Abstract
The dominant construction of the ‘ideal mother’ often places first-time mothers in a position where their experience of motherhood is isolated, impacted, and detached from the reality of mothering. Research highlights the role of normative constructions of mothering and the vast implications of these constructions. This research explores the experiences of first-time mothers in South Africa and the negotiation of motherhood in and amongst the pervasive constructs at play in society. The study was located within a qualitative research paradigm, using purposive sampling to explore nuanced understandings of first-time mothers’ experiences. The research conducted seven in-depth, semi-structured interviews with first-time mothers between the ages of 20 and 30. The study was analysed using thematic analysis, and the findings were understood within a social constructionist framework to help explore the constructions that participants live within and maintain. The findings highlighted how first-time mothers found motherhood an overwhelming experience that was often all-encompassing and became the salient component of their identity. With this shift in a sense of who they were, and the additional responsibility came a new, unmitigated sense of incompetence. Participants also emphasised the construction of motherhood as idealised, yet they continued pursuing this idealised notion of motherhood. The findings suggest that motherhood is still considered ‘innate’, and thus, the struggles with the realities of motherhood become located within the individual. These constructions often distance first-time mothers from a realistic understanding of motherhood and place high expectations and pressure on them to be a ‘good’ or ‘ideal’ mother. Furthermore, participants felt that first-time mothers often struggle emotionally, feeling overwhelmed and, in some cases, guilty, which tended to limit their access to or engagement with support.
Keywords: First-time mothers, Motherhood, Social Constructionism, South Africa.