Becoming a mother: Supported decision-making in context

Little is known about how women with intellectual disabilities make decisions in relation to pregnancy. Social support is important for mothers with intellectual disabilities in many areas. This study explored how the support network influenced the decision-making of women with intellectual disabilities in relation to pregnancy. The study extended previous research to include the multiple perspectives of mothers, personal and professional support network. A model of decision-making was constructed, with implications of how services approach working with mothers with intellectual disabilities. Using a grounded theory methodology, three mothers with intellectual disabilities, two of their family members and six professionals were interviewed about their experiences of decision-making in relation to pregnancy. The results suggested that the quality of a woman’s relationships were key to facilitating decision-making. The results highlighted the need for services to focus on creating supportive working relationships with mothers and other services involved in the parenting assessment process.