The paradox of family support for young mothers: An interpretive phenomenology analysis

• Published date: 01 October 2023
• Author: Casey M. McGregor,Joyce A. Arditti
• Date: 01 October 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12800

RESEARCH

The paradox of family support for young mothers:

An interpretive phenomenology analysis

Casey M. McGregor

1

|Joyce A. Arditti

2

1

Department of Pyschology, Counseling, and

Family Science, Lipscomb University,

Nashville, TN, USA

2

Department of Human Development &

Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg,

VA, UK

Correspondence

Casey M. McGregor, Department of

Pyschology, Counseling, and Family Science,

Lipscomb University, 1 University Park Drive,

265 Ezell, Nashville, TN 37215, USA.

Email: casey.mcgregor@lipscomb.edu

Abstract

Objective: We sought to illuminant the lived experiences of

becoming a mother during adolescence within the context

of multigenerational family caregiving.

Background: Adolescence is a developmental time frame

during which identity formation is most salient and char-

acterized by separation from parents (Erikson, 1968).

Teenage childbearing, then, presents a unique scenario

during which adolescent mothers and their families may

need to renegotiate autonomy and caregiving roles.

Method: Qualitative methods, and interpretive phenome-

nological analysis, were utilized to explore the lived experi-

ences of nine women who became mothers before the age

of 19 years. Mothers were recruited from rural, Central

Appalachian regions in the United States.

Results: We identified the essence of young mothers’lived

experiences regarding their receipt of caregiving during the

transition to parenthood as an adolescent. Mothers

equated instrumental and emotional support from family

with their own “lovability”and interpreted support as

indicative of their evolving competence as mothers.

Conclusions: Young motherhood appeared to be a devel-

opmental paradox in that their adolescent identity con-

flicted with their maternal identity.

Implications: Young mothers would benefit from multi-

level interventions. Instead, practitioners might consider

supporting whole families of young mothers by providing

the means to create a healthy, supportive environment for

the mother and her offspring.

KEYWORDS

gatekeeping, intergenerational families, maternal identity,

phenomenology, young mothers

Received: 15 April 2022Revised: 27 August 2022Accepted: 15 October 2022

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12800

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and

reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2022 The Authors. Family Relations published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family Relations.

Family Relations. 2023;72:1859–1874. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare 1859

The transition to parenthood is an important turning point within the life course that pro-

foundly reorganizes adult identities, behaviors, and relationships (e.g., Belsky, 1986). Despite

the purported joys of parenthood, research has consistently revealed that becoming a parent in

the United States is often experienced in conjunction with stress and other negative mental

health indicators (e.g., Epifanio et al., 2015). The gravity of transitioning to parenthood may be

even more significant for adolescents given the salience of their emerging identity development,

their need for support, and vulnerability to stress and depression (Allen et al., 1994). Indeed,

61% of adolescent mothers suffered from postpartum depression in comparison to 38% of adult

mothers (Yozwiak, 2010). Adolescent mothers may be more susceptible to postpartum depres-

sion and other negative mental health outcomes in part because they must attempt to integrate

multiple roles while also negotiating tension between their desires for autonomy from their fam-

ily of origin and their need for caregiving support (Birkeland et al., 2005). Indeed, adolescents

typically lack experience and knowledge regarding child development (Bornstein et al., 2010);

thus, they may especially require familial support as they learn to navigate parenthood with

other life demands usually present during adolescence. Dependence on family for caregiving

support, however, may present challenges for young mothers as they grapple with their multiple

identities (i.e., adolescent and mother; e.g., SmithBattle, 1996).

AUTONOMY

Identity development during adolescence often encompasses individuating from parents as

youth seek to be autonomous and decrease their attachment to immediate family members

(Koepke & Denissen, 2012). These identity shifts are not solely intrapsychic, but interpersonal,

and involve dynamic transactions between youth and their parents. The transition to parent-

hood, and young motherhood in particular, adds additional layers to identity development in

adolescence. Becoming a mother theory (Mercer, 2004) highlights the process of attaining

maternal experience and competencies, which ultimately contributes to the solidification of

maternal identity, that is, the internalization of motherhood and attachment to the infant. Ado-

lescents may be unprepared physically and emotionally to take up the maternal role

(Panthumas & Kittipichai, 2019), which has implications for the development of maternal iden-

tity and broader conceptualizations of identity development centering on autonomy from par-

ents (cf. Koepke & Dennisen, 2012). For example, teen motherhood complicates maternal role

attainment and identity development because it typically requires adolescents to draw closer,

rather than separate, from their parents due to the need for help with infant and childcare

(Panthumas & Kittipichai, 2019). Such a scenario potentially contributes to complex dynamics

regarding what it means to be autonomous and the individuation process from parents that

may be integral to the care and upbringing of young mothers’offspring. Indeed, SmithBattle

(1996) described complex family scenarios in which adolescents and their family grappled with

new responsibilities and roles brought on by teenage pregnancy and subsequent childbirth.

SmithBattle (1996) revealed two avenues that grandmothers seem to prescribe to when caring

for adolescent mothers and their children: responsive or adversarial care. Responsive care was

characterized by grandmothers who positively appraised young mothers’abilities to parent and

supported them without taking over. On the contrary, adversarial care was used to describe

grandmothers who undermined young mothers’parental responsibility (SmithBattle, 1996).

The present research sought to extend beyond the examinations of types of care performed by

grandmothers. Instead, an exploration of the experiences of young mothers as they relate to

their maternal identity within the context of familial caregiving support was considered. The

overarching research question guiding the study was the following: What is the nature of rural

young mothers’lived experiences as it pertains to young childbearing and caregiving support

within the family context?

1860 FAMILY RELATIONS