Maternal perspectives on postpartum return to the workplace.
OBJECTIVE
To describe maternal perceptions about postpartum return to the workplace.


METHODS
The research framework was McCubbin and McCubbin's Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation. Employed, postpartum women, who resided in six different states, were recruited from day care and primary care settings to participate in this descriptive study.


METHODS
Seventy-four employed, married women, who returned to the workplace within one year after childbirth.


METHODS
As part of a larger study, perceptions about combining multiple roles after return to the workplace are the focus for this report.


RESULTS
Participants responded to open-ended questions about their return to the workplace during the first months after giving birth. Content analysis of those responses resulted in two major categories, Resiliency Challenges: Negative Aspects (role conflict/overload, family stress, family/child issues, finances, psychosocial issues) and Resiliency Building: Positive Aspects (social support, maternal role satisfaction, positive adaptation, career role satisfaction).


CONCLUSIONS
The data support the premise that employed women view returning to the workforce as having more challenges than they expected because the experience was viewed as being mostly negative. Preparing for return to the workplace is an important, but neglected, topic that needs to be addressed and defined more clearly in the literature. Therefore, future research is needed to identify resources and interventions that will help women experience fewer challenges associated with postpartum employment.
Nichols
Mary R
MR
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing, Richmond, USA. Mary.Nichols@midwives.org
Roux
Gayle M
GM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009341:Negativism; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014931:Women, Working / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D016526:Workload; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*