Beyond barriers-tradition as toolkit for navigating motherhood among Vietnamese migrant perinatal mothers in...

Expecting a baby often brings uncertainty and worry, which may be heightened when women experience pregnancy or childbirth in another country, particularly where prevailing healthcare beliefs and practices diverge from those of their home culture. While research has identified various difficulties and negative experiences among migrant pregnant and postpartum women residing in Western countries, the present study examined the experiences of migrant pregnant or postpartum women with a focus on coping and adaptive strategies. Specifically, this study examined how Vietnamese-born women in Australia negotiated cultural practices, family advice, and maternity care. We recruited 12 Vietnamese women (M_age = 34, SD = 3.11; range = 29-41), who were pregnant (n = 4) or had given birth (n = 8) for the first time in Australia, within the past 12 months. Reflexive thematic analysis on data from online semi-structured interviews revealed three main themes: 1) Negotiating diverse cultural knowledge, 2) Navigating relational harmony and social expectations, and 3) Showing resilience through the adaptation of cultural practices. The findings suggest that some perinatal women might already demonstrate flexibility in selecting and integrating advice and practices from diverse medical and cultural traditions. Participants filtered advice from multiple sources, prioritised perceived safety, maintained family relationships through respectful negotiation, and selectively continued practices that supported cultural identity and belonging. Broadly assumed population-level cultural differences may not apply uniformly to the experiences of individual perinatal women, underscoring the need for researchers and service providers to engage with clients' specific contexts and perspectives.