Exploring UP journeys among women with psychiatric vulnerability using interpretative phenomenological analysis 175 Participant 1 shared how her partner’s mother had a role in the decision-making process regarding the pregnancy. Her support helped her partner accept UP. "And at one point, I said to him: well, call your mother because I know he always listens to her, that he, well, can just have a good conversation with her. And after that phone call, he suddenly completely changed his mind, [...] then suddenly he was like, well, ‘then we'll just do this’, and um, then I also thought; ‘huh, so yeah, that was a bit strange’, but it did help in that sense indeed to really talk to people about it […]." (Participant 1) Parenthood The fourth theme illustrates how parenting began during pregnancy, as women had bonding experiences with their unborn child. The theme further describes how participants experienced the first weeks to months of parenthood compared to their expectations during pregnancy. Looking back on their pregnancy journeys, participants experienced growth on an intrapersonal level, as well as interpersonal with their partners. Reality kicking in The bodily sensations that were related to pregnancy had different meanings, as derived from the transcripts. Participants felt as if the babies were ‘real’ when they experienced their movements. Feeling the baby also enhanced the growth of the bond between the mother and the baby. Additionally, fetal movements reassured the expectant mothers of the baby’s health. "And when I started feeling it more, then it becomes… real, you know. This is real, there is really something in your belly. And as you're getting closer to the end, I do feel it more to a greater extent. Uh, throughout the whole day, it's more, well, more realistic or something like that." (Participant 2) "Because I actually found it mostly abstract. Only now, I'm starting to, I think that's why I'm calmer. He kicks all the time, so he's always busy." (Participant 3) For participant 6, fetal movements had metaphorical significance. For her, the movements of her baby created imaginations of her future.
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