Poster #132 - The making of motherhood among first-time mothers: the role grandmothers in Zambia

• In Event: 2-002 - Special Poster Session 05 with Continental Breakfast Reception
  In Poster Session: PS 05 - International Section

Integrative Statement

Most developing countries have interdependent orientations, and child care is entrusted to family members (Kagitcibasi, 2007). In Africa the responsibility for childcare largely resides with women – specifically mothers and grandmothers. Much of the research on grandparenting however, has focused on factors that promote grandparental involvement in childcare, health outcomes and consequences of grandparental involvement; while others have studied the positive effects of grandparental involvement on grandchildren. Much less attempt however, has been made at investigating how grandparents influence childcare and mothering practices in first time mothers during pregnancy and post natal phase. Yet literature has shown that across cultures, grandmothers play a central role in the transmission of mothering values and characteristics (Apfel & Seitz, 1992; Serpell, 1992). It is a known fact worldwide, that when young women enter motherhood, they receive a lot of assistance from older generations, especially grandmothers, on how to nurture babies.
Thus, this study addressed that gap, and aimed to explore grandmother’s influence on mothering practices in Lusaka, Zambia. The study sought to understand the meaning of a “mother” from grandmother’s perspective and the teaching they offered to first time mothers before and after the baby is born. Thirty grandmothers were independently interviewed using an open-ended, semi-structured interview. Transcribed data from the interviews were thematically analysed to uncover the grandmothers' role. Regarding the definition of mother, a number of sub categories emerged which included; caring, looking out for her family, attending to her child’s needs, and ensuring her child’s safety. On the role of grandmother in the prenatal phase, the themes that emerged from this study included training would be mothers on labour signs, childbirth, personal hygiene, and faithfulness. Post natal phase involved teaching first time mothers how to hold the breast, handling nutrition (increase production of breast milk), care of the new born, faithfulness, hygiene, handling baby cord, and when to wean the baby. An interesting finding was that some of the prenatal and post natal teaching were found to reflect cultural beliefs around child birth and care. For example, unfaithfulness during pregnancy was believed to be the cause difficulties (child being breach position) during labour while unfaithfulness in post natal phase, was believed to cause illness and in some cases death of a child. The results of the study underscores the important role of grandmothers in socializing first time mothers to motherhood and that these teachings have an important bearing on the health of both the mother and her baby. These findings have implication for health promotions and suggests the need to take into account grandmothers in child health programming and interventions aimed at improving children’s health in this region, as well as similar cultural contexts.

Authors

• Francis Sichimba, The University of Zambia
  Presenting Author

• Chishimba Kaluba, The University of Zambia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kalunga Cindy Nakazwe, The University of Zambia
  Non-Presenting Author