Maternal Perspectives on Postpartum Return to the Workplace

Perspectives on Parenthood and Working of Female Athletic Trainers in the Secondary School and Collegiate Settings

“…Specifically, multiple-demand concerns of parents, which included time constraints or child-care concerns (or both), constituted the highest chosen response (28.1%, n 5 56). Multiple competing demands between employment and family, as illuminated in the research 6,7 on the general population, seem to have the greatest effect on the decisions of female ATs with children to alter employment settings or hours. Although employers may find mitigating the multiple demands of parents difficult, perhaps providing flexibility and support can mollify the effect of nonwork factors on the athletic training room environment.…”

“…The smaller female AT population at the collegiate level (compared with that of male ATs) could reflect the challenge of a traditional athletic training environment with irregular hours, often exceeding 50 hours a week. 7 An additional factor may be that employers are reluctant to hire individuals who have been absent from the profession and are therefore perceived to not possess current knowledge, regardless of the female AT's actual degree of readiness. 6 Research on other health care providers indicates that flexibility in the occupational setting to allow for parenting is a significant factor in the decision to change work settings and work hours: 45% of female ATs had made work changes because of their children.…”

“…3 National employment trends have focused on sex as an issue in reduced wages for women, which have been attributed to employment absence for caregiving and a consistent theme of family and work conflicts, resulting from the need to balance home and work priorities. [4][5][6][7] Multiple demands on parents related to work and childrearing responsibilities create time-constraint issues and adversely affect both the quality of work and the attention paid to family. 4,6,7 Work overload and organizational expectations appear to have significant effects on work, thus interfering with family.…”

“…[4][5][6][7] Multiple demands on parents related to work and childrearing responsibilities create time-constraint issues and adversely affect both the quality of work and the attention paid to family. 4,6,7 Work overload and organizational expectations appear to have significant effects on work, thus interfering with family. 8 According to female parents in other heath care professions, 9 a change in work environment that provides more flexibility for family and parenting responsibilities is an important factor in the decision to adjust either occupational setting or work hours.…”

Domestic maternal experience with preterm newborn children

“…A number of authors have suggested that psycho-emotional support must be provided for a family during this period if they are to overcome the trauma caused by premature birth (17). The gaps left by the health team in stabilising the family during the transition period between hospitalisation and discharge may have generated conflict and overload during their adaptation to life at home (18).…”