title: "Renewed" "older" motherhood/mothering: a qualitative exploration.
abstract: This UK-based qualitative study explored multiparous women's experiences of being "older" mothers. Respondents were "renewed mothers" who had a child/children relatively early in their reproductive careers and then again after 35 years of age. Key themes arising from the empirical data were: instrumental role of male partners in post-35 mothering, purported "renewal" of self in the face of menopause/diminution of mothering, caring for teenagers and babies/toddlers simultaneously, and subjection to criticisms of "wrong-aged" motherhood. Experiences of "renewed" "older" mothers suggest significant hard work is necessitated both in terms of mothering and presentation of self as an appropriate mother.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health, Education and Society , Plymouth University , Plymouth , UK.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jarvie
authors.forename: Gayle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Letherby
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stenhouse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting; D010298:Parity; D036301:Qualitative Research; D043762:Reproductive Behavior; D012380:Role; D012649:Self Concept; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology
keywords: motherhood; mothering; multiparous; narrative; older; qualitative