“Just Trying to Make it Through”: Understanding Transitions Into Motherhood Among Young Black Women Amidst Trauma, Racism, and Structural Oppression

Abstract

This study used critical interpretive phenomenological analysis to explore the lived experiences and phenomena of motherhood of five young Black women in Pennsylvania as they transition into motherhood. The core themes that emerged were systemic inequities, kinship, survival, and apprehension around the transition to motherhood. Additional analysis suggested that racism, structural oppression, childhood trauma, healthcare coercion, perinatal mental health distress, family chaos, poverty and economic insecurity, and birthing trauma were also relevant. These findings suggest that experiences from throughout the life course, including early trauma, may influence the journey to motherhood and may be intimately connected to mental health before, during, and after pregnancy. If clinicians and policy makers can better understand the lived experiences of Black women transitioning into motherhood, they can better engage in authentic, collaborative, patient-centered care.