Introduction. The purpose of the present article is to describe the intergenerational transmission of ideas about femininity and the manner of experiencing and interpreting motherhood by women having a young child. Material and method. The empirical material for the analysis of the problem was collected on the basis of a study performed on 254 women having a young child and living in a heterosexual relationship. The selection of women for the group was targeted. The research method consisted of a Questionnaire for investigating selected experiences related to motherhood. Results. For 74% of the women, motherhood generated pleasant emotions while for 47% of them being a member of their own gender was a source of pleasant emotions. Also, 53% of the women were joyous upon finding out about being pregnant, 87% of them declared that motherhood was a source of pleasant emotions, 45% of the subjects believed that reconciling professional life with the role of a mother was the right thing to do, as many as 15% of the subjects preferred the traditional gender stereotype, while 31% of the subjects cultivated traditional social roles. Conclusions and discussion. The obtained results make one conclude that women associate motherhood with more than just effort and tiredness, but also with positive emotions, development and satisfaction at the cognitive and emotional levels.

Key words: motherhood, intergenerational transmission, identity.