Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare (Jan 2020)
Solo Mothers After Assisted Conception and Their Experiences with Postnatal Care
Abstract
Kristine Selvik Jacobsen, 1 Eline Skirnisdottir Vik, 2 Bente Dahl 1 1Centre for Women’s, Family and Child Health, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg N-3603, Norway; 2Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, NorwayCorrespondence: Bente DahlFaculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, P.O. Box 235, Kongsberg N-3603, NorwayTel +47 906 26 991Email [email protected]: To explore solo mothers’ postnatal caring experiences.Patients and Methods: A qualitative interview study including nine solo mothers living in six different counties in Norway. The mothers had a total of twelve children conceived through assisted fertilization and donor sperm. Systematic text condensation was used to analyze the data.Results: The first theme described how the decision to be a solo mother entailed responsibility and rendered solo mothers vulnerable. Secondly, it was valuable, but sometimes surprising, to be met with care and interest, but, and finally, bending standard rules and regulation of the postnatal ward proved necessary to fit the needs of solo mothers.Conclusion: Solo mothers see themselves as different from other mothers, and the results of this study underline that solo mothers’ individual needs are not always met in postnatal care.Keywords: assisted fertilization, donor sperm, postnatal, single mothers by choice, systematic text condensation, solo mothers
