Joy, struggle and support: Postpartum experiences of first-time mothers in a Tanzanian suburb

Abstract

The first-time mothers enjoyed motherhood and the respectful status it implied. To understand and handle the infant's needs and own bodily changes were important during postpartum. The tradition of abstaining from sex up to 4 years during breastfeeding was a concern as male's faithfulness was questioned and with HIV a threat to family health. Partner relationship changed towards shared parental and household work and the man's active participation was appreciated. Support from family members and others in the neighbourhood were utilised as a resource by the mothers. In instances of uncertainties on how to handle things, their advice was typically followed. The new mothers generally had good experiences of health care during the childbearing period. However, they also experienced insufficiencies in knowledge transfer, disrespectful behaviour, and unofficial fees. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: The mothers' perspective of postpartum revealed that they actively searched for ways to attain infants' and own health needs, and family health in general. Prolonged sexual abstinence was considered a risk for the partner having other sexual partners and contracting HIV. The mothers relied heavily on the informal support network, which sometimes meant risking family health due to misinformation and harmful practices. Health care and informal support systems should complement each other to attain adequate support for the families postpartum.

‘I wanted to enjoy our marriage first… but I got pregnant right away’: a qualitative study of family planning understandings and decisions of women in urban Yogyakarta, Indonesia

“…These studies highlight the utility of qualitative explorations into women’s reproductive lives and subjectivities beyond the narrow definition of unmet need for family planning, which, according to Rusibamayila and colleagues [25], ‘inadequately capture and convey the multilevel factors that institutionalise preferences and influence action, generating the gap between reported intentions and enacted fertility behaviour’. An emerging body of literature focuses on key interpersonal relationships influencing the reproductive health decisions of women in South Asia [26–28] and in Africa [29–31]. These studies reveal women’s complex interactions with their husbands, other family and community members, and the health system, which inform their reproductive health understandings and choices.…”

Transition to parenthood during the transition to modernity in Jordan: New parents' views on family and healthcare support systems

“…Family support is often assumed to be of benefit to new parents in terms of its potential to offer one or a combination of material, emotional or psychosocial support (Mbekenga, Christensson, Lugina, & Olsson, 2010;Mbekenga, Pembe, Christensson, Darj, & Olsson, 2011). Literature from various nations suggests social support as an essential component for strengthening positive outcomes to families experiencing transitional life events, such as childbearing and child rearing (Habel, Feeley, Hayton, Bell, & Zelkowitz, 2015;Hamelin-Brabant et al, 2015;Mbekenga et al, 2010;Mbekenga et al, 2011;McLeish & Redshaw, 2015).…”

“…Literature from various nations suggests social support as an essential component for strengthening positive outcomes to families experiencing transitional life events, such as childbearing and child rearing (Habel, Feeley, Hayton, Bell, & Zelkowitz, 2015;Hamelin-Brabant et al, 2015;Mbekenga et al, 2010;Mbekenga et al, 2011;McLeish & Redshaw, 2015). The case is not very different in Jordan, with maternal health studies and policies often assuming family support to be of benefit to women during labour, birth and postpartum (Khresheh, 2009(Khresheh, , 2010Khresheh & Barclay, 2009;Oweis, Gharaibeh, Maaitah, Gharaibeh, & Obeisat, 2012;Shaban, Hatamleh, Khresheh, & Homer, 2011;Yehia, Callister, & Hamdan-Mansour, 2012).…”

Therapeutic landscapes and living with breast cancer: The lived experiences of Thai women

“…Emotional support as well as other tangible supports from family members and friends offered hope to the women and encouraged them to fight the breast cancer and recover from ill health associated with treatments (Shannon and Bourque, 2005;Kroenke et al, 2006;Arora et al, 2007;Elmir et al, 2010). Social support comprises emotional, tangible and informational support (Mbekenga et al, 2011). However, for the women in our study, the emotional support received from family and friends was particularly essential for their healing and recovery (Liamputtong and Suwankhong, in press).…”

“…However, an important part of the everyday landscapes for health and healing lies in the support from family members. Social support, including emotional, tangible, and informational support (Mbekenga et al, 2011) acts as a buffer to alleviate distress and strengthens resilience for individuals who experience stressful life events (Richmond et al, 2007;Zhao et al, 2011). Social support also encompasses the informal support individuals receive from their social networks beyond family and significant others.…”