Women’s descriptions of the life-transforming experience
in becoming a mother with the concomitant growth, development,
and new self-definition are not adequately encompassed
in MRA terminology. The maternal persona continues
to evolve as the child’s developmental challenges and
life’s realities lead to disruptions in the mother’s feelings of
competence and self-confidence. The argument is made to replace
“maternal role attainment” with “becoming a mother”
to connote the initial transformation and continuing growth
of the mother identity.