Refugee women’s experiences negotiating motherhood and maternity care in a new country: A meta-ethnographic review

Pangas, Jacqueline; Ogunsiji, Olayide; Elmir, Rakime; Raman, Shanti; Liamputtong, Pranee; Burns, Elaine; Dahlen, Hannah G; Schmied, Virginia

doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.10.005

Cited by 72 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…Mothers mentioned that most of their family was still in their country of origin or living in another part of the U.S. One mother said that even though she had friends to help out with childcare, they worked most of the day. This is consistent with qualitative meta-syntheses that found that migrant and refugee women missed the abundant care provided by extended family following the birth of a child [10,71]. Thus, it appears that mothers' childcare options were limited compared to what they would have had in the DRC or Burundi with extended family and friends living close by to help out with raising children.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

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Infant Care Practices among Resettled Refugee Mothers from East and Central Africa

et al. 2020

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Refugees often parent under extreme circumstances. Parenting practices have implications for child outcomes, and parenting in the context of refugee resettlement is likely to be dynamic as parents negotiate a new culture. This study examined African origin mothers’ infant care values and practices related to feeding, carrying, and daily activities following resettlement in the Southeastern region of the U.S. Ten African origin mothers were asked about their infant care practices through semi-structured interviews. Results indicated that mothers valued breastfeeding but often chose to use formula as a supplement or instead of breastfeeding. In addition, participants valued carrying their infants close to the body but used equipment such as strollers. Mothers expressed that perceptions of American culture and rules, social support, interactions with community agencies, and the need to engage in formal employment were factors that influenced their infant care practices.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Mothers discussed the desire to build relationships with nursing staff in order to receive advice on breastfeeding and childcare [70]. Refugee mothers have said that health care providers were sources of both informational and emotional support in the perinatal period [71].…”

Section: Impact Of Migration On the Physical And Social Settings Of Cmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infant Care Practices among Resettled Refugee Mothers from East and Central Africa

et al. 2020

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“…9 10 Taking migrant mothers' Facebook groups as a starting point for this research facilitates an emphasis on connections between mothers. It also establishes a temporally open approach to migration and motherhood: because the groups are used by mothers of both infants and teenagers, and by recently arrived and longer-settled migrants, drawing participants from the groups broadens the scope of the study beyond the common research focus on migrant women's experiences of pregnancy, birth and early motherhood (Hennegan et al, 2014;Joseph et al, 2018;Pangas et al, 2019). While making for a complex sample, this diversity brings together the experiences of women often analysed separately, or not at all, offering the opportunity for new insights, connections and contrasts.…”

Section: Researching Migrant Mothers Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

Glocalised Motherhood: Sociality and Affect in Migrant Mothers’ Online Communities

Veazey

2019

Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture a

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This article explores the importance of relationships between migrant mothers in Australia through the lens of Facebook groups created by and for migrant mothers, referred to here as glocalised maternal communities. The combination of migration and motherhood creates a dual rupture in mothers' social networks, leading to isolation and emotional challenges. Drawing on thematic analysis of interviews conducted with 41 mothers from a range of migrant communities (including Indian, Malaysian, Swedish, German, Brazilian and British), living in Melbourne and Sydney, I investigate why migrant mothers have responded to these challenges by creating and participating in locally-based, social media such as Facebook for mothers with a shared national or cultural identity. These communities provide resources and support for women's migrant maternal projects, for example relational settlement and cultural transmission, and also meet women's own needs for intimacy, friendship, and support. From an analysis of sociality, emotion, identity and relationality in these glocalised maternal communities, I develop a framework of multilayered and multimodal migrant maternal sociality, including a re-formulation of Haythornthwaite's concept of 'latent ties' (2005) to highlight the affective benefits of online communities.

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“…Childbirth and breastfeeding (Dowling & Pontin, 2017;Liamputtong, 2004;Lupton & Schmied, 2013); Maternal-infant health and feeding transitions (Joseph, Liamputtong, & Brodribb, 2019b); Adaptation to a new country (Baird & Boyle, 2012;Katsiaficas & Suárez-Orozco, 2013) and Negotiation of maternity care postresettlement (Pangas et al, 2019). This phase of uncertainty is also referred to as betwixt and between (Turner, 2009) and matter out of place (Douglas, 2002) which, in the case of integrating into a new society, captures the experience of belonging neither to the previous nor new society (Niner, Kokanovic, Cuthbert, & Cho, 2014;Suárez-Orozco, Bang, & Kim, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Borrowing the concept of “contradiction‐conflict” (Schmied et al, ), this article is framed within the Liminality (to explore postpartum bodily weakness and uncertainties in integrating into the new western biomedical settings) and Pierre Bourdieu's habitus, capital and space (to examine social mechanisms underlying integration) theoretical frameworks. Liminality symbolizes transitory phases: Childbirth and breastfeeding (Dowling & Pontin, ; Liamputtong, ; Lupton & Schmied, ); Maternal‐infant health and feeding transitions (Joseph, Liamputtong, & Brodribb, ); Adaptation to a new country (Baird & Boyle, ; Katsiaficas & Suárez‐Orozco, ) and Negotiation of maternity care postresettlement (Pangas et al, ). This phase of uncertainty is also referred to as betwixt and between (Turner, ) and matter out of place (Douglas, ) which, in the case of integrating into a new society, captures the experience of belonging neither to the previous nor new society (Niner, Kokanovic, Cuthbert, & Cho, ; Suárez‐Orozco, Bang, & Kim, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postpartum breastfeeding experiences in the traditional‐biomedical crossroads: A qualitative study using drawing with Vietnamese and Myanmarese refugee women in Australia

Joseph

Liamputtong

Brodribb

2019

Journal of Advanced Nursing

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Aims To explore how postpartum support networks, hospital stay and healthcare services had an impact on breastfeeding experiences of refugee women from Vietnam and Myanmar in Brisbane, Australia. Design A qualitative study guided by feminist methodological inquiry. Methods Semi‐structured interviews and drawing exercises were conducted with recent (<10 years) and established (≥10 years) refugee women between July 2015 ‐ June 2016. Verbal data were analysed thematically, whereas drawings were analysed with the critical visual analytical framework. Results The findings reflect how 36 mothers negotiated their breastfeeding experiences in the “traditional‐biomedical” intersection (major theme) in face of changing support networks, social structures, hospital policies and postpartum services postresettlement (sub‐themes). Tensions of cultural unfamiliarity in the western setting generally contributed to early breastfeeding cessation among recent arrivals, whereas social (extended families, tertiary education) and cultural (English literacy) capitals and a longer stay in Australia enabled established arrivals to integrate the traditional and western biomedical beliefs. Conclusion The ability of established arrivals to integrate both traditional and western worldviews may assist in addressing breastfeeding uncertainties that affect recent arrivals. Perspectives of midwives from the western postnatal spheres merit future exploration. Impact Positive early breastfeeding experiences lead to its long‐term success. By identifying the impact that conflicting beliefs have on breastfeeding experiences of refugees in the western biomedical environment, this study suggests how interventions that focus on reinforcing maternal cultural and social capital could benefit community empowerment, healthcare and policy sectors nationally and globally.

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Refugee women’s experiences negotiating motherhood and maternity care in a new country: A meta-ethnographic review

Cited by 72 publications

References 83 publications

Infant Care Practices among Resettled Refugee Mothers from East and Central Africa

Infant Care Practices among Resettled Refugee Mothers from East and Central Africa

Glocalised Motherhood: Sociality and Affect in Migrant Mothers’ Online Communities

Postpartum breastfeeding experiences in the traditional‐biomedical crossroads: A qualitative study using drawing with Vietnamese and Myanmarese refugee women in Australia

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