Mothers' perceptions of social support in a collaborative housing neighborhood during the postpartum period

The postpartum period is a time of transition and potential new stresses for a mother (Crnic, Greenberg, Robinson, & Ragozin, 1984). A qualitative interview was used in this study to examine the perceptions of social support of six mothers while living in a collaborative housing neighborhood. Perceptions were defined as the internal experiences of an individual or the way in which an individual views or interprets the external environment. Themes were found about the perceptions of new mothers living in collaborative housing neighborhoods. These themes suggest that preparing for the potential social support needs of a new mother during the postpartum period is possible and advisable. However, with the complexity of the transition to motherhood, a new mother's unique circumstances and desires can not realistically expect to anticipate and meet every social support need. Consequently, in addition to preparing socially for the postpartum period, new mothers may benefit from preparing themselves for unanticipated needs and social disappointments to occur. Lastly, the overall experiences of the mothers who participated in this study illustrate that positive experiences surrounding social support is possible, making a real difference in the amount of stress and decreasing negative feelings during the postpartum period.;Furthermore, results suggest that the postpartum needs of women may be met substantially in the environment of a collaborative housing neighborhood. These results may extend to other populations, such as those suffering from loneliness, social deficits, and those suffering from developmental impairments that lead to social difficulties.