Neither father nor biological mother. A qualitative study about lesbian co-mothers' maternity care experiences

Abstract

For lesbian co-mothers, being recognized in maternity care implies that they are valued for the qualities that separate them from other user groups on a personal level. On a societal level, being recognized is related to acknowledgement of inventive ways of doing family. Everyday signs of recognition may prevent moral violation, and by paying particular attention to use of language, staff can help co-mothers feel acknowledged.

Mothers in Same-Sex Relationships Describe the Process of Forming a Family as a Stressful Journey in a Heteronormative World: A Swedish Grounded Theory Study

“…In addition to the language that healthcare professions tend to use, antenatal classes are perceived as gender-stereotypical and heteronormative (Larsson and Dykes 2009 ; Malmquist and Nelson 2014 ; Röndahl et al 2009 ). Moreover, several researchers have emphasized the importance of the non-birth mother’s recognition as a parent (Dahl and Malterud 2015 ; Erlandsson et al 2010 ; Larsson and Dykes 2009 ). However, same-sex couples trying to form a family in Sweden have also reported good psychological health and low parental stress (Borneskog et al 2013 , 2014 ).…”

‘To be able to support her, I must feel calm and safe’: pregnant women’s partners perceptions of professional support during pregnancy

“…Prepared or not, pregnancy, childbirth and the transition to becoming a parent should be experienced alongside the opportunity to receive professional support. Earlier research shows, however, that professional support does not always meet the needs of expectant fathers or co-mothers (henceforth ‘partners’) [1, 3, 4]. …”

“…Despite demonstrated benefits of professional support, some partners have expressed unmet support needs during pregnancy [4, 11, 12]. Partners tend to feel excluded from access to care [1, 12], even though they wish to be included and to have their support needs met [1, 11].…”

“…Although earlier research has mostly focussed on expectant fathers, it is commonly known that when co-mothers are recognised in midwifery care, they feel valued for the qualities that separate them from others [4]. On the other hand, it is also known that co-mothers tend to feel excluded from professional support, when it focuses at mothers and fathers [20, 21].…”

Social network: evaluation of the support or containment contexts of lesbian mothers

“…In the field of health, the reception and the language used during attendance, in a discriminatory manner, result in frailty or loss of the connection among these women and health institutions (16)(17) . Such a fact create obstacles in the dialogue between the women and health professionals since they feel intimidated that revealing their sexual orientation can lead to suffering some type of exclusion.…”