The Personal Work of a First Pregnancy: Transforming Identities, Relationships, and Women's Work

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore women's experiences and perceptions of work during a first pregnancy. In this article we present findings related to women's personal work, one aspect of pregnancy work identified in the larger study (1996–2002). Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposeful, convenience sample of 29 women, ages 18–40 years, from diverse ethnic/racial, social, and economic backgrounds. Their personal work of pregnancy included growing a child, creating self as a mother, preparing for the baby, situating self vis-à-vis parental and societal models of motherhood, and personal relationship work. A first pregnancy transformed women's work as they added pregnancy to the mix and experienced significant shifts and transformations in personal and social identities and in the meanings, values, and priorities they attached to work. Findings were limited by the context and experiences of the participants in this convenience sample; however, they suggest the need for more attention to the complex personal work of pregnancy by clinicians and researchers and for continued expansion of conceptual frameworks of women's work during pregnancy.

KEYWORDS:

• Pregnancy
• women's work
• maternal identity