후속 출산을 포기한 한 자녀 어머니들의 임신․출산 및 양육경험에 대한 질적 분석

A Qualitative Study on the Experiences of Mothers Who Have Abandoned Their Additional Birth Plans

Objective: The present study aimed to explore the experiences of mothers who have abandoned their additional birth plans since their first child was born. Methods: During in-depth interviews, mothers were asked to recall their own experiences of motherhood. The interview data were analyzed using the grounded theory. Results: The central phenomenon was ‘The burden of raising a child is too heavy for mothers to carry alone.’ The causal conditions were ‘First experience: Unpredictable life’, ‘Physical and psychological difficulty’, and ‘Spouse’s absence.’The contextual conditions were ‘Expectations and reality of parenting’ and ‘Workplace conditions.’ The mothers used interaction strategies of ‘Defusing conflict only on a surface level: Giving up’, ‘Reliance on grandmothers’, and ‘Downgrading career aspirations.’ These strategies were mediated by intervening conditions, ‘Stereotypes and experiences of non-family nanny’, ‘Child’s development’, and ‘Family conflict.’ The results were ‘Endless guilt’, ‘Ambivalence between independence versus interdependence’ and ‘Unfairness: Why only me?’ Finally, the process of psychological conflict was identified to account for the steps leading mothers to give up on their birth plans. Conclusion/Implications: During the first experience of motherhood, mothers’ conflict gets escalated despite their struggles. These experiences might discourage their additional birth plans. These results provide implications for policies to increase fertility rates.