The main research question in this thesis is do immigrant new mothers use maternity and parental leave benefit differently from native new mothers. I use Employment Insurance Coverage Survey micro data from 2000 to 2009 and fixed effect models to investigate the different weeks taken by new mothers and the different amount of benefits received during the leave period between immigrant new mothers and native new mothers. The results in my thesis show that immigrant new mothers received lower amount of benefit during the leave than native new mothers. There are no significant differences by the duration of the leave have taken between immigrant and native new mothers. I also find that the higher education a new mother received before they were pregnant, the higher benefit amount they could receive.

New mothers often complain of impaired cognitive functioning, and it is well documented that women experience a significant increase in sleep disturbance after the birth of a child. Sleep disturbance has been linked to impaired cognitive performance in several populations, including commercial truck drivers, airline pilots, and medical residents, though this relationship has rarely been studied in postpartum women. In the present study 13 pregnant women and a group of 22 non-pregnant controls completed one week of actigraphy followed by a battery of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires in the last month of pregnancy (Time 1) and again at four weeks postpartum (Time 2). Pregnant women experienced significantly more objective and subjective sleep disturbance than the control group at both time points. They also demonstrated more impairment in objective, but not subjective cognitive functioning. Preliminary analyses indicated increased objective sleep fragmentation from Time 1 to Time 2 predicted decreased objective cognitive performance from Time 1 to Time 2, though small sample size limited the power of these findings. Implications for perinatal women and need for future research were discussed.

This hermeneutic study explores the experience of well-being of eight new mothers who live in the Blue Mountains of N.S.W. The experiences were analysed to illuminate definitions, meanings and practices which create their well being. This study transcends existing notions of health and motherhood. The author argues that mothers resist the social expectations created by the 'ideology of motherhood' by; defining their well-being, redefining and resisting the notion of being the 'good mother' by creating practices to achieve their well-being. Social support is integral to this. The study is grounded in hermeneutics incorporating the Heideggerian ideas of being-in-the-world, co-constitution and the hermeneutic circle and also the Gadamerian idea of fusion of horizons. A post-structuralist feminist perspective is adopted, incorporating Foucault's ideas on power, knowledge, truth and resistance. Eight definitions of these new mothers' well-being are presented. Implications for nursing practice, education and research are discussed / Master of Nursing (Hons)

This thesis examines mothers’ risk perceptions and protective actions as they relate to their children’s environmental health. Children are more exposed and vulnerable than adults to environmental hazards, which have been found to be associated with numerous immediate and long-term negative health outcomes, due to physiological and behavioural factors. Despite the responsibility mothers typically bear as primary caregivers to their children, little is known about how they perceive and negotiate these risks in their day-to-day lives. To better understand mothers’ perceptions and associated protective actions across socioeconomic and geographic contexts, a mixed-method approach was employed involving a quantitative telephone survey (n=606) in Peel Region and Ottawa Public Health Units and qualitative face-to-face interviews (n=15) in Ottawa. Risk perceptions were influenced by income and perceived control, and concerns ranged from chemicals in household products to outdoor air pollution. There was a commonly reported perception that mothers should automatically become more concerned and take protective actions once they have children. When financial or other barriers prevented mothers from taking direct action to reduce risks, such as switching to safer products or changing food habits, they may have relied on emotion-focused coping techniques to reduce feelings of concern, including choosing to ignore risk information. Mothers’ information sources were examined to understand how risk information is best internalized; while the most common source of environmental health risk information was the Internet, many mothers expressed their mistrust in it and would have preferred to receive information directly from healthcare providers. This research contributes to the understanding of risk perception and protective action in a largely understudied population and the findings have practical implications for risk management and communication strategies targeting pregnant women and new mothers.

This thesis examines mothers’ risk perceptions and protective actions as they relate to their children’s environmental health. Children are more exposed and vulnerable than adults to environmental hazards, which have been found to be associated with numerous immediate and long-term negative health outcomes, due to physiological and behavioural factors. Despite the responsibility mothers typically bear as primary caregivers to their children, little is known about how they perceive and negotiate these risks in their day-to-day lives. To better understand mothers’ perceptions and associated protective actions across socioeconomic and geographic contexts, a mixed-method approach was employed involving a quantitative telephone survey (n=606) in Peel Region and Ottawa Public Health Units and qualitative face-to-face interviews (n=15) in Ottawa. Risk perceptions were influenced by income and perceived control, and concerns ranged from chemicals in household products to outdoor air pollution. There was a commonly reported perception that mothers should automatically become more concerned and take protective actions once they have children. When financial or other barriers prevented mothers from taking direct action to reduce risks, such as switching to safer products or changing food habits, they may have relied on emotion-focused coping techniques to reduce feelings of concern, including choosing to ignore risk information. Mothers’ information sources were examined to understand how risk information is best internalized; while the most common source of environmental health risk information was the Internet, many mothers expressed their mistrust in it and would have preferred to receive information directly from healthcare providers. This research contributes to the understanding of risk perception and protective action in a largely understudied population and the findings have practical implications for risk management and communication strategies targeting pregnant women and new mothers.

The Blanket of the Dark is a psychological thriller that explores the horrors of postpartum psychosis, a rare but serious illness a new mother can experience in the days and weeks following the birth of her child. The film is an intimate portrayal of the psychology of a new mother suffering from the hallucinations and delusions that are symptoms of this horrific and oftentimes undiagnosed illness. In the end, motherhood for women with undiagnosed postpartum psychosis is anything but joyful, and can lead to suicide and murder. This paper is a candid analysis, a production report as it were, of the making of my thesis film, The Blanket of the Dark. I will begin with an introduction to how The Blanket of the Dark came to be, and then dive into a detailed plot analysis along with “behind-the-scenes” accounts of my thoughts and experiences on screenwriting, preproduction, production and postproduction process. All documents used during production are included in the appendix. I hope that future filmmakers will read my about my journey and know that, while filmmaking is one of the most challenging experiences anyone can have and questions about their talents and merits may arise, the insecurities and perceived impossibilities are hurdles that any filmmaker can overcome.

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Användandet av sociala medier har ökat och en aktiv användargrupp är förstagångsmammor. Syftet med föreliggande kvalitativa studie var att få en ökad förståelse för hur förstagångsmammor upplever att sociala medier inverkar på dem själva och sitt föräldraskap. Nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes och analyserades genom tematisk analys, vilket resulterade i fem teman: Berikande gemenskap, Underlättande i vardagen, En bild svår att leva upp till, Med barnet som utgångspunkt och Bristande kontroll. Resultatet visade att mammorna upplevde sociala medier som en naturlig del av vardagen och att medierna inverkade på dem själva och föräldraskapet, de uttryckte dock ambivalens gällande hur. Sociala medier beskrevs bidra med socialt stöd och information samtidigt som det kunde bidra med känslor av stress och otillräcklighet. Jämförelse gällande exempelvis den egna kroppen, uppfostringsstil eller barnets utveckling var återkommande i studiens resultat, vilket diskuteras utifrån rådande ideologier om moderskap som finns på sociala medier. / The use of social media is increasing and an active user group is first time mothers. The aim of this qualitative study was to increase the knowledge about first time mothers’ experience of social medias impact on themselves and their parenthood. Nine semistructured interviews were conducted and analysed with thematic analysis, which resulted in five themes: Enriching community, To ease everyday life, An image difficult to live up to, Childcentric and Lack of control. The result showed that the mothers experienced social media as a natural aspect of everyday life and that social media had an impact on themselves and their parenthood, however they had ambivalent thoughts regarding how. Social media was described to contribute with social support and information at the same time as it could contribute with feelings of stress and inadequacy. Comparison  regarding for example body image, upbringing or the child’s development was reoccuring in the study’s result, which was discussed in relation to existing mother ideologies on social media.

Bakgrund: Postpartum depression drabbar 13-19% av nyblivna mammor och konsekvenserna av att behandling inte sätts in i tid kan få bestående effekter för såväl mamman som barnet. Syfte: Att beskriva faktorer som påverkar hjälpsökande beteenden hos nyblivna mammor med symptom på postpartum depression. Metod: En allmän litteraturstudie genomfördes där tio kvalitativa artiklar granskades, analyserades och sammanställdes. Resultat: Ur litteraturstudiens resultat framkom temana: hälso-och sjukvårdens påverkan, familj och närståendes betydelse, kunskapsnivån kring postpartum depression, kulturens betydelse och förväntningar kring moderskapet. Hälso-och sjukvården samt familj och närstående beskrevs vara faktorer som främjade kvinnors hjälpsökande beteenden samtidigt som kultur, okunskap, informationsbrist och förväntningar kring moderskapet var framträdande hinder på vägen till att söka hjälp. Slutsats: Studien visade på ett antal faktorer som påverkade det hjälpsökande beteendet. För att kunna minska stigmatiseringen kring diagnosen och istället öka kunskaperna behövs det mer omfattande informationsåtgärder. Sjuksköterskor behöver ha god kunskap om postpartum depressionen för att förstå kvinnornas hjälpsökande beteenden och vidare forskning kring upplevelsen av hälso-och sjukvården som en hindrande faktor är önskvärt för att denna faktor i framtiden endast ska vara främjande. / Background: Postpartum depression affects 13-19% of new mothers, and the consequences when treatment is not introduced in time can have permanent effects for both the mother and the child. Purpose: To describe factors that affect help seeking behaviors in new mothers with symptoms of postpartum depression. Method: A general literature study was conducted where ten qualitative articles were examined, analyzed and compiled. Results: The results of the literature study featured the themes: the impact of healthcare, the meaning of family and close relatives, the level of knowledge regarding postpartum depression, the significance of culture and expectations about maternity. Healthcare and family were described as promotive factors in women's help seeking behavior while culture, ignorance, lack of information and expectations about motherhood were prominent barriers in help seeking. Conclusion: The study showed several factors that influenced the help seeking behavior. In order to reduce stigmatization around the diagnosis and instead increase knowledge, more comprehensive information measures are needed. Nurses need to have knowledge of postpartum depression in order to understand women's help seeking behaviors and further research on the health care experience as a barrier is desirable for this only be a promotive factor in the future.

No description available.