Times of transition can provoke informal learning that is both potentially transformative and often unacknowledged. New mothers living in a new country are in effect undergoing a double transition, and thus are in a position to possibly undertake a great deal of informal learning. This research focuses on migrant mothers living in Sweden and aims to understand their perceptions of their own learning at open preschools (öppna förskolor), or drop-in centers for young children and their caretakers. Through a small-scale qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, eight migrant mothers living in Solna municipality shared their memories and opinions about open preschools. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis and examined in light of Wenger’s (1998) social theory of learning and community of practice framework. The mothers overwhelmingly identified open preschools as places of support, with some also perceiving them as places of learning. Nonetheless, the findings show a great deal of informal learning related to mothering and mothering in a new country. There was a complicated relationship between supports and barriers to learning, reflecting the nuanced nature of communities of practice. In short, open preschools gave the participants a place to engage on their own terms with the intellectual work involved with forming their identities as migrant mothers. They also, however, encouraged the development of mothering identities that are in line with dominant Swedish discourses about gender and childrearing. This study proposes nevertheless that open preschools play a vital role in supporting parental learning and easing the transition to life in Sweden for migrant mothers.

Integrating intersectionality theory with a quantitative design, this analysis investigates the intersectional dynamics of self-reported health inequalities among lone parents in England and Wales. This study examines the association between lone parenthood, gender, and migrant status simultaneously on health outcomes. It applies logistic regression using data from the 2011 Census Microdata Individual Safeguarded dataset. The findings demonstrate the presence of multiple identity factors that contribute to health inequality, which consequently highlights the impact of cumulative socioeconomic privilege and disadvantage, impacting the health of lone parents. Regardless of gender or migration status, being a lone parent has a negative effect on health. The healthy migrant effect is evident across intersected categories of migrants and socioeconomic groups, particularly among men, partnered parents, and immigrants from Western societies. These results emphasize the significance of considering additional dimensions of social positioning and adopting an intersectional perspective in monitoring health inequalities in the country.

The study highlights the significant role that cultural doulas play in supporting and guiding migrant women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period in Sweden. The Swedish healthcare system is understaffed, overburdened, and medically dominated, making it difficult for nurses and midwives to provide continuous and culturally-sensible care to their clients. Cultural doulas can significantly support their clients and the maternal healthcare system. However, improvements must be made in the working conditions of cultural doulas to create a sustainable project that can serve many migrant families in the future. The study emphasizes the need to recognize the significant contribution of cultural doulas to improving equitable maternal healthcare in ethnically diverse Sweden.