CLINICAL ISSUES
Nursing Support of the Process of Becoming a Mother

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In this overview, the stages in the process of becoming a mother and the variables influencing the process, including the mother’s interacting family and friends, community, and societal environments, are discussed as a background for providing care to facilitate this process. Empathic listening and interactive dialogue with the mother are important approaches to identify and address her concerns during this important transition. JOGNN, 35, 649‐651; 2006. DOI: 10.1111/J.1552‐6909.2006.00086.x

Section snippets

Stages in the process

Four stages of the process of becoming a mother have been identified from nursing research reports: (a) commitment, attachment, and preparation for an infant during pregnancy; (b) acquaintance with and increasing attachment to the infant, learning how to care for the infant, and physical restoration during the early weeks following birth; (c) moving toward a new normal the first 4 months; and (d) achievement of a maternal identity around 4 months (Mercer, 2004). The stages are not discrete;

Maternal and infant influences

A mother’s progress through the stages in becoming a mother is influenced by her life experiences, creativity, and her and her infant’s unique characteristics. All these variables contribute uniquely to her expression of, concerns about, and work toward becoming a mother. Each mother’s questions arise from her particular circumstances.

Unique maternal and infant characteristics interact to influence each other, achievement of a maternal identity, and the infant’s outcome (Mercer, 1995).

The environment of mothering

The mother‐infant dyad is embedded in three major environments, with each influencing and interacting with the other, the process of becoming a mother, and the infant’s development (Mercer, 1995, Meighan, 2006). The concept of the interacting levels of nested environments influencing growth and development was derived from Bronfenbrenner (1986).

The mother’s and infant’s more intimate environment includes their family and friends who provide support (and sometimes stress), family values, and

The importance of interactive dialogue

Although guidelines, printed handouts, and educational materials are important, they cannot replace a nurse’s dialogue with the mother that leads to identifying and understanding her concerns. Engaging mothers in verbal exchanges that express care, support, and interest can enable a mother to use stressful experiences to gain confidence in her ability to mother, and foster her confidence, sense of control, and feelings of connection to her infant (Fenwick, Barclay, & Schmied, 2001).

Educational

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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

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