This qualitative study aimed to describe the reasons that motivate an adolescent to get pregnant and her expectations about the future after the child's birth. Symbolic Interactionism was used as theoretical framework and Grounded Theory as the methodological one. Eight adolescent mothers aged between 15 and 19 years who lived the experience of caring for their children took part in the study. Data collection tools were observant participation and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis revealed that becoming a mother is an experience that might be desired and even planned. Furthermore, data showed that after the child's birth, the adolescent continues to have expectations of self-realization in order to provide a better future for herself and for her child, as revealed by the categories: Making a dream come true and Having expectations about the future. The full understanding of this experience will contribute to the practice of all professionals that provide assistance to pregnant and adolescent mothers at different levels of healthcare.
Adolescent; Pregnancy in adolescence; Mother-child relations; Family relations