Postpartum social support: I wish they would let me take care of my child!

Postpartum social support can sometimes go beyond its purpose. This study was conducted to examine postpartum social support from the perspective of women.

The study was conducted using a hermeneutic phenomenology approach, one of the qualitative research designs. The sample of the study consisted of women living in the western region of Türkiye who received social support postpartum. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of 2 sections. The first part included socio-demographic questions to initiate communication with women, and the second part included questions about the nature of the social support received by women. The interviews lasted approximately 30-35 minutes. The MAXQDA 2022 programme was used for the analysis, coding, and thematic formations of the data obtained from the interviews. The study concluded after interviews were conducted with 18 women.

The mean age of the participants was 27.61 years. Women's social support was expressed in three themes: postnatal experiences, feelings, and conflicts. Women mostly complained about not being able to participate in the care of their babies due to the practices of the older generation and the exclusion of their husbands. Cultural practices were a key source of conflict in postpartum support.

Social support provided by the older generation is not always desired by mothers. It is thought that social support given in line with the demands of women, by the desired people, and in an individualised manner will provide much more positive outcomes.