KENNETH A.

OLIVA STEM 11 – EULER

READING AND WRITING
MODULE 10

SAMPLE LITERATURE REVIEW

Motherhood and the Struggles we Face Personally, Emotionally, and

Against Society
Body Changes
Retrireved from: https://www.researchprospect.com/undergraduate-nursing-literature-review-sample/

A study by Ruta Nonacs (2006) indicates that body changes are a natural phenomenon that every mother goes
through during and after pregnancy, but this often causes frustration and anxiety in mothers. It has been
indicated in this study that women get frustrated when society bullies them when their body size becomes too
large and when they feel uncomfortable while sleeping and sitting.

This type of frustration and discomfort makes mothers cry and struggle to cope up with their body changes. In
support of Ruta Nonacs’ findings (2006), Christine Furber and Linda McGowan (2011, p. 437) also state that
societal views and comments play a significant role in influencing the minds of mothers regarding their body
weight and changes.

They intend to see themselves the same as society sees them that usually distress the mothers during and after
pregnancy. It could be asserted that motherhood is the most challenging or struggling phase of womens’ lives.
They feel distressed and discomfort, and because of this, additional pressures become more challenging to
process.

To give birth to a child or to become a mother without any complications is a positive experience for a mother.
However, some societal views make mothers stressed and frustrated during labor pain and even after the child’s
delivery. It is often thought that vaginal delivery is safer than C-sections and that those mothers who give birth
to a child through vaginal delivery are often perceived as being lucky (Nonacs, 2006). C-sections may have
several adverse consequences for the mothers, such as consistent lower back pain, bed rest after delivery, etc.

However, in contrast, Judith McAra-Couper, Marion Jones, and Liz Smythe (2012, p. 81) stated that some
people think that C-section is safer than vaginal delivery as it can cause body changes to sexual side-effects
and urinary retention that most of the mothers find intolerable. Regardless of how mothers give birth to their
children, they are usually anxious and distressed while thinking about childbirth.

They are not always fully aware of the pros and cons of both of the delivery processes. Ruta Nonacs (2006)
asserts that society’s perception of the delivery modes available has a significant impact on mothers’
psychology. Ruta Nonacs’ study offers a good understanding of how mothers are concerned regarding their
body changes and method of delivery, which is another contributing factor in feeling distressed in their state of
motherhood.
LITERATURE REVIEW CRITIQUE:
The sample literature review is classified as a Systematic Literature Review as the topic being
addressed falls under the healthcare and medical type of literature. Specifically, the author discusses
their researched literature about the struggles mothers face with their body changes due to society’s
perception about this topic. The author talks about every mother’s experience and struggles caused by
the changes in their body during and after a pregnancy. It is said that society pushes the narrative that
gaining weight is a bad thing for them; this led many mothers to believe that gaining weight because of
their pregnancy is abnormal and makes them frustrated and stressed about themselves. Furthermore,
it is said that societal views consider vaginal delivery as being lucky. This was a narrative that was led
to believe by people due to several adverse effects that C-sections are causing to mothers, such as
lower back pain, bed rest after delivery, etc. However, other people think the other way around. It is
said that C-section is safer than Vaginal Delivery as it can cause sexual side effects, body changes,
and urinary retention that most of the mothers find intolerable. To conclude, it was said that people are
not always fully aware of the different delivery processes. Society’s viewpoint on these topics can
heavily affect a mother’s psychological health and perception about themselves regarding their journey
to motherhood.
The sequencing of ideas in the literature review showed different literature on the topic regarding
mothers' emotional and mental struggles during pregnancy due to societal standards. Each of these
studies and literature supports Ruta Nonacs’ study other than one literature authored by Judith McAra-
Couper, Marion Jones, and Liz Smythe. The authors have contrasting thoughts on what type of delivery
is safer based on the people: Nonacs said that society views that vaginal delivery is safer than C-
sections and that those mothers who give birth to a child through vaginal delivery are often perceived
as being lucky. There were no supporting statements mentioned in Nonacs’ study on why Vaginal
delivery is safer than C-sections. In contrast, the literature authored by McAra-Couper, Jones, and
Smythe showed reasons on why the people thought that C-section is safer than Vaginal Delivery.
On the technical side of the review, there are no errors shown in the literature review. The overall
assessment is concise and straightforward and includes references for the literature and studies they
have used. In addition, it was organized in a Thematic way as the author organized the review in
different themes (which is about society’s standards on women’s bodies during motherhood and their
perception of which delivery is safer) then interconnected them together as they both fall under the
body changes that can happen to a mother during and after childbirth and the way it affects them
physically and psychologically. The literature review revolved around analyzing the content of a study
conducted by Ruta Nonacs by using different literature to back up and compare the findings to the
present literature that is related to the topic. The literature highlighted the struggles of women due to
societal standards and viewpoints about motherhood. Specifically, the way people see mothers’ bodies
during and after childbirth. These struggles were associated with biological factors or unpreventable
complexities and societal pressures. The review hopes to bring greater visibility to the hardships of
being a mother in a society that built a culture that is insensitive and cruel towards mothers. Overall,
the literature review was an exemplary piece that future researchers should look up to as it contains a
comprehensive way of showing in-depth connections between several works of literature and studies.