growth J Soc Clin Psychol 2009 28 8 943 970 10.1521/jscp.2009.28.8.943 · DOI
  27. [31]Fontenot HB Transition and adaptation to adoptive motherhood J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2007 36 2 175 182 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2007.00134.x 17371522 · DOI
  28. [32]Spinelli M Frigerio A Montali L Fasolo M Spada MS Mangili G 'I still have difficulties feeling like a mother': The transition to motherhood of preterm infants mothers Psychol Health 2016 31 2 184 204 10.108f0/08870446.2015.1088015 26359768
  29. [33]Missal B Gulf Arab women's transition to motherhood J Cult Divers 2013 20 4 170 176 24575592
  30. [34]Holden L Hockey R Ware RS Lee C Mental health-related quality of life and the timing of motherhood: a 16-year longitudinal study of a national cohort of young Australian women Quality of Life Research 2018 27 4 923 935 10.1007/s11136-018-1786-7 29340901 · DOI
  31. [35]Darvill R Skirton H & Farrand P Psychological factors that impact on women's experiences of first-time motherhood: a qualitative study of the transition Midwifery 2010 26 3 357 366 10.1016/j.midw.2008.07.006 18783860 · DOI
  32. [36]Churchill AC Davis CG Realistic orientation and the transition to motherhood J Soc Clin Psychol 2010 29 1 39 67 10.1521/jscp.2010.29.1.39 · DOI
  33. [37]Nelson AM Transition to motherhood J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2003 32 4 465 477 10.1177/0884217503255199 12903696 · DOI
  34. [38]Millward LJ The transition to motherhood in an organizational context: An interpretative phenomenological analysis J Occup Organ Psych 2006 79 3 315 333 10.1348/096317906X110322 · DOI
  35. [39]Lee SC Keith PM The transition to motherhood of Korean women J Comp Fam Stud 1999 30 3 453 470 10.3138/jcfs.30.3.453 · DOI
  36. [40]Cambridge University Press. Cambridge Dictionary [Internet]. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; c2022 [cited 2021 Apr 21]. Available from: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
  37. [41]Sevón E Timing motherhood: experiencing and narrating the choice to become a mother Fem Psychol 2005 15 4 461 482 10.1177/0959-353505057619 · DOI
  38. [42]Pridham KF Lytton D Chang AS Rutledge D Early postpartum transition: progress in maternal identity and role attainment Res Nurs Health 1991 14 1 21 31 10.1002/nur.4770140105 2017579 · DOI
  39. [43]Parratt JA Fahy KM A feminist critique of foundational nursing research and theory on transition to motherhood Midwifery 2011 27 4 445 451 10.1016/j.midw.2010.02.012 20472333 · DOI
  40. [44]Mercer RT Nursing support of the process of becoming a mother J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2006 35 5 649 651 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2006.00086.x 16958722 · DOI
  41. [45]Mercer RT Becoming a mother versus maternal role attainment J Nurs Scholarsh 2004 36 3 226 232 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2004.04042.x 15495491 · DOI
  42. [46]Roy C Whetsell MV Frederickson K The Roy adaptation model and research Nurs Sci Q 2009 22 3 209 211 10.1177/0894318409338692 19694080 · DOI
  43. [47]Lowdermilk DL Cashion MC Perry S Alden K Olshansky E Maternity and women’s health care 10th ed Edinburgh Elsevier Mosby 2012
  44. [48]O’Reilly A Twenty-first century motherhood: experience, identity, policy, agency New York, NY Columbia University Press 2010
  45. [51]Kim AR Tak YR Maternal role development in neonatal intensive care unit graduate mothers of premature infant Korean J Women Health Nurs 2015 21 4 308 320 10.4069/kjwhn.2015.21.4.308 37684834 · DOI
  46. [52]Laakso ML Poikkeus AM Eklund K Lyytinen P Social interactional behaviors and symbolic play competence as predictors of language development and their associations with maternal attention-directing strategies Infant Behav Dev 1999 22 4 541 556 https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1016/S0163-6383(00)00022-9 · DOI
  47. [53]Izard CE Human emotions Boston, MA Springer 1977
  48. [54]Behringer J Reiner I Spangler G Maternal representations of past and current attachment relationships, and emotional experience across the transition to motherhood: a longitudinal study J Fam Psychol 2011 25 2 210 219 10.1037/a0023083 21480701 · DOI
  49. [55]Mortazavi F Chaman R Mousavi SA Khosravi A Ajami ME Maternal psychological state during the transition to motherhood: a longitudinal study Asia Pac Psychiatry 2013 5 2 E49 E57 10.1111/appy.12075 23857812 · DOI
  50. [56]Goldberg DP Hillier VF A scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire Psychol Med 1979 9 1 139 145 10.1017/s0033291700021644 424481 · DOI
  51. [57]Rousou E Kouta C Middleton N Karanikola M Mental health among single mothers in Cyprus: a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study BMC Womens Health 2019 19 1 67 10.1186/s12905-019-0763-9 31096963 PMC6524274 · DOI
  52. [58]Muller ME Development of the Prenatal Attachment Inventory West J Nurs Res 1993 15 2 199 215 10.1177/019394599301500205 8470375 · DOI
  53. [59]Busonera A Cataudella S Lampis J Tommasi M Zavattini GC Prenatal Attachment Inventory: expanding the reliability and validity evidence using a sample of Italian women J Reprod Infant Psychol 2017 35 5 462 479 10.1080/02646838.2017.1349896 29517386 · DOI
  54. [60]Zdolska-Wawrzkiewicz A Bidzan M Chrzan-Dętkoś M Pizuńska D The dynamics of becoming a mother during pregnancy and after childbirth Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 17 1 57 10.3390/ijerph17010057 PMC6982180 31861696 · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Hwang, W. Y., Choi, S. Y., & An, H. J.
Affiliations
Ewha Womans University (KR)
Corresponding author
An, Hae Jeong
ORCID
Venue
Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing
Publisher
Korean Society of Women Health Nursing
Published
2022-03-31
Volume
28
Issue
1
Pages
8-17
ISSN
  • 1225-9543 (ISSN-L)
  • 2287-1640
  • 2093-7695
DOI
10.4069/kjwhn.2022.01.04
PMC
PMC9334210
OpenAlex
W4220775818
Cited by
68
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 6
FWCI
2.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Korean journal of women health nursing/Yeoseong geon'gang ganho hag'hoeji/Yeoseong geon-gang ganho hakoeji (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
Keywords
transition to motherhood, conceptual analysis, postpartum women, mother-infant relationship, maternal identity, maternal attachment

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review