scholarly journals First time mothers’ expectations and experiences of postnatal care in England: a longitudinal qualitative descriptive study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny McLeish ◽  
Merryl Harvey ◽  
Maggie Redshaw ◽  
Jane Henderson ◽  
Reem Malouf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postnatal Care ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Birth Centres ◽  
First Time ◽  
High Support

Abstract Background: Effective postnatal care can support a safe and confident transition to parenthood, but it is the aspect of maternity care with which women in England are least satisfied. Little is known about first time mothers’ expectations of postnatal care in hospitals, in birth centres and in the community, or how these expectations relate to their subsequent experiences and appraisal of care.Methods: A longitudinal qualitative descriptive study, based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with first time mothers in England. Each mother took part in two interviews: the first in her third trimester of pregnancy, and the second when her baby was 2-3 months old. Interview transcripts were analysed using trajectory analysis to identify thematic patterns in the relationships between postnatal care expectations, needs, experiences and confidence. Individual cases were chosen to illustrate each trajectory and the variation within trajectories.Results: 32 women took part. Expectations of postnatal care did not shape their appraisal of care as actually experienced. Instead the main influence on satisfaction with care and self-described parental confidence was the extent to which their actual postnatal needs for support were met. Five trajectories were identified: (1) ‘Low needs, low support, confident’, (2) ‘High needs, high support, confident’, (3) ‘High needs, low support, not confident’, (4) ‘High needs, high support, additional risk factors, not confident’, (5) ‘High needs, low support, additional protective factors, confident’.Conclusions: Longitudinal qualitative research using trajectory analysis is a useful and feasible method of exploring expectations and subsequent experiences in the perinatal period. First time mothers’ satisfaction with postnatal care and their confidence as new mothers were primarily influenced not by the extent to which their expectations were met, but the varied extent to which their postnatal needs were met. Rapid and responsive assessment of needs both antenatally and postnatally, and appropriate adjustment of care, is key in supporting women effectively at this time. Providing tailored information on postnatal care, self-care and transition to parenthood during pregnancy may facilitate improvements in women’s experiences of care after birth in the hospital and community.

scholarly journals First-Time Mothers’ Expectations and Experiences of Postnatal Care in England

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1876-1887
Author(s):  
Jenny McLeish ◽  
Merryl Harvey ◽  
Maggie Redshaw ◽  
Jane Henderson ◽  
Reem Malouf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maternity Care ◽  
Postnatal Care ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
First Time ◽  
In Pregnancy

Postnatal care is the aspect of maternity care with which women in England are least satisfied. Little is known about first-time mothers’ expectations of postnatal care, or how these expectations relate to their experiences and appraisal of care. Thirty-two first-time mothers took part in a longitudinal qualitative descriptive study, based on two semi-structured interviews—the first in pregnancy, and the second 2 to 3 months after birth. Trajectory analysis was used to identify the thematic patterns in the relationships between postnatal care expectations, needs, experiences, and confidence. Five trajectories were identified, showing that mothers’ satisfaction with postnatal care and confidence were primarily influenced not by the extent to which their expectations were met but the varied extent to which their individual postnatal needs were met. Rapid and responsive assessment of needs both antenatally and postnatally, and appropriate adjustment of care, is key in supporting women effectively at this time.

Is it me or you? First-time mothers’ attributions for postpartum sexual concerns are associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction in the transition to parenthood

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Vannier ◽  
Kaitlyn E. Adare ◽  
Natalie O. Rosen
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Sexual Functioning ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Sexual Concerns ◽  
First Time

Most first-time mothers experience a decline in both their sexual and relationship satisfaction from prepregnancy, which has negative consequences for the couple and their family. Prior studies have begun to identify risk and protective factors (e.g., empathy) for postpartum sexual and relationship satisfaction. Causal attributions for postpartum sexual concerns may be important because a specific cause can be difficult to pinpoint given the wide range of postpartum sexual problems among first-time parents. In the current study, 120 first-time mothers (3–12 months postpartum) completed validated measures assessing attributions for postpartum sexual concerns, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction. Attributions were measured on four dimensions: internal/external (i.e., is the sexual concern due to the self or the situation), stable/unstable (i.e., will the cause of the concern occur again in the future), global/specific (i.e., will the cause of the concern affect other situations), and partner responsibility (i.e., is the partner the cause). When new mothers reported more stable and partner attributions for postpartum sexual concerns, they were less sexually satisfied, and when they attributed greater responsibility for sexual concerns to their partners, they were less satisfied with their overall relationship. These associations remained significant after controlling for potential challenges that may also impact sexual and relationship satisfaction during this period (i.e., breastfeeding, sexual frequency, depressive symptoms, fatigue, sexual functioning). As postpartum sexual concerns are common, attributions for these changes may be a valuable target for interventions aimed at strengthening the intimate relationships of women making the transition to parenthood.

Barriers to first time parent groups: A qualitative descriptive study

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 464-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norma Barrett ◽  
Lisa Hanna ◽  
Owen Vincent Fitzpatrick
Keyword(s):  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Parent Groups ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
First Time

First-Time Mothers: For Vaccine Questions, Consult Your Peers on Facebook

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Bradshaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Childhood Vaccine ◽  
First Time

Despite numerous scientific studies affirming the safety and efficacy of vaccinations, decreased parental uptake has led in part to disease resurgence in the United States (Ventola, 2016). A systematic review of 42 studies revealed that exemption rates for vaccination requirements to enter public schools or daycares have been increasing and occur in geographic“clusters,” where vaccination rates fall dangerously below the national average (Wang, Clymer, Davis-Hayes, & Buttenheim, 2014). At the transition to parenthood, mothers rely on Facebook with increased intensity for health information-seeking purposes. In a rejection of the health information deficit model, the purpose of this study was to propose a conceptual model which describes how first-time mothers’ dependence on Facebook may lead to childhood vaccine avoidance, in accordance with social network theory. A model is presented and propositions are offered to explain why discerning first-time mothers, who are consistently more vaccine hesitant, may seek and rely on information from peers in closed Facebook groups rather than from health professionals. While research has separately explored both vaccine hesitancy and social network utilization for health information seeking, no conceptual model to date has linked these concepts with first-time mothers’ childhood vaccine avoidance. Published research supports the constructs included in the proposed causal pathway, and this “Maternal Facebook Dependence-Childhood Vaccine Avoidance Model” will act as a springboard for advancement in operationalization of this complex relational construct.

‘My life has changed, but his life hasn’t’: Making sense of the gendering of parenthood during the transition to motherhood

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eija Sevón
Keyword(s):  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Cultural Narratives ◽  
Biographical Disruption ◽  
Intensive Mothering ◽  
Narrative Study ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Shared Parenting ◽  
First Time ◽  
Smooth Transformation

A narrative approach to the study of the gendered nature of parenting acknowledges that different kinds of cultural narratives surround the couple relationship and parenting. This narrative study illustrates the process of the gendering of parenthood from the points of view of seven Finnish first-time mothers. The data were obtained from 28 in-depth longitudinal interviews. Two main narratives were found: a turbulent transformation and a smooth transformation narrative. The turbulent transformation narrative demonstrates how the transition to parenthood may lead to biographical disruption in first-time mothers’ lives. The contradictory cultural narratives of intensive mothering and shared parenthood created ambivalence in the women’s identifications with motherhood and negotiation of parenthood with their partner. For these women, traditional, gendered narratives supported narrative reorientation and the construction of a coherent identity as a mother and as a partner for the women. The smooth transformation narrative, in turn, showed that willingness and effort are required from both parties of the couple in order to depart from intensive mothering and to achieve shared parenting.

scholarly journals Satisfaction with Life, Emotions, and Identity Processes in Polish First-Time Mothers and Fathers and Their Child’s Age

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 799
Author(s):  
Hanna Liberska ◽  
Monika Deja
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Mothers And Fathers ◽  
Identity Processes ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
First Time

The experiences of women regarding conception, the birth of the first child, and care of an infant in the perinatal period have long attracted the attention of researchers, but the knowledge about the experiences of men entering the role of fathers for the first time is still insufficient. The aim of the research was to identify the level of satisfaction with life, emotions and identity formation of first-time parents depending on the gender and age of the child. Seventy-five pairs of Polish first-time parents participated in the study. The research used the SUPIN scale (Polish adaptation of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Dimension of Identity Development Scale (DIDS), and a questionnaire prepared by the authors. On the basis of the conducted research, it can be concluded that there is a similarity of satisfaction with life, experienced emotions, and identity processes of first-time mothers and fathers, as well as the importance of the child’s age for the specificity of developmental changes in women and men. Understanding development changes which include identity, emotional functioning, and life satisfaction of first-time parents can provide bases for creating supporting programs in the case that problems in undertaking the role of a parent emerge.

scholarly journals A qualitative study on perceptions of first time mothers about breastfeeding

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 1457
Author(s):  
Kanai Lal Barik ◽  
Uttam Kumar Paul
Keyword(s):  
Breast Milk ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Middle Part ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
First Time ◽  
Depth Interviews

Background: Breastfeeding is the easiest, cost effective and most successful intervention and the most effective life-saving interventions for the health of the newborn. In spite of profound beneficial effects of breast milk, breastfeeding rates in India are abnormally low. There is lack of qualitative data regarding breastfeeding in India. So, we have planned to assess the perceptions of first time mothers about breastfeeding at this middle part of Bengal.Methods: The study was conducted in the Pediatric department of Burdwan Medical College, Burdwan, West Bengal. The study was one of qualitative descriptive types involving in depth interviews (IDI) of 21 first time mothers. The interviews were translated into English transcripts which were then analysed to find out suitable codes and categories.Results: The results of the in-depth interviews of the 21 first time mothers could be divided into seven categories and each of which is further divided into several codes. The categories are:   Reaction of mother, inadequate breast milk, breast milk causing ailments of the baby, erroneous idea about breastfeeding, lack of time, lack of privacy and breast milk is best for my baby.Conclusions: In this present study we have applied qualitative in-depth interview approach and able to find out different reasons of non-continuation of breastfeeding among the first-time mothers. Though they have to face challenges regarding continuation of breastfeeding but most of them felt that breastfeeding is best for their baby.

Transition to parenthood programmes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Barlow
Keyword(s):  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Developmental Period ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Life Chances ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
First Time

For first-time parents, the ‘transition to parenthood’ is a significant period, not only in terms of changes for the parents and the related stress that such changes may involve, but also in terms of the needs of the unborn/newborn baby. This reflects the fact that the perinatal period is now recognized to be a ‘sensitive’ developmental period in terms of the baby’s neurodevelopment and thereby a significant window of opportunity to equalize the life chances of all children. This chapter examines some of the key changes that can occur during the ‘transition to parenthood’ and the potential impact in terms of long-term well-being of the infant and child. Innovative and evidence-based methods of working to support the couple in the transition to parenthood are described, and the effectiveness of such programmes reviewed in terms of both parental and infant well-being.

scholarly journals Content and Themes of Repetitive Thinking in Postnatal First-Time Mothers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill M. Newby ◽  
Aliza Werner-Seidler ◽  
Melissa J. Black ◽  
Colette R. Hirsch ◽  
Michelle L. Moulds
Keyword(s):  
Online Community ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Repetitive Thinking ◽  
First Time Mothers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Repetitive thinking (RT) predicts and maintains depression and anxiety, yet the role of RT in the perinatal context has been under-researched. Further, the content and themes that emerge during RT in the perinatal period have been minimally investigated. We recruited an online community sample of women who had their first baby within the past 12 months (n = 236). Participants completed a battery of self-report questionnaires which included four open-ended questions about the content of their RT. Responses to the latter were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Participants reported RT about a range of unexpected emotional responses to becoming a new mother, impact on their sleep and cognitive functioning, as well as the impact on their identity, sense of self, lifestyle, achievements, and ability to function. RT was commonly experienced in first-time mothers, and the themes that emerged conveyed an overall sense of discrepancy between expectations and reality, as well as adjustment to profound change. By providing insight into the content of RT in new mothers, the findings of our study have scope to inform the content of interventions that seek to prevent and treat postnatal mental health problems, particularly those which target key psychological processes such as RT.

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