BECOMING A MOTHER: THE TRANSITION TO MOTHERHOOD IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S ZIKORA

In patriarchal society, motherhood is viewed as a responsibility for women although not all are willing or able to carry it on. To become a mother, a woman has to experience a challenging phase in life and ready to sacrifice everything they have. Feminist critics see motherhood as a complex issue operating patriarchal institution that regulates, dominates, and oppresses women. What is more, some women are not ready with the consequences during the transition to motherhood and bear the status of becoming a mother that often results in having a hard time. To bring this issue into discussion, this study is going to explore the crises that Zikora has to undergo in her transition to become a mother. Zikora is the protagonist in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's short story, Zikora. In analyzing the issue, this study applies the theory of motherhood by Andrienne Rich and uses a qualitative approach with a close reading method. The result of the study shows that motherhood brings women to a new world full of challenges. Motherhood requires not only physical strenght but also mental strenght and self control so that whatever the crises are, women can bear them and overcome the obstacles they are facing.

The Role of Maternal Self-efficacy in the Link Between Childhood Maltreatment and Maternal Stress During Transition to Motherhood

The transition to motherhood is a significant developmental milestone in many women’s lives. This transitional period may be more stressful for women with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) than for women without such a history. This study tested whether parental self-efficacy (PSE) accounts for the link between CM and parental stress in mothers transitioning to motherhood. The study used a convenience sample of 1,306 first-time mothers of children aged two years or younger. Mothers filled out online self-report questionnaires assessing history of CM, PSE, and prenatal stress. Consistent with the hypotheses, exposure to CM was directly associated with greater parental stress. Also, PSE partially mediated the associations between CM and parental stress, such that mothers with a history of childhood abuse reported a lower level of PSE, which in turn was associated with greater parental stress. In conclusion, the study highlights the important role of negative cognitions related to parenting for maternal dysfunction following exposure to childhood abuse. These findings suggest a need to incorporate preventive interventions designed to promote PSE for mothers exposed to CM. Such programs may alleviate parental stress and further support the healthy development of the child.

Transition of Roles Change of Motherhood in Women

Being a mother is an extraordinary experience for women. The transition to changing the role of being a mother is a process that a mother must go through in achieving her maternal identity. The purpose of this paper is to determine the transition from changing the role of being a mother to women. This type of writing is a narrative literature review, conducted in June-November 2020. Data was collected through the PubMed digital library, Science Direct and Google Scholar using inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data analysis was done qualitatively. The analysis was carried out on 19 research articles. The results of the paper show three main themes, namely motherhood, transition to motherhood in working and unemployed mothers, and the role of midwives in supporting the role transition process. The transition process of changing the role of motherhood to both working and non-working mothers, namely experiencing feelings of inadequacy, feeling alone, losing, then being able to realize, make adjustments and perform these roles. Midwives must provide care according to client needs

Affective-Semiotic Dynamics of the Transition to Motherhood in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The transition to motherhood is an important moment in the life course, in which symbolic interactive dynamics are established between self, other, and world to overcome developmental challenges. However, these challenges are intensified with the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a radical and unexpected rupture in daily life. This article aims to analyze the affective-semiotic dynamics of Brazilian women who experienced the transition to motherhood during the COVID-19 pandemic from a qualitative multiple case study. Eight women participated in the study in the city of Salvador. Data were collected from two narrative interviews with each participant conducted through videoconference, with a 2-month interval between interviews. The main finding reveals that the emergence of the pandemic was described by the participants as an unexpected and significant rupture in the transition to motherhood that raised feelings of fear and anxiety. In addition, I–other relations were marked by intense ambivalence between the need for social support and the risk of contagion, and the perspective and experience of childbirth were marked by a feeling of insecurity in the relations with the health personnel and settings. In light of Semiotic Cultural Psychology, three interdependent affective-semiotic fields were highlighted from the narratives: the perception of oneself regulated by the sign of vulnerability, the other regulated by the sign of a potential threat, and healthcare provision regulated by the sign of risk. These findings highlight the importance of quality healthcare that helps women to reduce the disruptive impact of the pandemic on the ontogenetic structure of psychological organization.

In This Issue—The Impact of Birth Physiology on the Transition to Motherhood

In this column, the associate editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses the impact of birth physiology on the transition to motherhood. The associate editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.