| Abstract [eng] |
The mother-child relationship is the foundation for the child’s further development and for the mother’s psychological well-being. How mothers experience this relationship is influenced by various factors. The aim of this study is to find out how first-time mothers experience their relationship with their child one year after birth. The participants of the study were selected by purposive convenience sampling. The participants were 8 women (aged between 27 and 39 years) whose first child was between 12 and 18 months old at the time of the study. The research design was qualitative, using semi-structured interviews, thematic and narrative analysis. Four themes emerged: becoming a mother, the mother-child relationship, the mother and her immediate environment, and societal attitudes towards motherhood. The results show that mothers experience the beginning of the relationship at different times and that the relationship is built through activities with a child. Mothers evaluate the quality of the relationship in terms of the child’s attachment. This study adds to the literature on the mother-child relationship: mothers share whether the pregnancy was planned and expected, they talk about difficult birth experiences, these factors are important for them in terms of their relationship with their child. |
