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Meaning of planned motherhood

Motherhood is a great honor and privilege, yet it is also synonymous with servanthood. Every day women are called upon to selflessly meet the needs of their families. Whether they are awake at night nursing a baby, spending their time and money on less-than-grateful teenagers, or preparing meals, moms continuously put others before themselves.

Motherhood.  It can mean many things, and our own definition of it is largely defined by our individual experiences.  To one person, motherhood might simply mean the act of raising children; to another, motherhood might be what defines them.  

It is not uncommon to generalize the concept of “motherhood” and lump everyone who upholds a single criterion – being a mom – into one group.   But, really, motherhood affects us all in one way or another, and that way is as unique as the pattern of curves and ridges on a fingertip.

Motherhood means feeling a kaleidoscope of emotions simultaneously – fear, glee, worry, angst, pride. And it means being an advocate and a revolutionary who empowers her children to engage in society in a meaningful, fun, vibrant way. And lastly, motherhood means always giving up the biggest piece of cake and the last popsicle and being okay with that.

 the definition of motherhood is someone who nurtures. Yes, carrying a child in your womb for months and then giving birth creates a lifelong bond that cannot be broken, even by separation. However, it's the nurturing of a child throughout life that, to me, represents motherhood.

Many children face significant challenges as they navigate their early years. Some children face severe challenges.

Even so, if a child knows that there is someone he or she can count on during difficult times, as well as someone to share the wonderful times with, their development will be enhanced. This nurturing presence is symbolized by motherhood, whether that nurturing is provided by the birth mother, an adoptive parent, a grandmother, an aunt or a father.

By ensuring access to quality family planning and safe motherhood services, maternal and infant mortality and morbidity can be reduced and the negative impact of these deaths and illnesses on society can be minimized. The unmet need for family planning prevents men and women from achieving their desired family size and spacing their children. Investing in family planning and safe motherhood programs also reduces the amount of future government expenditures needed for health, education, and social services. There are many barriers to access of family planning and safe motherhood services, such as lack of knowledge about the services; opposing cultural practices and beliefs; lack of male involvement in family planning and safe motherhood; distance to services and difficulties with transportation; shortage of comprehensive essential obstetric care services; time and opportunity costs, especially during farming seasons; cost; and behavior.

A phenomenological analysis was conducted with first time mothers who were planning a home birth with a care provider. Three women who were pregnant wrote in journals about their decision making process. Six women who had planned a home birth for their first child were interviewed. An analysis of these journals and interviews was conducted to identify influential themes common to these first time mothers. Overall, a feminist lens was used to analyze data and Ecological Systems Theory was used as a way of organizing themes. Findings indicate that influential factors for these first time mothers included the desire for a natural childbirth experience, apprehensions regarding the medical model of pregnancy and childbirth, wanting to have power and control over their birth experience, the guiding function of intuition, and the influence of their partners. In addition, the women provided suggestions for other mothers and shared lessons they learned from their experience of planning a home birth (Katherine, 2010).

Most of us have a fair idea of what good motherhood involves: a mother loves and protects her child and creates a stimulating environment in which she or he can develop and grow. Some social services, such as the Dutch Youth Care, intervene on a regular basis in family life. I would therefore like to investigate which notion of “good motherhood” is used by youth protection workers at this particular institution. This is especially relevant because in our society, social workers serve a multicultural and international client base (Suuramond, 2010).

Planned motherhood and culture of Pakistan

Islam’s position on family planning and the circumstances under which it can be practiced has a direct bearing today on how Muslim countries can achieve their development goals, including the ICPD goals. The ICPD Programme of Action acknowledges that the implementation of its recommendations “is the sovereign right of each country, consistent with national laws and development priorities, with full respect for the various religious and ethical values and cultural background of its people, and in conformity with universally recognized international human rights. Organized family planning programs that provide modern contraceptives and related services have become increasingly common worldwide in the last 40 years. These programs have aimed to improve the health of women and children and to slow population growth in countries where rapid population growth is seen as a barrier to socioeconomic development (Fahimi, 2004).

The need to address the concerns of women in international development has been well publicized since the United Nation’s Women’s Year (1975) and the following Decade for Women (1976-85). It was shown that women and children are the most vulnerable to the adverse consequence of diversion of resources from health and education and withdrawal of subsidies from food, medical care and education. In poorer areas, this leads to underdevelopment, poverty, hunger, disease, and is associated with high birth rates. Among the worst cases is Pakistan. At the global level, Pakistan is categorized among the lowincome economies of the world with one of the highest rates of population growth and high fertility (NIFC 1998). At the time of Independence, August 14, 1947, Pakistan’s population was 32.5 million. Today, the population is greater than 134 million (UN ESCAP 1998). This makes Pakistan the ninth most populous country in the world with a growth rate estimated around 2.9 percent per annum. At this rate of growth, the population of Pakistan will double in the next 23 years. Pressure caused by high population growth rates affects the quality of life, as measured by social and economic indicators such as the number of people adequately fed and their health, housing conditions, and literacy/educational attainment. In 1997 Pakistan's economy already suffered from serious and unsustainable macroeconomic imbalances. The labor force is largely illiterate and labor productivity is low. Poverty is widespread and stark gender inequalities characterize the economic, social, and political spheres of life. The market-oriented economy is male-intensive and characterized by a lack of dynamism. It is reported that “Pakistan appears locked into a stagnating economic regime, where growth and exports rely on low paid and unpaid female labor; and where women’s household subsistence production underpins the low wages paid in the productive economy"