RESUMEN
Adolescence is a period of rapid development where there is an acquisition of new capacities. It is a phase that presents not only opportunities for progress but also risk to health and well-being. During this stage, there is a tendency to try on various roles as adolescents struggle with who they want to be and how they want to live. This is a phenomenological study of seven adolescent mothers aimed at understanding their lived experience with regard to their pregnancy and childbirth. Themes that emerged from the data generated in the course of the various conversations with the mothers were (a) "finding encouragement" , (b) "the downside of my childbirth experience", (c) "point of no return", (d) "hope for the time to come". The participants found encouragement from their child, from their immediate family, from the father of the baby; for the married and those who are in committed relationship, from life's changes, and from themselves. Some of the negative aspects of their childbirth experience include "having to step their studies", and 'strained relationships with the people who matter". Difficulties arise from "burden of child care", specially during illness, breast feeding and financial dependency. "Loss of my youth", where the participants were forced into maturity as their perform adults roles and "feeling sorry" were the other categories under the theme downside experience. A recollection of the passed is the described in the theme, "point no return". Family problems, bad influence, bad influence and wrong choices happen to be the precursors to unintended pregnancy. Fears of the consequences of pregnancy and thoughts of abortion demonstrated that the pregnancies were unintended. Emotions felt during labor and delivery were pain, fear, loss of patience and relief. The health workers comment, instructions and actions made an impact on the labor and delivery experiences of the adolescents mothers. The theme "hope the time that is to come" describes the goals and aspirations and coping and family support needed to achieve all of they hope for their child and their own selves. A working framework was also developed towards understanding such a phenomenon,m serving as a springboard for future studies towards a grounded theory of understanding experiences of adolescent mothers. Interventions to prevent adolescents pregnancy should be utmost importance. However, when pregnancy occurs, the adolescents should be helped from pregnancy onwards. Need of a support person, efforts to lessen the pain and attempts to address the fears of the adolescent during labor and delivery can greatly improve her childbirth experience. Adolescents mother can benefit from the services rendered by health workers when they display a more caring attitude that includes providing nonjudgmental care despite the adolescent's lifestyle choices, being available and maintaining a presence for constant support and allowing the adolescent to be part of the decision-making process when possible.