Misunderstood as mothers: Women's stories of being hospitalized for illness in the postpartum period

Power, T; Jackson, D; Carter, B; Weaver, R

Misunderstood as mothers: Women's stories of being hospitalized for illness in the postpartum period

Power, T

Jackson, D

Carter, B Weaver, R

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2015, 71 (2), pp. 370 - 380
Issue Date:: 2015-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Power, T https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3334-0322	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Jackson, D https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5252-5325	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Carter, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Weaver, R	en_US
dc.date.available	2014-07-10	en_US
dc.date.issued	2015-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2015, 71 (2), pp. 370 - 380	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0309-2402	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/34054
dc.description.abstract	© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Aim: This paper aims to explore women's experiences with healthcare providers to ascertain ways health care may be improved for women disrupted in their mothering. Background: Women can find it difficult to relinquish care even when they are acutely unwell requiring hospitalization. Despite mothering being a priority for women, many healthcare professionals do not understand the importance of continuing to mother during maternal illness. Design: This research used a qualitative methodology drawing on principles of feminism and storytelling. Methods: Women's stories were collected through face-to-face interviews, email and via the telephone. The twenty-seven women who participated were from either Australia or the USA, had between one and six children and identified themselves as having been disrupted in their mothering by illness. Data were collected in 2011 and were analysed thematically. Findings: The majority of participants had been hospitalized at some point in time for acute illness. A subset of participants reported feeling judged by nurses and that their efforts to continue to mother their newborn children despite their illness were misunderstood and not facilitated. Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that women are more likely to remember times that health professionals failed to understand the primacy that mothering held for them or facilitate their efforts to continue to mother despite illness. Nurses and midwives should regularly reflect on their personal values in regard to mothering, validate women's attempts to mother to the best of their ability during illness and find ways to support and empower women in their mothering.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Advanced Nursing	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/jan.12515	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Nursing	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Puerperal Disorders	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Hospitalization	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Attitude to Health	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Child Rearing	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Mothers	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Infant	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Women's Health	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Anecdotes as Topic	en_US
dc.title	Misunderstood as mothers: Women's stories of being hospitalized for illness in the postpartum period	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	71	en_US
utslib.for	111099 Nursing not elsewhere classified	en_US
utslib.for	1110 Nursing	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	71	en_US

Abstract:

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Aim: This paper aims to explore women's experiences with healthcare providers to ascertain ways health care may be improved for women disrupted in their mothering. Background: Women can find it difficult to relinquish care even when they are acutely unwell requiring hospitalization. Despite mothering being a priority for women, many healthcare professionals do not understand the importance of continuing to mother during maternal illness. Design: This research used a qualitative methodology drawing on principles of feminism and storytelling. Methods: Women's stories were collected through face-to-face interviews, email and via the telephone. The twenty-seven women who participated were from either Australia or the USA, had between one and six children and identified themselves as having been disrupted in their mothering by illness. Data were collected in 2011 and were analysed thematically. Findings: The majority of participants had been hospitalized at some point in time for acute illness. A subset of participants reported feeling judged by nurses and that their efforts to continue to mother their newborn children despite their illness were misunderstood and not facilitated. Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that women are more likely to remember times that health professionals failed to understand the primacy that mothering held for them or facilitate their efforts to continue to mother despite illness. Nurses and midwives should regularly reflect on their personal values in regard to mothering, validate women's attempts to mother to the best of their ability during illness and find ways to support and empower women in their mothering.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/34054