Care Work and Academic Motherhood: Challenges for Research and Tenure in the Canadian University

In Canada, women are earning an increasing number of doctoral degrees; yet, they are less likely to secure a tenure-track position. A feminist thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 20 academic mothers from two Canadian universities reveals the range of challenges that mothers encounter in relation to care on the tenure-track. First, the theme of “fear of post-partum academic erasure” captured faculty mothers’ experiences of feeling compelled to assert their physical and intellectual presence in post-partum during peak periods of infant care. The second theme, “the mommy tenure track and care choices,” encapsulated academic mothers’ experiences of feeling unsupported by the university in their pursuit of promotion and tenure given care responsibilities associated with motherhood. The final theme, “research while caring,” captured the tensions academic mothers experience between the research process and caring. The findings of this research are particularly relevant in a pandemic and post-pandemic environment, where academic mothers have seen their care work swell to unprecedented proportions.

Mothers Caring for Adult Children With Substance Use Disorder: Understanding Lived Experience

Background Most persons with substance use disorder (SUD) live in family settings. In the absence of adequate mental health services, mothers are often called upon to provide care for their adult children with SUD. Despite positive outcomes such as decreased rates of hospitalization associated with family involvement, mothers are often stigmatized within the health care systems as contributors to trauma and/or family dysfunction. Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore mothers’ lived experience of caring for adult children with SUD. Method Guided by critical feminist theory, this study used interpretive descriptive qualitative research design to identify patterns within mothers’ experiences for practical relevance and application to service provision. Results The findings yielded in this study identified mothers’ experiences as: longing for wellness, identity as loving mother, loss, anticipatory grief, shame and blame and feeling excluded from services. Ultimately, the findings from this study extend the limited research to date on mothers’ experiences of stigma, especially when they are blamed for their child’s illness. Conclusions Findings from this study advocate for family-centered approaches that attend to mothers’ unique experience, from their standpoint, and offer recommendations for change to service provision.

First-time mothers’ experiences of foetal reduction in pregnancy following assisted reproductive technology treatment in Taiwan: a qualitative study

Background Foetal reduction—removal of one or more foetuses to reduce the number of foetuses in multiple conceptions—is a procedure used for improving pregnancy outcomes following assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. While there is a recognition of the importance of understanding the experiences of women who undergo foetal reduction to offer appropriate help and support, studies that provide relevant insights are sparse. Our aim was to gain an in-depth understanding about first-time mothers’ experiences of foetal reduction following ART treatment in Taiwan. Methods We adopted a qualitative design based on a phenomenological approach for this study. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven first-time mothers who underwent foetal reduction following ART treatment at a fertility centre in Taipei, Taiwan. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using the Colaizzi strategy. Results The views and experiences relating to foetal reduction reflected five key themes: hesitation, ambivalence and distress; the guilt of knowingly terminating a life; rituals and ceremonies to ease the sense of guilt; persuading oneself to consider the ‘big picture’; and wishing for a reunion in next pregnancy. Mothers often regretted that they took clinical advice to implant multiple embryos and then having had to resort to foetal reduction. There was a sense of hesitation, ambivalence and distress reflected in the views from all participants. They believed that they ended the fetuses’ lives knowingly and expressed strong feelings of guilt. Mothers often tried to persuade themselves to look at foetal reduction within the ‘big picture’ of the overall pregnancy outcome. Losing their unborn babies was as an unforgettable incident for most mothers, and they wished for a reunion with the lost baby in the next pregnancy. Conclusion Findings indicate the need for ART providers to undertake a more sensitive approach that involves detailed discussions with women and their families to tailor the embryo transfer processes to suit individual needs. Women who undergo foetal reduction should be provided with tailored interventions towards enhancing their coping strategies before and after foetal reduction taking into account the cultural and religious context.

Retraction Note: Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: 10.1186/s12884-021-04185-7

Mothers’ experience of being involved with the transfer of the CO-OP approach: A qualitative study

Introduction Since mothers are the best persons to facilitate transfer in their children, it is important to understand their experience with implementing the cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance approach at home. Therefore, this study aims to explore mothers’ experiences in facilitating transfer during implementing cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance approach at the home in children with specific learning disorder. Method A semi-structured interview was applied for mothers of children receiving cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data were analyzed using a continuous comparison technique and inductive content analysis. Results Five themes emerged which described the mothers’ experiences of being involved with the transfer of cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance approach at home including (1) mothers’ feelings toward themselves; (2) supportive therapist; (3) supportive social settings; (4) multidimensional educational content; and (5) educational methods. Conclusion Mothers expressed that cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance approach was simple, but they needed deeper information and skills. They provided suggestions for increasing the involvement during cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance intervention to increase transfer.