Phenomenology of Maternal Lived Experience: A Case Study of Mothers Aged 20-45 in Arak City

The main purpose of this study is to describe mothers' deep understanding of their maternal experience.

The research method is qualitative and phenomenological. The study population includes 20-45-year-old mothers in Arak. The study data was collected using in-depth individual interviews. Samples were purposefully selected and after 24 interviews, theoretical saturation was obtained. After recording the interviews, the data were written and analyzed. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s (1978) method, which was also described by Mustacas (1994).

Data analysis shows that participating mothers, despite their differences in education and occupation, had three main categories of reflection, identification and social pressure in their maternal experience.

Rethinking the empathetic, compensatory, conscious, competitive, and planning subcategories, motherhood shows that mothers today are rethinking how their maternal lives are. Identification of the subcategories of creating leisure and trying to create or expand communication networks shows that mothers in the process of motherhood are also seeking new identity packages. Also, the social pressure with the subcategories of lack of supportive institutions, and the mother responsible for the child refers to the pressure that the mother feels in the society regarding how she plays her role