Women's relationships with their own mothers in the early motherhood period

Aim: The aim of this paper is to explore women's experiences of their relationship with their own mother in the early motherhood period. Method: Van Manen's phenomenological approach was used for this research. Thirteen healthy first time expectant mothers were recruited in the antenatal period between 28 - 34 weeks gestation through antenatal clinics and classes. Women were invited to participate in depth interviews held at three key periods (late pregnancy, 2 weeks and 8 weeks after birth). Interviews were 45 - 60 minutes long, audio recorded, and transcribed verbatim prior to being analysed. Findings: A key adult relationships that emerged as being important for the participants during the early motherhood period was their relationship with their own mother. Participants' mothers were often very supportive but tensions occurred when participants' mothers were not available or perceived as intrusive. Conclusion: New motherhood involves significant transitions for first time mothers. It is recommended that health agencies such as midwifery and maternal and child health services include significant discussion about communication, relationships and planned support at home in their education and care interventions.