I am researching the way women experiencing becoming mothers, using a
phenomenological approach (Giorgi's) and also pondered over the significance
of when, during the postnatal period, I conducted my interview. Enough time
needed to have passed that the women had progressed beyond the initial
euphoria of birth and were able to place themselves within the transition to
motherhood, in so much as they were living a life with their baby. But not
so much time to have passed that they felt they could look back upon the
transition as a completed process, without the experience of living the
phenomenon during the interview process.
I reasoned that different women would experience becoming a mother at
different 'speeds' so rather than me try and decide what would be the best
time I decided to let the date be set by the women which meant that their
babies were between twelve weeks and ten months old by the time we met up.
This approach seems to have worked well but I would be grateful for the
Simkin reference Soo that you mentioned -many thanks Jo Hartley
|