Abstract:
We investigated into combining motherhood with academic life concentrating
on the struggles of student-mothers. The study adopted the mixed method
design affirming the qualitative data with quantitative data. The purposive
and convenient sampling procedures were used to select the sample from
the University of Cape Coast Distance Education, Oyoko Study Center. The
study found that majority of respondents go through academic struggles
such as inability to attend face-to-face lectures regularly because of tiredness,
sickness of child, taking baby to child welfare clinic and lack of lactating
rooms for breastfeeding of babies. To cope with the struggles respondents
relied on paid house helps, keeping children at day care centers, raising
loans and relying on husbands and friends for support. The study recommended
for the provision of lactating rooms, day care centers and counselling
services for student-mothers on all centers of the College of Distance
Education.
