Motherhood in adolescence: a qualitative study of the lived experience of participants in a perinatal home-visiting intervention.

backgroundAdolescence is a period of identity exploration. When motherhood occurs during this stage, it introduces additional complexity, as young mothers must negotiate self-perception while taking on caregiving roles. This experience is further shaped by limited preparedness, social stigma, partner absence, school dropout, loneliness, and emotional distress. To inform more developmentally attuned interventions, we explored the lived experience of adolescent mothers participating in a perinatal home-visiting program.

methodsWe recruited 72 adolescents aged 14-19 from low-income neighborhoods in São Paulo, Brazil. Most identified as Black or Brown, and all were experiencing their first pregnancy. They took part in Primeiros Laços ("First Ties"), a nurse-led program offering psychosocial support from pregnancy through the child's second year. Participants completed open-ended interviews during pregnancy and again at 3, 12, and 24 months postpartum, totaling 223 interviews. Using thematic analysis informed by phenomenology, we examined how their lived experiences evolved over time.

resultsWe identified five experiential domains: [1] Reactions to Pregnancy Discovery, marked by ambivalence; [2] Changes in Experiencing the Body, with heightened bodily awareness and, at times, emotional suffering expressed through physical sensations; [3] Forming a Maternal Identity, as prior adolescent roles were reshaped into an emerging maternal self; [4] Transformations in the Experience of Time, encompassing altered future horizons or a desire to hold onto the present; and [5] Reframing Relationships, with the child becoming a central source of meaning and emotional reciprocity.

conclusionsOur findings highlight how existential structures of temporality, embodiment, identity, and intersubjectivity shape adolescent motherhood. Pregnancy and early caregiving intensified bodily awareness and reorganized temporal perspectives, with some adolescents experiencing expanded possibilities and others a sense of stagnation. Relationships were reoriented around the child as a new experiential center. These insights suggest that psychosocial interventions should be attentive to moments when the future feels overwhelming, provide clear information that supports bodily awareness, and ensure continuity of care. A non-judgmental stance that respects each mother's values while gradually broadening life horizons may strengthen maternal competencies and expand possibilities beyond caregiving.