New Spaces and Possibilities: The Adjustment to Parenthood for New Migrant Mothers

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Abstract

Migrant women who become new mothers in New Zealand say their cultural needs are often not met or understood by health professionals. Funded by the New Zealand Families Commission "Blue Skies Fund", the researchers interviewed 40 Chinese, Korean, South African, British, American, Indian, Palestinian and Iraqi women about their experience of pregnancy and birth in New Zealand.The report's author Ruth DeSouza of AUT University's Centre for Asian and Migrant Health Research, makes a range of recommendations as a result of the study. These include making improvements to support services and communication, providing translations of relevant information, and above all the development of an enhanced degree of cultural comptence amongst service providers.