The objectives of this study were to identify the meanings attributed by adolescent mothers towards care for their babies and self-care, and to identify what they recognize as difficulties during their postpartum period and concerning caring for their respective babies. This study used a qualitative approach that took place in a maternity hospital that attends women through the Brazilian National Health Care System (Sistema Único de Saúde) from January to March of 2005. The subjects were 22 adolescent first time pregnant women. The data was collected via semi-structured interviews, recorded, and submitted to posterior thematic content analysis. Maternity is understood as a psychological, social, and physical change with maternal care as a duty to be exercised, taking priority when compared with self-care. The lack of experience, information, and their financial situations were pointed out as the main difficulties to care, with family listed as support. Society underestimates the adolescent's capacity to care for the child, needing to create strategies for developing the adolescent's autonomy in order that she actively assume her maternal responsibilities.
Women's health; Adolescent health; Postpartum period; Self care