“Whose mother am I?" Maternal identity reconstruction among bereaved mothers of infants who died of SIDS

The term sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) refers to the unexpected and medically unexplained death of an infant, typically during sleep. This study examines how maternal identity is reconstructed among 14 Jewish Israeli mothers who experienced the loss of a baby to SIDS. We began with the assumption, well-grounded in modern grief models, that loss undermines the bereaved identity and in the case of SIDS the undermine of maternal identity is likely to be intensified due to the perceived failure to protect the infant, the ambiguity of a medically unexplained death, and often the dismissive societal responses. Drawing on in-depth semi-structured interviews and employing a narrative analytic approach, the findings reveal that reconstruction of maternal identity is a dynamic, non-linear process that oscillates across three dimensions adapted from Van Gennep’s rites of passage framework: separation, liminality, and integration. The third dimension is conceptualized as a continuum ranging from a split maternal identity to a more integrated sense of self–a unified maternal identity. Implications for mental health professionals supporting bereaved mothers are discussed.