Early motherhood: voices from female adolescents in the Hohoe Municipality, Ghana—a qualitative study utilizing Schlossberg’s Transition Theory

Purpose: Using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, this study explored the lived experiences of pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers coping strategies during their transition to motherhood. Methods: Based on a phenomenological perspective, this qualitative study used in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) to answer the research aim. The process of data gathering included 8 FGDs and 12 IDIs held with adolescent mothers and pregnant adolescents. Audio recordings were transcribed and imported into MAXQDA 2018 for analysis. Results: Applying the interpretative phenomenologial analysis (IPA), four key themes emerged. This included: news of pregnancy; adolescent motherhood; social support and coping strategies. The findings display female adolescents’ expressions of some of the negative aspects of motherhood they have been confronted with that have affected their lives. The dominant societal challenges posited by the adolescents included coping with economic and financial constraints, opting for unsafe abortion to reduce stigma associated with unplanned pregnancy, and managing the extra responsibility of taking care of the baby and the challenge of going back to school after delivery. Conclusion: There is the need to build social capital among community members regarding their support to improve the psychosocial well-being of adolescents during early motherhood.