The transition to motherhood: A phenomenological study of women's experiences as first-time mothers.

Abstract

The transition to motherhood is a transformative experience in a woman's life that has generated increasing interest as a subject of research. The majority of studies that have investigated the phenomenon of first time motherhood employ traditional research methods which tend to fragment the woman's lived experience of becoming and being a mother. Consequently, they provide little in-depth understanding of the meaning of new motherhood as lived by the woman. The present study explored the phenomenon of first time motherhood using a discovery oriented, phenomenological approach, which seeks to gain an in-depth understanding of the nature and meaning of phenomena as lived and experienced by human beings. The phenomenological method systematized by Giorgi (1985), and based on the phenomenological methods of both Husserl and Merleau-Ponty was used. Written and oral descriptions of four new mothers were analyzed and situated meaning structures as well as a general meaning structure of the phenomenon of becoming and being a mother were articulated. The findings of this study revealed the general meaning structure of new motherhood to include the following interrelated dimensions: (1) The emergence of a profoundly close and loving relationship with one's baby which includes a shared emotional world between the new mother and her baby, a deep and primordial need to protect her baby from harm, a sense of responsibility and commitment to care for her baby now and in the future, and feeling captivated by the very presence of her newborn; (2) Living with one's child as an enduring presence which includes a sense of responsibility and caring in the baby's presence as well as in his absence, experiencing her "self" as second to her baby, and a loss freedom for herself; (3) Experiencing an expanding horizon of interrelatedness that involves a new feeling of closeness in the mother's relationships with others, in particular with her spouse but also with other family members and new mothers generally, grounded in shared experience and mutual understanding.