Abstract

Becoming a mother in a foreign land can be challenging and demanding for immigrant women and their families, and also for the professionals who support these families. In addition to the typical demands associated with raising a newborn, mothers who are immigrants confront other issues that professionals must keep in mind: a unique understanding of child development, culture differences and displacement, immigration status, acculturation stress, language as an emotional connection to the newborn, mental health, family structure, and networks of support.