<b>Adolescents mothers: the construction of their identity</b> - DOI: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v7i4.6657

Abstract

The main task of adolescence is the construction of a personal identity. Some events, such as early pregnancy, can bring risks to the identity process definition. This study aims at understanding the construction of maternal identity in 10 lower-class teenage pregnant/mothers, using a longitudinal investigation formed by a semi-structured interview and the Incomplete Sentences Quiz, with 5 phases of data collection: on the beginning of the second and third trimesters of pregnancy; on the second fortnight before and after birth, and at the end of the third month after birth. These data were submitted to a qualitative and quantitatively-interpretative analysis. The results show that: the idea of being a woman means to become a mother is maintained, the desire of becoming a mother superimposes the knowledge about the use of contraceptive methods; and pregnancy brings embarrassments, leading to an early maturity. The discussion focuses on the contradictions on the development of teenage mothers.Pregnancy in Adolescence. Adolescent. Qualitative Research