Shackled Love: The Lived Experience of Mothers Behind Bars from Pregnancy to Parenthood FROM PREGNANCY TO PARENTHOOD

Abstract

This study explored the lived experience of pregnant mothers behind bars. Affixed by the philosophy of Hans-Georg on hermeneutic phenomenology, individual semi-structured interviews were done with nine (9) informants. After transcribed interviews, reflection and interpretation were done with Max Van Manen’s four lifeworlds. Six major themes emerged namely: (1) “Yearning Inmate” with subthemes: (a) “Corporeal Desire”, and (b) “Familial Longingness”; (2) “The Long Journey Ahead” with subthemes: (a) “Mother’s Preparation”, and (b) “Prisoner’s Delivery Experience”; (3) “The Value of Time”; (4) “The Separation” with subthemes: (a) “Sadness vs. Security”, and (b) “Estranged”; (5) “To Light A Fire”; (6) “Somehow, Sometime, Someday” with subthemes: (a) “Hope: For Myself”, and (b) “Hope: For my baby”. Findings revealed how being a mother behind bars is no easy situation. They have several preparations to make before giving birth and just a few days after delivery, the baby is taken away. Over time, the child will no longer recognize them and so they try to mend the broken relationship they have.
Keywords: Motherhood, Imprisoned, Incarcerated, Interpretive phenomenology, Hermeneutics