Purpose: Nowadays most children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are expected to survive to
adulthood. The healthcare focus needs to pay close attention to the important developmental tasks
during their growth process. The women with CHD face some challenges in their critically developmental
stages during pregnancy, delivery, and even motherhood. The lived experience of being a mother needs
to be further concerned. This study aimed to explore the lived experience of first-time mothers with
CHD.
Methods: Descriptive phenomenological design was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted
from April to August 2018 with 11 primiparous women with CHD, who were recruited from the
pediatric and adult cardiology outpatient departments at a medical center and who had a child aged
between 6 months and 3 years. Giorgi's phenomenological analysis method was employed.
Results: Six main themes arose from the analysis: (1) recognizing pregnancy risks, (2) performing selfcare
for health, (3) building self-worth from my baby, (4) adapting to postpartum life and adjusting
priorities, (5) enjoying being a first-time mother, and (6) the factors contributing to success in high-risk
childbirth.
Conclusions: The experiences that occurred prior to and after labor that were identified in this study can
assist women with CHD to more capably prepare for and understand the process of becoming a mother,
including recognition of the importance of a prepregnancy evaluation. The findings of this study can help
women with CHD to better understand the path to becoming a mother and prepare themselves for the
challenges that lie ahead.