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Abstract: 

In conducting her qualitative research on what mothers must do to protect their children from abuse by a partner with whom they are forced to co-parent, Fiona Buchanan asks the question, “How can knowledge of the formation of relationships between mothers and their babies in domestic violence be informed by the lived experiences, including the emotional experiences, of women ...?” In answering, she gives voice to the stories of women situated in this precarious position, showing their courage as they parent under siege, under court orders, and under duress.

Keywords: protective responses; attachment; exhaustion; isolation; appeasing and placating their partners; ongoing pressures on the mother/infant relationship; unrealistic and unattainable expectations; environment of sustained hostility

Affiliations:  1: University of South Australia.