Zooming in and out: Narratives of Becoming Mothers in Contemporary Mainland China

Background: Despite the considerable number of new mothers in mainland China and the increasing awareness of the importance of supporting them, no studies focus on their whole experience of becoming mothers. Since motherhood is a social institution deeply embedded within a society’s contexts (Oakley, 1980), Chinese women’s experiences could differ from current theories and evidence from Western cultures. This study explored women's journeys to become mothers in the context of contemporary mainland China.

Methods: Data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 18 Chinese women. The data were analyzed in four steps – 1) Constructing stories told by each participant, 2) Validating contents with the participants, 3) Open-coding, and 4) Assigning meanings into categories with further interpretations validated in collaboration with these story-sharers. All analyses were transcribed in Chinese. Members checked the primary results before translating the contents into English.

Findings: Four stories representing different stages of becoming a mother emerged. 1) preparation – I have to become a mother, no matter the cost. Influenced by societal expectations and age-related anxieties, mothers perceived childbirth as an anticipated step post-marriage; 2) Pregnancy – expectation with anxiety, passing each level in a game. Their pregnancy journey was marked by emotionally charged prenatal checkups, online research, and varying spousal support; 3) Delivery – all for the child. Mothers made all birth-related decisions based on what was best for the child; 4) Postpartum – recovering from childbirth and rearing the baby, with full family support. This period was a complex interplay between 'scientific' and traditional parenting, assistance from the extended family—often accompanied by generational differences in childcare principles—and the challenges of juggling professional roles. These dynamics, combined with physical recovery, made postpartum emotional challenges common. Mothers obtained relief via familial support and self-care strategies. To sum up, Chinese mothers went through a phase of zooming in (focusing all attention on the child) and out (diffusing to herself and others). On the one hand, their children began to take up more and more of their lives. On the other hand, women also drew attention back to themselves and started paying more attention to their family members.

Conclusion/Discussion: Chinese society grapples with pervasive age-related fertility anxieties that influence women's self-perception and surface in their narratives. The extended family's significant involvement results in nuanced experiences and emotions, especially when reflecting on familial relationships. Regarding the motherhood journey, pre-pregnancy is a crucial phase for Chinese women. Their postpartum experience can be segmented into distinct phases: the recovery-focused "doing the month," the subsequent period emphasizing primary caregiving, and the later stage that balances professional commitments with motherhood. The transition into fully integrated motherhood warrants further exploration and understanding. Enhancements in policies should address pregnancy-to-postpartum experiences, ensuring medical coverage for pain relief, and advocating for formal early childcare institutions. On the social service front, there's a need for genuinely mother-centered programs that recognize women's multifaceted identities beyond caregiving.