This Masters thesis researches how mothers with young children dealt with and experienced their life transition to the role of being a mother. The theoretical part of the thesis focuses on the literature review from the fields of welfare, life transitions and motherhood.
A psychological-phenomenological approach has been used to research the life transitions. Based on this an insight into the transition experience of six women has been received, whereas there were no predictions on the outcome or setting hypothesis. The goal of the psychological-phenomenological method is to form a general description of key characteristics or the basic structure, which describe the researched transition. Based on performed interviews a general structure of experiencing the life transitions with mothers with young children has been made. The results show that for half of women experiencing motherhood is the most important transition in life, whereas the other three placed it to the second position in importance of life transitions. Key changes in the transition to the motherhood can be divided to feelings referring to the surrounding and others and secondly, feelings which a woman experiences with regard to herself. Motherhood also significantly affects woman’s relations to physical, relational, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Insight to experiencing the life transitions with mothers with young children which this research offers, is useful and of help to anyone who is professionally involved in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy or any other related field which involves working with people, especially women. As such the thesis can enable preparation of professional guidelines and programs for women, parenthood preparations or support groups for women. We believe, that thesis will also assist to those, that would like to develop knowledge on this topic as it can serve as outreach at understanding of experiencing of women, when these are deal with different life transitions, particulary transition to the motherhood.
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