Det oändliga moderskapet. Föräldrarnas upplevelser av föräldraledighet och hälsa i en könad kontext

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse experiences of parental leave, health and illness among mothers and fathers from a doing gender perspective (West och Zimmerman 1987). Individual interviews were conducted in 2012 with four mothers and four fathers living in Sweden. Data analysis was performed with qualitative content analysis. All participants shared parental leave unequally. The analysis shows three present themes. The first theme found in the material is ”Arguing for a traditional share”. It includes notions of a working father-identity that opposes the idea of men on parental leave and notions of mothers as the natural caregivers suitable to use most of the parental leave days. The second theme, ”Enriching parental leave”, describes parental leave as filled with rest, happiness and enriching relationships. The third theme, ”The never-ending motherhood”, includes experiences of illness among mothers that were related to energy draining maternity leave and reinforced gender inequality between the parents. We conclude that the unequal use of parental leave forms the basis of a gender cemented parenthood, which restricts mothers’ and fathers’ abilities to achieve their full potential for good health and well-being. Experiences of the never-ending motherhood can be health devastating for mothers, while fathers may miss out on health advantages by using no or few days of the parental leave.