Items in Esource are protected by copyright. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/copyright holder.
This Final Year Project will explore the topic of motherhood and the postnatal experiences of Italian women in Ireland. The women range in age from thirty to their early forties. Each participant is from a different geographical background within Italy, but all are native Italian. The study was carried out using Qualitative Methods and Analysis which involved interviews with each participant in relation to their experience of being a mother in a foreign country. The study investigates the different views, attitudes and perceptions of the participants towards the common themes which provided meaning to their experience. The common themes that were researched were the Motherhood Role, Adaptation to Irish Culture and Systems, Social
Support and the Difficulties of being a mother in a foreign country. This study has provided a greater understanding of the postnatal experiences of an ethnic minority in Ireland. It highlights the need for immigrant women to be adequately supported in the postnatal period. Author keywords: Gender, motherhood, social support, Ireland, Italian community.
