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Motherhood in the shade of migration: A qualitative study of the experience of Syrian refugee mothers living in Turkey

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  • Oznur Korukcu
  • Ruveyde Aydın
  • Jane Conway
  • Kamile Kukulu

Abstract

Turkey receives the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world. Some of these refugee women become mothers in Turkey. This paper reports on a qualitative, descriptive study that investigated the experience of seven Syrian women migrants who gave birth in Turkey, and explores their experiences of transition to motherhood in a foreign country. The research identified that aspects of transition can be clustered under five main themes: difficulties during the pregnancy period, giving birth in a foreign country, problems of refugee mothers, milestones in life of refugee mothers, and influence of cultural beliefs of refugee mothers on baby care. Key findings revealed that the women in the study had negative experiences related to being pregnant and having a baby in a foreign country. In addition to identifying challenges associated with migration, such as language barriers, racism, discrimination, poverty, and separation from their culture and family, the study highlighted the fears and difficulties experienced by refugee mothers, the cultural beliefs of refugee women about caring for their babies, and turning points in the life of refugee mothers.

Suggested Citation

  • Oznur Korukcu & Ruveyde Aydın & Jane Conway & Kamile Kukulu, 2018. "Motherhood in the shade of migration: A qualitative study of the experience of Syrian refugee mothers living in Turkey," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 46-53, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:nuhsci:v:20:y:2018:i:1:p:46-53
    DOI: 10.1111/nhs.12379
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Ibrahim Sirkeci, 2017. "Turkey’s refugees, Syrians and refugees from Turkey: a country of insecurity," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 14(1), pages 127-144, January.
    3. Ying Tsao & Debra Kay Creedy & Jenny Gamble, 2015. "Emotional well‐being of Vietnamese immigrant women during the transition to motherhood: A descriptive cohort study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(1), pages 49-56, March.
    4. Dalkhat M Ediev & Mustafa Murat Yüceşahin, 2016. "Contribution of migration to replacement of population in Turkey," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 13(3), pages 377-392, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Shela Akbar Ali Hirani, 2024. "Barriers Affecting Breastfeeding Practices of Refugee Mothers: A Critical Ethnography in Saskatchewan, Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(4), pages 1-14, March.
    2. Soni Agrawal & Arghya Ray & Nripendra P. Rana, 2025. "Effectiveness of sustainability communication on stakeholder engagement: A multi‐method qualitative assessment of sustainable development," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(1), pages 820-834, January.

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