A Phenomenological Study of the Maternal Experiences of Korean Migrant Working Women Living in the UAE

This study aimed to explore the maternal experiences of Korean migrant working women living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to gain an in-depth understanding of the meaning and essence of these experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 Korean migrant working women who had experienced pregnancy while living in the UAE and had experience raising their children while living and working in the UAE. The collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. A total of 13 themes were identified from the participants’ maternal experiences and organized into five theme clusters. The five theme clusters were “Transition to Pregnancy and Motherhood in a Foreign Land,” “The Dual Challenges of Childbirth and Recovery in an Unfamiliar Environment,” “Struggling at the Intersection of Work and Motherhood,” “Becoming a Mother in a Foreign Country,” and “Growing into Motherhood Through Diverse Sources of Support.” The findings of this study provide an in-depth understanding of how Korean migrant working women experience and reconstruct motherhood within a migration context and provide foundational evidence for developing culturally appropriate maternal healthcare services and nursing interventions.