Preparing for motherhood: A narrative inquiry into alternative pregnancy care practices

"Preparing for Motherhood - a Narrative Inquiry into alternative practices of pregnancy care" explored the non -medical, alternative practices used by women while preparing for motherhood. The contextual and personal narratives associated with such preparation formed the basis of the research. Data was obtained through unstructured interviews and analysed using narrative inquiry methods. The results of these interviews have been presented as a 'core' story, combining the narratives of three women.

Participating women shared their experiences of pregnancy and care practices retrospectively. By utilising story telling and narrative methods in research, the experiences of motherhood were given self expression - offering others the opportunity to discover new insights into womanhood, motherhood and the use of alternative practices during pregnancy.

The findings identify a range of non -medical forms of health care and those considered outside the realm of conventional obstetrical care. Furthermore, the narratives will suggest possible tensions when contemporary pregnancy care practices do not 'fit' with alternative practice philosophies and choices. While generalizations to a broader population are not possible, the information provided has the potential to determine significant issues of preparation for motherhood and contribute in the development of future projects and studies that explore these issues for women in Australia.