Journey to Motherhood in the First Year After Child Birth

Objective: Child bearing is a period of psychological challenges that must be viewed in a social context. This study reports the maternal transition from the perspective of Iranian first-time mothers in the first year after childbirth. Materials and methods: Qualitative method was chosen for explanation of mothers’ individual experiences of motherhood.26 first-time mothers (aged 18-35 years old with various socio-economic status) who had delivered between 0-1 year prior to the interviews participated in the study.Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and interview transcripts were analyzed using the constant comparison method. Results: The core category was called Regaining advanced balance . There were several themes within this category: internal conflicts , encounter and interaction and internalization . They felt unpreparedness, lack of control over their lives, incomplete maternal feelings and unstable relation to their husbands and others. Within the first postpartum days and weeks a sort of attachment develops between mother and child as the mother starts to attain a better understanding of maternal feelings; she begins to accept the child as an independent identity and reconstructs herself. As the attachment to child deepens, the mother feels control over the affairs. She realizes a kind of development and integration in herself which specifically stems from becoming a mother and attempts to strengthen family bonds. Conclusion: Through the expression of new mothers’ experiences toward motherhood, healthcare providers can reach a better perception of the emotional and psychological changes as well as the various aspects of mothers’ acceptance of their maternal role and helps a better preparation and presentation of effective training programs for mothers and families.