Motherhood is often portrayed as one of the most fulfilling experiences in a woman's life. Books on pregnancy, birth and motherhood not only tell women what they should do, these books also encourage women to have high expectations of what is inevitably a "journey into the unknown". This new
book takes a different approach by telling the individual stories of 800 recent mothers. We hear about what happened to them during pregnancy and childbirth, what contributed to good and bad experiences of birth, and what these women thought of the care they received. Ninety of the women went on to
participate in interviews two years later. The result is a moving and powerful account of what it is like to be a mother in the 90's. Topics covered include caring for children, running the household, and providing financial Mental health issues are also addressed--one in seven women was depressed
in the year after childbirth. In this unique book, they discuss the origins of this depression and how they coped with it.
Missing The Experience of Motherhood is essential for all mothers, fathers, for anyone contemplating having children, and for all those concerned with the health and well-being of mothers, children and families.

Stephanie Brown, Judith Lumley, Rhonda Small, Jill Astbury

Stephanie Brown ... [et al.]

Melbourne ; New York: Oxford University Press

IRL Press at Oxford University Press

Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

German Historical Institute London

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

March 9, 1995

1, US, 1995

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Motherhood is often portrayed as one of the most fulfilling experiences in a woman's life. Books on pregnancy, birth and motherhood not only tell women what they should do, they also encourage them to have high expectations of what is inevitably a 'journey into the unknown'. Missing Voices is different. It makes motherhood compelling and audible by telling the stories of almost 800 recent mothers. We hear about their experiences pregnancy and childbirth, and what they thought of the care they received.
Ninety of these women were also interviewed in detail two years later. The result is a moving and a powerful insight into what is like to be a mother in Australia in the 1990s. How do women's daily experiences of motherhood compare with accepted wisdom about 'good mothers'? How is the work of caring for children, domestic chores, and paid employment divided within the family? How do women feel about juggling work - both paid and unpaid? One in seven women was depressed in the year after birth.
In Missing Voices women talk candidly and with great feeling about why they were depressed, whom they turned to for help, and how they coped with depression.

Researching Pregnancy, Birth, Motherhood, And Depression -- Care In Pregnancy -- Thoughts About The Birth Eight Months Later -- Childbirth Classes : Making A Difference? -- Thrown Into A New Job -- One In Seven : Depression After Birth -- Troubled Thoughts On Being A 'good' Mother -- The Experience Of Motherhood -- Depression : Women's Voices -- The Social Context Of Motherhood -- Balancing Acts : Work And Family -- Three Women's Accounts Of Motherhood -- What Women Do About Depression. Stephanie Brown ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

The reasons for beginning this book with a description of the research methods are two-fold.

viii, 303 p. : 22 cm
Includes bibliographical references and index

2023-06-28