ABSTRACT
This chapter compares some definitions of motherhood, and focuses on the transition to the state of motherhood. The experience of giving birth is thought to influence a woman's transition to the state of motherhood. The birthing experience is also a major influence on the transition to motherhood; in the recent past it has been regarded as less traumatic because women now rarely die from it. Recent research demonstrates that birthing is mentally traumatic and possibly injurious both to the transition to motherhood and to the woman's mental health. The chapter examines some postnatal issues, including role conflict and the effects that occur when the transition to motherhood appears to be incomplete. It addresses the transition to motherhood among older women, as the average age at which women are having children is rising. The chapter discusses the major theorists' research on the transition process undergone by the mother during pregnancy, and considers other aspects of this transition.
