Shloim, N, Hugh-Jones, S, Rudolf, MCJ et al. (3 more authors) (2015) “It's like giving him a piece of me.”: Exploring UK and Israeli women's accounts of motherhood and feeding. Appetite, 95. pp. 58-66. ISSN 0195-6663
Abstract
Objective The present study explored how Israeli and UK mothers integrate feeding into their conceptualisations of mothering 2–6 months post-partum. Background The nature and importance of motherhood is subject to differential contextual, cultural, political and historical influences. We set out to compare experiences of motherhood and feeding between these two countries using a qualitative approach. Methods Forty one women (mean age 36.4 ± 2.7 years) from Israel and the UK, mostly married or in a committed relationship were interviewed about their experience of pregnancy, motherhood and feeding. Data were analysed thematically. Results The experience of motherhood in the early postnatal period was dominated, for all mothers, by the experience of breastfeeding and clustered around three representations of mothering, namely; 1) a devoted mother who ignores her own needs; 2) a mother who is available for her infant but acknowledges her needs as well; and 3) a struggling mother for whom motherhood is a burden. Such representations existed within both cultural groups and sometimes coexisted within the same mothers. UK women described more struggles within motherhood whereas a tendency towards idealising motherhood was observed for Israeli women. Conclusion There are similarities in the ways that UK and Israeli women experienced motherhood and feeding. Where family life is strongly emphasized, mothers reported extremes of idealism and burden and associated an “ideal” mother with a breastfeeding mother. Where motherhood is represented as just one of many roles women take up, they are more likely to represent a “good enough” approach to mothering. Understanding the experience of motherhood and feeding in different cultural settings is important to provide the context for postnatal care specifically where mothers are reluctant to share problems or difficulties encountered.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Appetite. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Israel; Pregnancy; Breastfeeding; Motherhood; Ideal-Mother; Good-enough mother; Burdened mother |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Healthcare (Leeds) > Counselling & Psychotherapy (SoH) (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Medicine (Leeds) > Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics (LIGHT) > Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Psychology (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 17 Mar 2016 16:30 |
Last Modified: | 04 Jul 2016 17:46 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.06.004 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.appet.2015.06.004 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:87777 |