Abstract

PESCE, Luisa Ruzzarin  and  LOPES, Rita de Cássia Sobreira. "The B-Side of Maternity": A Qualitative Study from Blogs. Estud. pesqui. psicol. [online]. 2020, vol.20, n.1, pp.205-230. ISSN 1808-4281.  https://doi.org/10.12957/epp.2020.50825.

This study aimed to understand what was called by mothers, in social networks, "the B-side of motherhood". A qualitative study involving mothers' speeches, during the baby's first year of life, was extracted from 101 blogs, whose central theme was "the B-side of motherhood". The mothers' statements in the blogs were analyzed through thematic analysis and expressed feelings of helplessness, loneliness and ambivalence, characteristic of the period of dependence. There is a confrontation of the idealized social expectations regarding motherhood with the daily maternal experience with the baby, which also generates feelings of guilt for not corresponding to the social ideal. Mothers reported difficulties in dealing with the demands that permeate their personal, social and marital life. The results suggest that in blogs with explicit references to "the B side" of motherhood women talk about what normally remains hidden and denied in social discourse, thus breaking the idealized view of motherhood. Being able to speak freely about aspects of the motherhood experience usually spun off and denied - the B side of motherhood - provides, in addition to relief, a reduction of anxiety and guilt.

Keywords : b side of maternity; transition to motherhood; mother-baby relationship; blogs.

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