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

Our 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.