Mothers dealt with incompatible expectations during breast feeding and weaning
QUESTION: What are women’s experiences and perceptions during the process of managing the later stages of established breast feeding and ultimately weaning the child from the breast?
Design
Grounded theory.
Setting
Social and cultural context of Western Australia.
Participants
33 mothers (mean age 33 y) mainly recruited from a larger study on breast feeding and weaning, who had each weaned a child within the previous 6 months. 17 of the women were first time mothers, and the remaining 16 had ≥2 children.
Methods
Data were obtained from indepth interviews with 33 women, field notes, 9 postal questionnaires from fathers, interviews with 5 child health nurses, and a group interview with 7 child health nurses.
Main findings
Participants viewed their performance of breast feeding and weaning as a component of their whole mothering experience and ultimately wanted to be able to see themselves, and be seen by others, as good mothers.
2 major categories emerged from the data. The first category, incompatible expectations, occurred when mothers noted differing and often conflicting expectations between themselves …
