Motherhood experience in different groups

Abstract

The process of becoming a mother is one of the most important developmental transitions in a woman’s life cycle. This process is the most gratifying event with the participation of a new member to the family. Transition to motherhood can be in different ways, in first time pregnant women, adolescent pregnant women, women with a baby with congenital abnormalities and older age pregnant women. While women having their first pregnancies with lack of sufficient information about the role and responsibilities of parents have more anxiety, multiparous women with higher maternal competence have less postpartum stress and higher maternal competence. Adolescent pregnant women who are trying to adapt to developmental changes can live a risky and obscure process with new additional maternal roles. Older pregnant mother with the advantages and disadvantages of their special age can experience motherhood in different ways. A mother hoping to have a healthy baby but have a baby with abnormalities may experience post-traumatic stress disorder and may give reactions as anger, shock, disappointment and insufficient adaptation. A high risk pregnancy, which usually brings hospitalization process, requires a new adaptation for the mother, interrupting the maternal role. This review article aimes to emphasize that motherhood transition is unique for each woman, to examine the transition to motherhood experience in different groups and to make health care professions aware about motherhood process in different women characteristics.