Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2019

Journal / Book Title

Children and Youth Services Review

Abstract

Foster youth become pregnant at 2–3 times the rate of the general U.S. adolescent population. Yet, there is a dearth of literature exploring experiences of pregnancy and birth among such young women. This phenomenological study included 18 in-depth interviews with six mothers aged 19–22 years in or transitioning from foster care. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the specific phenomenological method used in this study, proceeded through six steps: 1. reading and re-reading; 2. initial noting; 3. developing emergent themes; 4. developing superordinate themes; 5. repeating steps 1–4 for each case; and 6. developing a set of final themes. This process yielded three themes characterizing how young women in foster care experience the phenomenon of pregnancy and birth: 1) Personal Pain, Personal Renewal; 2) Unplanned Pregnancies, Intentional Births; and 3) Powerful Bodies, Powerful Families. Findings extend the existing literature on adolescent pregnancy and childbirth, particularly among foster youth; related implications are discussed.

DOI

10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.01.007

Published Citation

Aparicio, E. M., Shpiegel, S., Grinnell-Davis, C., & King, B. (2019). “My body is strong and amazing”: Embodied experiences of pregnancy and birth among young women in foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 98, 199-205.

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Social Work Commons

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