Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
INTRODUCTION
A man's work is from sun to sun, but a mother's work is never done. Being a
mother is hard enough as she has the responsibilities to raise her child with cultural
values and good education. From the day her child is born, a mother’s patience will be
tested. Being a mother means teaching your child important rules and roles of life,
learning how to be responsible of one's actions (Diranian, 2015), and teaching your child
to function independently (Bean, 2014). The role of a mother is never easy, such that she
cares not only for herself, but also for the welfare of her children.
However, there are challenges that may come to a mother if her daughter
Teenage fertility rates in the UK are amongst the highest in Europe and have not altered
significantly in the last 15 years, but the proportion of births outside marriage has risen
rapidly (Kiernan, 2013). In Poland, approximately 20,000 teenagers give birth each year.
Moreover, at least 76 out of 1,000 girls in India aged 15 to 19 become pregnant each
year, where United Nations Populations Fund reported forty-seven percent of girls are
married before the legal minimum age (Iaccino, 2012). In Brazil, mothers describe their
reactions and feelings resulting from the discovery of the pregnancy of their adolescent
daughters. All of the interviewees, although they accepted the pregnancy, demonstrated
that they had not liked receiving the news, and that it was difficult to accept the situation
(Santos, 2010).
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Among the six Association of Southeast Asian Nations major economies, the
Philippines ranked the highest rate in teenage pregnancy. According to the United
Nations Population Fund, teenage pregnancy has a huge rate in the Philippines, especially
among the poor. Two-thirds of Filipinos, who give birth before age twenty, belongs to the
low class society (Colia, 2011). The Philippines is one of the Asian countries which
shares the similar situation (Alvarez, 2016). One in ten young Filipino women age fifteen
to nineteen has begun childbearing. Eight percent are already mothers and another two
percent are pregnant with their first child (Natividad, 2013). One in five (19 percent)
young adult Filipino women age 18 to 24 years had initiated their sexual activity before
age 18. Some of them would have had their first intimate sexual act before marriage
(Recide, 2014). In the Davao Region, the number of teenagers and adolescents engaging
in sex out of wedlock remains on the rise and has become an acceptable trend among
young people (Dumama, 2013). The environment where they belong also contributes in
the development and in the decision making of the teen. Everyone and everything around
them have a great impact in their life, and as teenagers who are mostly carefree and
fearless, their decision can either make or break them (Cox, 2013).
responsibilities are added. The teenager puts her in a place where she is responsible not
only for herself, but also for another human (Nall, 2014). Others who are planning to
attend college in the future may put off that experience after becoming pregnant. A
teenager may suffer an emotional crisis, depression or neglect of the baby (Bodeeb,
2015). Teen parents often find that caring for a child makes it difficult for them to
continue their schooling. More than half of teen mothers never graduate from high
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school, and fewer than two percent have graduated from college by the time they are
thirty. Lack of schooling makes it more difficult for teen mothers to find and keep well-
paying jobs (Slocum, 2015). Teenage pregnancy is an issue that can seriously impact the
This ongoing issue does not only affect the pregnant teenager, but her mother
significant changes in the behavior of families, with the mother figure being highlighted
as a source of support and maintenance of the family structure. It has also recognized the
gestational process, with these factors considered to be decisive for the adjustment to
pregnancy and the maternal role (Fernandes, 2010). Families in which teenagers bear
wherein the adolescent's mother typically provides the primary hands-on care for the
teen's child. A mother, therefore, is the one who is greatly affected by the pregnancy of
her child. This is not only the effect; a mother’s work is also doubled because of their
hands-on care for their child. These double parenting duties can be extensive and time
consuming. As a result, it would likely interfere with or distract the mother from
monitoring or supervising her own children (Burton, 2012). The impact brought upon by
early pregnancy now greatly affects the family, especially the mother. Thus, it may be
that the time and role that demands of caring for her daughter’s child compromises a
pregnant teen. How much support is she willing and able to offer? She should be able to
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support her daughter, not only financially but also emotionally. A mother should make
sure her pregnant teenager gets good prenatal care, and listen as her daughter shares her
fears and anxieties (Dowshen, 2016). Parenthood is the leading reason why teen girls
drop out of school. Less than half of teen moms even graduate from high school and
fewer than twenty-seven percent earn a college degree. Financially, raising a child is very
expensive. There are a number of necessities required to provide a child with the best
care including diapers, food, clothing, strollers, car seats, health care, etc. With teen
parents already having the responsibility of taking care of their child, maintaining a well-
paying job in order to gain financial stability is more complicated (Chiariello &
Goldstein, 2016). Because of this, a mother must be there to support her daughter in a
The family is the central perspective in which most human progress occurs. In the
early part of the life course, the parents and other family members are in question
(Barber, 2015). Family support can serve as the foundation of security and growth for an
expectant mother and baby and it has a positive impact on the attitude of women with an
unwanted pregnancy (Kafeel, 2015). All families provide some type of support for
pregnant teenager. This occurs in several ways, either by having the adolescents that
remained single and their children in their own house, or by financial support and help in
some requirements, such as adjusting the behavior of family members to the role of
mothers. This demands changes in the life style, dedication to studies or work, with
discipline and greater intensity and consequently, restriction to leisure activities and
decrease or interruption in night life (Alvarez, Borges & Hoga, 2009). Furthermore,
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pregnant women with low support reported increased depressive symptoms and reduced
quality of life (Elsenbruch, S., et. al., 2007). Teenagers that do not have a strong family
support system are less likely to finish high school and less likely to attend college. They
will be unable to develop work skills, find childcare and are more likely to live in poverty
(Mikulak & Wolpert, 2013). A pregnant teen, therefore, will need all the help she can get
from her family, who will be her foundation of support, personal teachers, counselors,
Early childbearing may be life-threatening to both the mother and the child. The mothers
younger than seventeen face an increased risk of maternal mortality because their bodies
are not yet mature enough to bear children. These young women may not recognize the
care and endangering the health of the child and mother (Yinger N., Sherbinin, A.,
that this affects the adolescent's family, only because the new baby often becomes part of
the family household and requires a great deal of care and attention. But how adolescent
childbearing impacts the adolescent's family of origin, particularly her parents’ parenting
and her siblings’ development, has been a completely neglected area of study. The matter
that is not discussed during or even after early pregnancy is the reaction and the
challenges of the parents. There are also parents who accept and support their early
pregnant. A study found out that while all of them experienced the support of their
friends and families, some were very expressive to share their thoughts and feelings about
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the support given to them by their parents, especially their own mothers and also friends
(Bayod, 2016). However, not all parents react like this, in regards to this situation. This
study focuses on the hidden faces of parents, the challenges that they face and how they
Theoretical Lens
This study can be seen in the lens of Goode (1960), with his “Role Strain Theory”
and “Initial Stage of Critical Theory”. “Role Strain Theory” postulates that the
psychological stress associated with undertaking multiple roles impedes a person from
performing well in any role. Thus, it may be that the time and role that demands of caring
for her daughter's child compromises a mother's ability to monitor her own children's
behavior and activities. Because a mother is now hands-on with the child of her daughter,
she is unable to look after her own children. The mother of the pregnant teenager will be
hands-on with the child of her daughter. She will be the major caretaker of the child, such
The “Initial Stage of Critical Theory” of Murray & Ozanne (1991) explains the
concrete and practical problem that is focused on how teen mothers prepared materially
for their children given that they lacked the economic and social support of married,
middle-class women. Given that her daughter has not finished studying, the financial
needs will also be sustained by the mother of the teenager, because of the inability of the
teen mom supports her child for she is not a graduate yet. The mother whose daughter is
pregnant at an early age will sustain the material needs for the baby, as she has the one
who has a job and has more knowledge of taking care of an infant.
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These theories are related to this study since the pregnant teen cannot support her
child because of the insufficient educational attainment that may result to her not being
able to get a steady job (as discussed by the “Initial Stage of Critical Theory”). Her
mother is the one who is now caring and supporting for her daughter’s child. The primary
hands-on or the caretaker of the child is now the pregnant teen’s mother. Because of this,
the mother herself will have a hard time in doing multiple roles in the household, as
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the challenges and
the coping mechanisms of the mothers of pregnant teens in Davao del Sur, Philippines.
Research Questions
1. What are the challenges of the mothers whose child was pregnant at an early age?
2. How did she overcome the challenges she had encountered when her child was at
3. What insights can they give to other mothers whose child was pregnant at an early
age?
School Administrators and Staff. This helps the Cor Jesu College administrators
and staff to raise awareness of the consequences and the effects that comes with early
pregnancy. This serves as a helpful record about the existence of parents whose children
Parents. This study informs parents about the prevalence of teenage pregnancy.
This helps parents become conscious about the impact of the early pregnancy particularly
Students and Teenagers. This study brings light to students and teenagers about
the effects of teenage pregnancy. This widens the knowledge of teenagers of the possible
Future Researchers. This study helps the future researchers for them to use this
This study is limited on the mothers who have undergone the challenges of being
a parent whose daughter got pregnant at an early age. The parents were currently residing
at Digos City, Davao del Sur. This study was conducted from January to March 2017.
Definition of Terms
The following operational definitions was used in the study for further
Challenges. This refers to the financial, emotional and social burdens that the
parents have faced upon knowing that their daughter is pregnant at an early age.
Hidden Faces. This refers to the concealed feelings and opinions of parents with
Mothers of Pregnant Teens. This refers to the parents who have been
experiencing the challenges of being a mother to their daughter who got pregnant.
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This chapter presents the ideas and related literature of the study. Those that were
relevant and similar to the present study. This also includes the following variables: (1)
Teenage Pregnancy as a Social Issue (2) The Causes of Early Pregnancy, (3) The Effects
to a Mother of her Teenager’s Pregnancy, (4) Roles of Parents and (5) Consequences of
Early Pregnancy.
Since the 1950s, teenage pregnancy has attracted a great deal of concern and
attention from religious leaders, the public, policymakers, and social scientists, in the
United States and other developed countries. The continuing apprehension about teenage
pregnancy is based on the deep impact that teenage pregnancy can have on the lives of
the girls and their children (Cherry & Dillon, 2015). The issue emerged from social
invisibility during the 1950s and early 1960s, when rates of childbearing among teens
reached peaks. In 1995, teenage childbearing was labeled by President Bill Clinton as
“most serious social problem.” Before the twentieth century, early childbearing occurred
more frequently in parts of the South, in the Border States, and on the western frontier
than in the more settled and established sections of New England (Furstenberg, 2010).
Young women who only have a sister with a teenage birth have greater odds of
pregnancy than young women who have only a mother with a teenage birth. Compared
with young women with no social issue of teenage births, young women whose sister has
a teenage birth and those whose sister and mother both have teenage births have been
significantly more likely to experience a teenage pregnancy. Having both a mother and a
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sister who had have teenage births is independently associated with an elevated risk of
odds of teenage pregnancy; frequent conflict with an older sister who has had a teenage
birth was marginally associated with decreased odds of the outcome (East, Reyes &
Horn, 2007). This means that whoever has a teenage pregnancy in their family were more
The primary reason for teen pregnancy is the lack of communication between
them and their parents. This only shows how teenage pregnancy is more of a social issue
than physical or emotional one. Teens that have no strong father figure or parental
guidance will be more likely to have children at an early age. The child provides positive
regard, affection, and fulfills the social loss (Maposa, 2010). Therefore, it impacts
teenage pregnancy by showing the effects which are lack of parental guidance, sex
education, and mass media, and how it relates teenage pregnancy to foster homes.
It is often argued that teenage pregnancy has multiple results as to why it is more
prevalent. In some societies, early marriage and traditional gender roles are important
factors in the rate of teenage pregnancy. For example, in some sub-Saharan African
countries, early pregnancy is often seen as a blessing because it is proof of the young
woman's fertility. In the Indian subcontinent, early marriage and pregnancy are more
common in traditional rural communities compared to the rate in cities. The various areas
have created an educational plan for their youth, and it has helped dramatically (Cameron
& Cook, 2015). There are those who say that society can be blamed for many things, but
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teenage pregnancy is not one. Most people blame the individual teenagers for creating
teenager. With this, Filipino teens who are early pregnant mostly do not come from
wealthy families. It is more common among young adult women age 15 to 24 with less
education than among those with higher education. These teenage mothers are
predominantly poor, reside in rural areas and have low educational attainment.
(Natividad, 2012). Only about 50% of teenage mothers graduate from high school
(Manlove, Perper & Peterson, 2010) in an era when there are increasing benefits to
completing higher education (Goldin, & Katz, 2008). Young mothers and fathers are
more likely to come from economically disadvantaged families and to have lower
educational attainment. Teenage mothers are more likely to have mothers who have a
child in her teens and were more likely to have exhibited higher levels of emotional
In 2013, the Regional Health Information System showed that seventeen percent
of those who delivered with live births were ages below nineteen years old. In 2014, there
was an estimated population of more than twenty million belonging to fifteen to twenty-
four years old. Seventy-five percent of the youth were looking for romantic relationship
and thirty-seven percent said it is okay to engage in early sexual encounter (Dumama,
2015). Early pregnancy and motherhood is varied by education and wealth quintile. The
proportion of young adult women who had begun childbearing was higher among those
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2014).
growing problem in many countries, including the Philippines. One in six children of
teenage mothers has a low birth weight and is more likely to experience physical and
cognitive problems (Barnett, 1987). In addition, teen mothers are half as likely to
graduate from high school as the rest of the teen population and it is because of the lack
of financial support from parents. Even if they are married, they are 3 times more likely
to be divorced or separated than couples who married in their 20's. One study showed
that approximately 90% of the inmate population at Attica State Prison are born to
teenage mothers (Evans, 1986). Hence, the problem of teen pregnancy is both concrete
and practical.
report that teenage pregnancy results in lower educational attainment, increased rates of
poverty, and worse “life outcomes” for children of teenage mothers compared to children
of young adult women (Cherry & Dillon, 2015). Initiation of sexual activity before age
18 is more common among young adult women with less education and those in poorer
households. Facing with the predicament of the great number of adolescents who became
pregnant, some experts have come forward with an idea that these young mothers are
stressful circumstances to bear children early and often. Children who grow up in
dangerous conditions are primed to boost the chances of having their genes survive into
the next generation by choosing earlier sex, earlier motherhood and more children. Girls,
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therefore, who grow up in households where there is great emotional stress, and
especially where the father is absent, will undergo puberty at an earlier age than other
girls (Belsky, 1991). Environment at circumstances are one factor that increases the rate
Many advocates for the poor are understandably drawn to the issue, as there
Foremost among them are family planners and sex educators, who believe that the
problem result from lack of access to contraception and legal restrictions on abortion
(Furstenberg, 2010). Hence, contraceptives may be banned in some countries but it can
children's activities, and parents' values against teen intercourse (or unprotected
dangerous neighborhoods and in a lower SES family, living with a single parent, having
older sexually active siblings or pregnant/parenting teenage sisters, and being a victim of
sexual abuse all place teens at elevated risk of adolescent pregnancy. Several biological
factors (timing of pubertal development, hormone levels, and genes) also are related to
adolescent pregnancy risk because of their association with adolescent sexual intercourse
(Miller, Benson & Galbraith, 2001). Sexual communication with parent and child should
pregnant teen after childbirth. Numerous teens are doing unsafe abortion and early sexual
activities which cause the rising of early pregnancy (Gyesaw and Ankomah, 2013). Some
girls do not know how to avoid getting pregnant; this may be because sex education is
lacking in many countries. They may feel too inhibited or ashamed to seek contraception
services. Even when contraceptives are widely available, sexually active adolescent girls
are less likely to use them than adults. Girls may be unable to refuse unwanted sex or
resist coerced sex, which tends to be unprotected. Some easily point a finger to the
culture of young people as the ultimate culprit for the rising incidence of teen pregnancy.
Early pregnancy is an ongoing issue in the entire world. Although it is a typical concern,
not many individuals find it a problem; not until they are affected by the issue, or until
they understand that it has been expanding to a number of young individuals. This
ongoing dilemma is surely unplanned; therefore, people that are affected by this react to
this differently.
crowded community, semi squatter dwelling type and school disengagement. Prevalence
and limited parental guidance. Peer influences includes hanging out with wrong
teenage pregnancy that the teenage mothers experienced are family problems including
financial problems, nourishment of the child and early responsibilities. They also
experienced discrimination acts like feedback about early pregnancy and topic of rumors.
Teenage mother’s unmet goals are to go abroad, to finish their studies and to support their
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family. The coping mechanisms of the teenage mothers are getting family support,
acceptance of the phenomenon, getting support from the husband’s family and finding
employment (Menesses & Saratan, 2015). However, even though poverty is not just the
only cause of teenage pregnancy since peer influence and family problem are one of the
her other children. For example, the older daughter's early childbearing may demonstrate
to her parents’ inability to control their children's lives and life outcomes. Expectations
for their other children may yield accordingly if parents believe that they have little
control over their children's futures (East, 1999). Teenage pregnancy may allow a mother
If a mother has just learned that her teen is having a baby, she’ll probably be
experiencing a wide range of emotions, from shock and disappointment to grief and
worry about the future. Some parents feel a sense of guilt, thinking that if only they have
done more to protect their child this would not have happened. And although some
parents are embarrassed by their teen's pregnancy and worried about how family, friends,
and neighbors will react, others are happy about the news of a soon-to-be grandchild —
especially if the teen is older and in a mature relationship (Dowshen, 2016). There are
many emotions that a mother may feel when learning about the pregnancy of her teenage
daughter. Some will differ from others such that they have different reactions and
opinions.
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her other children. For example, the older daughter’s early childbearing may demonstrate
to her parents their inability to control their children’s lives and life outcomes.
Expectations for their other children may yield accordingly if parents believe that they
have little control over their children’s futures (East, 1999). Teenage pregnancy may
allow a mother to reduce their trust or their expectations regarding their pregnant
daughter.
Early childbearing may be life-threatening to both the mother and the child.
Mothers younger than 17 face an increased risk of maternal mortality because their
bodies are not yet mature enough to bear children (Sherbinin, 2000; Guttmacher, 2010;
Yanagishita, 2002). Parental reactions to the news of a teen pregnancy include denial,
guilt and anger; emotions often shared by the pregnant teen. The young father and his
family can also experience similar feelings. Depending on the family’s religious beliefs
and social network, fear of being rejected or even ostracized can come into play. Many
own parenting skills. The pregnant teen can become depressed, which can also have a
negative impact on the family’s overall emotional well-being. On the positive side, many
families reach a point of acceptance, focusing their emotional energies on welcoming the
infant and helping the teenager move forward with her life and education after the birth
(Ezell, 2017). Mothers are the ones mostly affected and are mostly experiencing anger
The mother and father are not the only ones who often end up changing their
plans for the future. Teens are generally not financially independent which means
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grandparents are often filling the gap. This can mean grandparents may shift careers or
change their own education goals to help care for the new baby. This can also mean
money that grandparents had saved for things like retirement, emergency funds or to
tackle their own debt may now be used instead to help support the new baby. In the short
term, vacations, retirement and other goals may now take a backseat to help care for the
new baby. Until the recent healthcare reforms in the US, many insurance plans did not
extend maternity benefits and care to a dependent which was an unspoken surprise to
families as they struggle to pay for all of the new expenses for a new baby (Kristy, 2017).
The mother of the adolescent is usually the one doing the overall work for the pregnant
teen.
The teen and the baby may live with the grandparents while the new mom tries to
finish her education, providing part of the care while she attends school, studies, works
and socializes. Having a baby in the house can interrupt your social life if you provide
partial or total care for the baby, make sleeping difficult and create cramped quarters in
your home with the addition of baby furniture and paraphernalia. Some grandparents find
themselves hosting the baby and both teen parents, even if they aren’t married, further
complicating the living arrangements (Barr, 2017). Therefore, the adolescents are mostly
independent and are usually needing the help, care and support of their mothers.
There are also times the grandparents will step in to help a young teen mother
support and rise her child. If these grandparents also have additional children this can
create a mirror effect. Since the energy is now focused on the new baby, additional
acceptance and tolerance of teenage sex and early non-marital childbearing. Teenage
parenting may be viewed with fewer stigmas and less disgrace by the teenager's parents.
Moreover, the daughter's early childbearing may signify to mothers the lack of real-life
options available to their daughter. As a result, mothers may rationalize their daughter's
come to believe that early childbearing is not that bad after all (Guijarro, et al. 1999).
Hence, there can be instances when a mother positively accepts the pregnancy of her
teenage daughter.
about sex and contraception with her other children. For example, mothers might be
motivated to prevent a second pregnancy in the family and might view the older
pregnancy with their other children. Moreover, mothers may feel partly to blame for the
older daughter's pregnancy and may see their lack of open communication about sex and
birth control with the older daughter as one of the factors that possibly contributed to her
becoming pregnant. These feelings may compel the mother to discuss sexuality and
contraception more openly with her other children (East, 1999). Because of the lack of
sex education of mothers to their pregnant teenager, they are mostly blamed for the
situation that happened. Some girls do not know how to avoid getting pregnant; this may
be because of sex education is lacking in many countries. They may feel too inhibited or
ashamed to seek contraception services. Even when contraceptives are widely available,
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sexually active adolescent girls are less likely to use them than adults. Girls may be
unable to refuse unwanted sex or resist coerced sex, which tends to be unprotected.
It’s not every day that a mother’s teenage daughter tells her that she is pregnant.
That same teenage daughter you thought was only interested in cheerleading and getting
good results in school. That same teenage girl who only a few short few weeks ago told
you she is not interested in having a boyfriend. Hearing such life-changing news can be
overwhelming to hear. In this situation, if you are not excited about this news, it’s very
easy for the unhealthy emotion of anger to burst forth. In this situation you can go from
calm to angry and shocked in a fraction of a second. Your instant reaction might be to
proclaim how “stupid and irresponsible” she is, how “this is a massive mistake” and she
is “ruined her life;” let alone how you “never thought you’d do this to me!” But these
words would be best unsaid at this moment. This is really not the time for blame and
be best saved for when you are both calm and have had time to process this new
information (Coster, 2013). When the daughter tells a parent or a mother that she is
pregnant, other parents would possibly get angry and mad. They would most possibly
consider the child as a mistake; but the best thing to do in the current situation is to be
Pregnancy can be one of the most difficult experiences a teenage girl ever faces.
Understand how to support your daughter as she deals with teenage pregnancy. Teenage
pregnancy is often a crisis for a young girl and her family, as well as the baby's father and
his family. Common reactions might include anger, guilt and denial. Your teen might also
experience anxiety, fear, shock and depression. In addition to talking to you, encourage
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your daughter to talk about the options with the father of the baby and his parents or
psychologist or social worker might be helpful, too. Also, keep in mind that in some
states, a pregnant teen is considered to be an emancipated minor who has the right to
make her own decision about her pregnancy (Stevenson, 1999).Talk to your daughter
about what she is feeling and the choices ahead. She needs your love, guidance and
Roles of Parents
Early pregnancy calls for greater involvement of parents in early sex education.
The issue stems from the reluctance of parents to engage in sex education talks with their
children from an early age (Sukhnandan, 2014). Parents seem too uncomfortable to deal
with the issue leaving it to peers to tell them about it. Parents can actively involve in sex
education in a number of ways. It is advised that parents could talk to their child/children
as early as possible about sex and its consequences, be an open parent so that the child
Other ways of being involved include: being a parent with a point of view,
expressing views on how one feels about the topic at stake, and to implement rules so as
to establish a common ground. Teenagers can also play a vital role in reducing the
number of teenage pregnancies, by educating themselves about sex and its consequences
The role of the parents about the development of the children’s sexuality is also
explore the parent’s predictions and to gauge parental preferences. Parents in the study
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felt relatively knowledgeable and confident discussing sexuality topics with their child,
although they noted that there were topics they would not feel comfortable talking about.
The extent to which the parent felt knowledgeable and comfortable in educating their
child about sexuality and their use of effective parenting strategies were significantly
related to parental confidence. (Morawska, Walsh, Grabski & Fletcher, 2015). Parents are
not comfortable with discussing children’s sexuality but it helps parental confidence.
In the Philippines, some teenagers would have their first intimate sexual act
before marriage. It is more common among young adult women age 15 to 24 with less
education than among those with higher education (44 percent for women with
elementary education versus 21 percent for women with college education). Early
childbearing is also more common in Caraga and Cagayan Valley than other regions
(Natividad, 2012). Teenagers who have less educational background are more prone to
exercises, and guardians' qualities against teenager intercourse diminish the danger of
research results about parent/tyke sexual correspondence and youthful pregnancy hazard
lower SES family, living with a solitary parent, having more seasoned sexually dynamic
kin or pregnant/child rearing high school sisters, and being a casualty of sexual
Henderson, Wight, & Nixon, 2011). Closeness of parents to their kids has a role in
A few guardians are uncomfortable or reluctant to chat with their tyke about
sexual movement. Different guardians trust that discussing sex goes about as
authorization or energizes sexual action in their kids. These are myths for conversing
with your kids about sex does not urge them to wind up for them to become sexually
active. Another vital thing for guardians to recall is role modeling. A parent's conduct
ought to coordinate with their words. The "do as I say, not as I do" approach will greatly
affect adolescents who are watchful and consistent spectators of the grown-ups in their
lives (Miller, Benson & Galbraith, 2013). In the city of Cuenca, the views of parents of
the pregnant teens are given more light where four group discussions were formed along
with the parents of high school students. Parents are strict in sexual activities and are also
having the view of sex as very dangerous due to their traditional religious ideas (Jerves,
et. al., 2013). Guardians who are strict about sexual activities to the children may have a
There are also many years of research about family, and particularly, parental
impacts on the danger of young people getting to be distinctly pregnant. As per the
Guttmacher Institute, adolescent pregnancy rates gradually declined start in the mid-
1990s. They achieved their lowest point in the late 1990s since they were initially
measured in the mid-1970s. Most of the decrease in teenage pregnancy rates were
because of more predictable contraceptive utilize; the rest was because of higher extents
of adolescents postponing sexual action. Be that as it may, surprisingly since the mid-
1990s, general teenage pregnancy rates expanded in 2006, rising 3%. It is too early to tell
whether this inversion is essentially a transient vacillation or the start of a long haul
increment.
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The peer of the adolescent who also experiences teenage pregnancy can offer a
more efficient support for she can fully understand the positive and negative experiences
of the teen than the friend with no experience. The study hypothesized that adolescents
would use the online message boards to ascertain friendship and to discover society
support. In the findings of this study, there is mostly positive support with the parents
than the peers. So the study concluded that the relationship with parents can have more
positive effect in terms of supporting the adolescent than the peers of the adolescent.
Adolescents would use these sites primarily to establish friendships and develop a
(Greenfields & Sherman, 2013). Fathers are important in their daughters growing-up
stage, especially on the teenage stage. Male involvement activities, benefits, barriers, and
proposed solutions for increasing male involvement during pregnancy were found out. A
and viewing frequency (Alio, Lewis, Scarborough, Harris & Fiscella, 2013). Support
from parents is not only essential to the teenage daughter, but it also helps in giving
positive outcomes.
For some adolescents, pregnancy and childbirth are planned and wanted, but for
many they are not. Adolescent pregnancies are more likely in poor, uneducated and rural
By contrast, some girls may face social pressure to marry and, once married, to have
children. More than 30% of girls in low- and middle-income countries marry before they
are 18; around 14% before they are 15. Teenagers need proper counseling and support
from their families (Meneses & Saratan, 2015). Unwanted pregnancies to some teenagers
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bring not only challenges but also struggles. This means that she will need all the family
Motherhood is a significant and important aspect of life for many women around
the globe. For women in communities where motherhood is highly desired, motherhood
developmental stage of teenagers’ lives, has been identified as having adverse social and
and a sense of purpose for young mothers. The young mothers indicated they received
good support from their mothers, siblings and close friends, but rarely from the father of
their baby and the wider community (Liamputtong, Michael &Watts, 2015). With the
start of motherhood, also starts a greater responsibility. A mother may have the support of
At an early age, most teens in the Philippines are experiencing teenage pregnancy.
The consequences of being a pregnant teen are experiencing family problems including
financial problems, nourishment of the child and early responsibilities. Teenage births are
associated with lower annual income for the mother. Eighty percent of teen mothers must
rely on welfare at some point. They are more likely to drop out of school with only about
one-third of teen mothers obtain a high school diploma. Parenthood is an event that
radically affects the life of the mother. The demands of a child simply cannot be ignored
without risk. Thus, the timing of parenthood relative to other career lines is a major
interdependent career lines and explore the interrelationships among events in these
25
different domains. The ultimate test of the importance of timing and sequencing of events
is the economic circumstances of the individual at some later point in life, in particular,
own income, income of other family members, poverty status and welfare dependence
(Swierzewski, 2000). Because she is still a teenager, a pregnant daughter depends on her
mother. Hence, the mother of the pregnant teenager may have problems in sustaining
very crucial and problematic in the society nowadays. There are positive and mostly
negative effects of their pregnancy in their lives. Since the parents of the adolescents are
Service providers and policy makers should support the role of the young
mothers’ own mother, sisters, their grandmothers and aunts following early motherhood.
Such support from significant females will help facilitate young mothers’ re-engagement
with education, work and other aspects of life. For young migrant mothers, this is
particularly important in order to facilitate settlement in a new country and reduce the
Therefore, government agencies can help mothers and their teenage daughters in a way
Among pregnant youth, relationships with parents and romantic partners are
correlated with overall wellbeing. However, this relationship does not exist with friends.
Friends who have also experienced a pregnancy, however, may offer more effective
support than friends who have not. One way that pregnant and mothering adolescents can
26
connect is through the online world. In communities where pregnant teens and teen
mothers are in the majority, messages are predominantly positive. The dynamics of these
message boards indicates the possibility that social support from other pregnant or
mothering teens may enhance the wellbeing of pregnant teens and explain why peer
“support” from teens who have not had this experience may often have a negative
influence on wellbeing.
The peer of the adolescent who also experienced teenage pregnancy can proffer a
more efficient support for she can fully understand the positive and negative experiences
of the teen than the friend with no experience. Adolescents would use the online world to
ascertain friendship and to discover society support. There is mostly positive support with
the parents than the peers. So the study concluded that the relationship with parents can
have more positive effect in terms of supporting the adolescent than the peers of the
adolescent (Greenfield & Sherman, 2013). Friend or social support can surely help a teen,
but the support of a family is more needed and essential during the pregnancy of the
teenager.
Early pregnancy does not only affect the life of the teenager herself but the lives
as well of the people around her. This includes her parents, friends, relatives, education
and many more. Early pregnancy is a dilemma that families face, perhaps due to lack of
grandparental systems, the mothers are now the ones taking care of the child in such
aspects like education, shelter, food and the essential aspects of emotion. A mother must
not only be able to sustain these for the welfare of her pregnant daughter and her
grandchild, but she must also be able to sustain for her own children and her husband.
27
This only makes the responsibilities and the tasks of a mother more difficult than before.
challenges of mothers of pregnant teenagers and the coping mechanisms that they
early pregnancy.
28
CHAPTER II
METHODOLOGY
In this part of the study, the procedures and the processes on how the study was
conducted are presented. This includes the research design, respondents of the study, data
sources, data collection, data analysis, role of the researchers, trustworthiness, credibility,
Research Design
We discovered the experiences and the challenges of the participants of this study
the depths of human experiences through the descriptions provided by the people
involved. Qualitative phenomenological research tries to dig out how people construct a
meaning or understanding about their real experiences (Cohen, Manion & Marrison;
2000; Neuman, 2006; Oakley, 2005; Polit and Beck, 2006). As this is a qualitative
analysis, the methods to analyze the data were quite different from more traditional or
approach is to identify phenomena through how they are perceived by the actors in a
situation. In the human sphere, this normally translates into gathering ‘deep’ information
challenges, and feelings during their daughter’s pregnancy. The researchers validated the
research questions to experts found in the school and created information consent for the
participants. After the casual interview was conducted, the researchers verified the
information given by the participants. In the qualitative study, the researchers used an in
individuals, one can draw out what they believe is true or real in their lives (Giorgi,
1997). The main aim of Phenomenology is “to reduce individual experiences with a
subsequently, brought about depicting the encounters and the battles of those parents
challenges, and feelings during their daughter’s pregnancy. The researchers validated the
research questions to experts found in the school and created information consent for the
participants. After the casual interview was conducted, the researchers verified the
information given by the participants. In the qualitative study, the researchers used an in-
depth description of the interview with the participant. Suggestions were also accepted by
Research Participants
The researchers guaranteed that the members of this study were the proposed
people who meet all requirements to the criteria set of this review. The inclusion criteria
of qualitative research will be the selected mothers who have daughter at an early age of
thirteen to eighteen years old. They are currently residing in Digos City, Davao del Sur
and are entailed to share their “real life" experiences. The exclusion criterion included
Fathers of pregnant teens, teens aged eighteen above or thirteen lower. This qualitative
research will exclude parents who do not reside in Digos City, Davao del Sur.
Data Sampling
Purposive sampling was used in our study since our participants were selected
based on particular criteria. Purposive sampling is widely used in qualitative research for
the identification and selection of case related to the phenomenon of interest. Although
there are several different purposive sampling strategies, typical case sampling will be
used in this study. Critical case sampling is a type of purposive sampling technique that is
well as research where a single case can be decisive in explaining the phenomenon of
Data Sources
For the study, both primary and secondary data were used. The primary data that
were collected are from those parents whose daughter got pregnant at a young age. They
served as our participants and were our source for primary data. The secondary data that
were collected from our own research came from various valid sites which were accessed
31
through the use of internet, such as Google Scholar. We also gathered or collected data
from the books in the library and from our previous assignments in research. Our primary
data were all about the struggles and challenges of the parents and the coping
mechanisms that they have gone through, themselves. The secondary data showed the
scale or rate of early pregnancy in our country and as well as in the whole world. The
primary and secondary data were completely collected and compiled to cover every
aspect of the study. The data that were used in combination as per need of this study;
these also have different merits and demerits and served our purpose of the research
study.
Data Collection
Informant Interviews (KII) with eight (8) to ten (10) participants (Marich & Howell,
2015; Thelin, Lungdren & Hermansson, 2014). This type of method is much more useful
for this is a qualitative in-depth interview with people who know what is going on in the
community. The purpose of the key informant interviews is to collect information from a
wide range of people, including community leaders, professionals, or residents who have
first-hand knowledge about the community. We had three criteria for the participants in
using the KII. The participants should have the credibility, knowledgeability and
willingness to respond with us during the interview. Before conducting our interview, we
first sent a letter asking permission for an interview with our participant, and if possible,
we also consulted them after sending the letter. Before conducting the interview, we
assured the participants to have their identities confidential. If the permission would be
32
granted, we set a time, date and place for the upcoming interview. This was for the
sentences, quotes or statements that reflected the lived experience of the participants.
Mainly, we used thematic analysis which is the clustering of meaning. Thematic Analysis
experiences, or people’s views and perceptions (Ugarriza, 2000). After we identified the
significant statements, the researchers grouped these statements into themes. Themes
bring meaning identity to a recurrent experience and its various manifestations (DeSantis,
2000). The data that was collected with mothers were analyzed in a similar way based on
a three-stage procedure: preparing the data for analysis by transcribing, reducing the data
into themes through a process of coding and representing the data (Colaizzi, 1978).
All the said data in the study were highly systematized from the respondents
participants were meticulously demanded. When we conducted the interview, some of the
researchers were the interviewer, recorder, transcriber, translator, analyst, interpreter, and
the listener. The interviewer was entrusted to pay attention and compassionately respond
with the participants’ experiences and struggles regarding the mother whose child was
Trustworthiness
positivists, perhaps because their concepts of validity and reliability cannot be addressed
in the same way in naturalistic work (Shenton, 2004). To ensure the trustworthiness of
this study, we validated the interview guide questions to experts found in the school.
Since the topic of early pregnancy is quite sensitive, the researchers made sure that they
showed empathic behaviors, positive concern and acceptance to the participants. We, the
researchers, also showed patience and understanding throughout the whole interview.
Credibility
our school. Besides this, we also started a prolonged engagement to the participants for us
participants and the researchers. We also included the complete and exact narration of the
participants’ experiences and challenges and not just a brief statement. We verified the
statements of the participants to fill any gaps from the previous interview. Trust is an
important aspect of the member check process. We also accepted scrutiny by colleagues
34
and experts. The fresh outlook enabled us refine our methods and develop a greater
Transferability
concerned with the extent to which the findings of one study can be applied to other
situations. The researchers made sure that we followed the proper procedure and
guidelines in conducting the qualitative research. We also made sure that the description
Dependability
experiences toward her daughter’s pregnancy. In this research, we gave our trust and
sincerity to the participants as they narrated and relived their experiences with struggles
and difficulties. We also checked the consistency of the information that we gathered.
Confirmability
perspective to the study. Confirmability refers to the degree to which the results could be
interpretation and analysis of data shared by the parents, the researchers kept the records
of the interview especially those that have signatures of the said participants. This was
done so that the reader can refer to those exact words of the participants. The researchers
Ethical Consideration
There are many ethical challenges that have implications in doing qualitative
research because of the unpredictable nature of the study (Houghton, Casey, Shaw, &
Murphy, 2010). In our study, we dealt with the parents of teenagers who have been
impregnated at an early age which is a topic that is most likely sensitive to the
participants.
part of the research. The consent form contains the benefits, risks and information that of
the research so that the participant would be well-informed and knowledgeable of the
research.
‘Anonymous’. We made sure that the participants would be codenamed during the
recorded interviews, whereas the codenames would be used throughout the recording of
the whole research. The information that they gave to the researchers would be protected.
This would ensure privacy and confidentiality between the researchers and the
participants. The records of the participants were also safely hidden such that nobody
would have any access to them. If the participant felt uncomfortable during the interview,
with the participants, since we were dealing with real life experiences that were sensitive
to the participants. The statements mentioned above were strictly observed and the
researchers put into their mind that they were collecting data from people and about
them.
36
CHAPTER III
RESULTS
After the conduct of the in-depth interview, data were collected through thematic
analysis. In this chapter, results are presented into two clusters according to their research
questions. First, the experiences and challenges of the mothers whose child was pregnant
at an early age were discussed. Second, the mothers discussed how they have overcome
the challenges they encountered when their child was pregnant at an early age.
the questions were: feelings as a mother of a pregnant teen, pressure they have
experienced from relatives and friends, the struggles they have encountered as a mother
with a pregnant teen, the coping mechanisms they used in facing the pressure, and pieces
of advice that they can give to other mothers whose child was impregnated at an early
age. Seven themes emerged and these were: Emotional Distress, Criticism, Financial,
Emotional Distress. Three out of nine informants had a hard time in accepting
the condition of their child. By their virtue that they are the mother, acceptance was
somewhat the only thing they could do. A participant expressed her feelings that when
she discovered her daughter was pregnant, she cried for a very long time for that was the
only thing that she could think of doing at that very moment (KI5, 1.1).
37
Participants revealed that acceptance was too hard at first because of the fact that
they got pregnant at a very young age. Anger and worry were also present, having the
fact that they are still teenagers who may tend to be irresponsible at times. “Sobra pa sa
kasuko, Ako gyung gihilakan ug gikasaban jud nako siya. (More than angry, I really
cried and I really scolded her)”, one participant said, describing her feeling when she first
Another participant also revealed that she was angry because the man who
impregnated her daughter was a relative,” Suko kaayo ko oy, kay bata pa lagi. Mao pay
pag-college tapos lain kaayo kay paryente ra namo ang lalaki (I was really mad because
she was still young. She was just starting college and it was really disturbing because the
rumors about them being irresponsible in taking care of their child. Mothers are often
blamed for not looking after their own children. “Bata pa kayo nabuntis. Sa akoa ang
impact, ang blame diri sa akoa kay tungod sa kabatan-on wala naatiman sa ginikanan
(Because the daughter is still a teenager, neighbors tend to put the blame on the mothers)”
(KI7, 1.2).
There was also another participant that stated that rumors were present but she
would rather not think of the problem and would rather think of something else. She
further explained why she does this, “Naa koy nadungog nga mga istorya pero gibalewala
nako kaydili man sila ang gagunit sa kaugmaon sa akong anak (I had heard stories but I
just ignored it because they aren’t the one who are raising my child or holding her
future)” (KI9,1.2). The participant explained that rumors are present, but it would be
38
better to not think of it because neighbors or rumor-spreaders are not the ones raising her
Lastly, one participant stated that rumors and criticism were present because of
the fact that the couple are relatives, “Daghan sad ko ug nadungog na istorya. Grabeng
kasuko nako sa kaparyentihan kay gibuyag nama nsila sauna nya wala nipatuo (I also
heard many rumors. I was really mad at my relatives because I forced them to stop their
Financial. Since the pregnant teenagers continue to reside within their family of
origin, mothers are employing grand parental childrearing systems, wherein the
adolescent's mother provides the primary hands-on care for the teen's child. Because of
this, most of the participants stated that they are the ones who also support for the
financial needs of the child and of the pregnancy of their daughter (KI2, 1.3, KI5, 1.3,
KI7, 1.3).
A participant shared that the mother of her daughter’s male partner would not
help in the financial needs of the pregnancy, “Problema kaayo kay kami raman nag
gastoato. Ang mama sa lalaki kay dili man managot (It was really a problem because we
were the only one who paid for the expenses. The mother of the boy didn’t take their
responsibility)” (KI2, 1.3). This means that the mother paid all the expenses without the
help from the boy’s side, making it harder for her as she is the one who is taking care of
Another participant stated that they had a financial problem during the birth of the
daughter’s child, “Katong pagpanganak niya kay ana ang doctor nga dapat i-cesarean siya
unya dili kaigo among kwarta (During her labor, the doctor said that she should deliver
39
the child in a Cesarean section. It became a problem because our money was not
enough)” (KI5, 1.3). There were also problems during the pregnancy of the teenager
because of the state that she (daughter) had to undergo Cesarean. This also became a
problem to the mother as she was the one paying for the expenses.
Shifting Attention. To cope up with the situation at hand, most mothers shifted
their attention to something else rather than think of their daughter’s pregnancy. Even
though they were still pained by the pregnancy of their daughter, they still managed to
live with it and it was by putting their attention to taking care of their other children, as
stated by some of the participants, “Hilak-hilak gyud ko oy, ako nalang gituon akong
atensyon sa uban nakong anak (I really cried, I just focused my attention to my other
kids)” (KI7, 2.1). Because she was still a mother to her other children, she put her
Another participant coped up with the situation by doing some of her work,
“Nadugayan gyud ko ug move on, sakit siya. Galimpyo-limpyo lang ko diris balay para
maulian (It took long for me to move on, it was painful. I just did some household chores
Friends and family also came in the picture, as social interactions helped them to
vent out their feelings and forget the situation, even for a little while. Participants stated
that friends helped them cope up with the situation, “Nagsuroy-suroy nalang ko sa mga
silingan (I just went to my neighbors’ house)” (KI1, 2.1). One participant shared that she
just bonded with the community and just lived in the moment to forget about the
sa mga barkada (I didn’t mind the problem. I just lived in the moment to forget what
happens and bond with the community especially my friends)” (KI5, 2.1). Lastly, a
participant coped up because she also had help with family, “Gitabangan rako sa pamilya
tapos gi-settle ra namo sa pamilya (My family helped me the most and we settled it
Lastly, another participant also said that in order for her to cope with her
daughter’s pregnancy, she even encouraged her to continue her studies, “Para maulian ko
kay gi encourage nako siya na muskwela ug padayon (To cope up with the situation, I
encouraged her to continue studying)” (KI9, 2.1). This helped her as it became a
reassurance that her daughter will still finish her education even if she was impregnated
at an early age.
Take Responsibility. Their pregnant daughters are still teenagers. This means
that they will need all the help they can get in raising the child. This also means that they
should accept their daughter and the responsibilities that come with it. One participant
stated that there was always pain and anger in the beginning, but she still accepted the
responsibilities that came with being a mother, “Naa man mga ginikanan na masuko pero
dawaton kay atoang anak mana (Other parents would get mad but in my case, I would
A participant also stated that since it is her child, she would accept the
responsibilities and provide the emotional needs that her daughter requires, “Gidawat sa
dakong kasayun, responsibilidad man nako nga muatiman sa anak (I accepted it with a
Another participant also advised that they should be ready not only for the
emotional aspect of the daughter’s pregnancy but that parents should also be prepared for
the financial aspect, “Mangamdam jud sila para sa gastuhanan sa pagpanganak (They
need to be prepared for the upcoming expenses)” (KI2, 2.2). There are plenty of expenses
that come with the daughter’s pregnancy; from just the birth of the child, to providing
food and supporting for the education, one must surely be ready for the responsibilities
that come.
One participant also stated that parents must be practical, “Be practical.
Masakitan man ka pero dapat practical gyud kay masking unsa pay mahitabo sa imong
anak kung magpadala ka sa imong emosyon (Be practical. A mother would still be pained
by what will happen but she will need to be practical no matter what may happen.)”
(KI10, 2.2).
Acceptance. As a parent who takes care of her daughter and the child inside of
her, a mother should avoid scolding and must accept her daughter whole-heartedly, as
Parents should first understand their daughter and why it happened before
scolding or getting mad at her. They must not jump to conclusions and first understand
her daughter’s point-of-view, “Pangutan-on sila ngano ngna in ana sila, dili kasab-an ug
padayonon pa ug paskwela (Ask them of what happened to them. They should not scold
them and just let them continue their studies)” (KI9, 2.2). She also stated that they should
also allow their daughter to continue studying after the pregnancy because it would be a
reassurance that her daughter would finish her education. It would also help the daughter
42
in coping up with her pregnancy and would encourage her more to achieve her goals,
“Dili lang sila masuko sa bata (Well, they shouldn’t be angry with the child)” (KI3, 2.2).
participant’s daughter is impregnated. It could surely affect and impact the mother
because of the negative effects it brings. The only thing a mother can do to help her with
the situation is to forget the rumors or the opinions of neighbors. One participant advised
that parents should not be affected by the rumors that they hear and that they should not
be shy of their community, “Dili maulaw sa katilingban kay mao ray maka daot sa
kaugmaon sa ilang anak (They shouldn’t be shy to the community or rumors because it
Another also explained why parents should just forget or disregard rumors,
“Dapat sad na dili ka magpadala sa mga chismis kay makalain ug samot sa buot (She
should also forget about rumors and not listen to it because it will only cause a mother to
CHAPTER IV
DISCUSSION
The result of the study delved into Challenges of the Mothers of Pregnant Teens,
their Coping Mechanisms, as well as their Insights to Parents whose Child was
Impregnated at an Early Age. To know more about the challenges of the mothers, sub-
questions were asked, specifically their feelings as a mother of a pregnant teen, the
pressure they have experienced from relatives and friends, the struggles they have
encountered as a mother with a pregnant teen, the coping mechanisms they used in facing
the pressure, and pieces of advice that they can give to other mothers whose child was
impregnated at an early age. In our study the most common struggles were:
Emotional Distress was the first thing that most of our participants felt when they
learned about their daughter’s situation. In this kind of circumstances, the mother is the
one who is greatly affected by the pregnancy of her child. All of the participants have
different reaction. Most of the parental reactions to the news of a teen pregnancy included
denial, guilt and anger. Emotions are often shared by the pregnant teen. A participant
revealed that when she discovered her daughter was pregnant, she cried for a very long
time for that was the only thing that she could think of doing at that very moment. Some
parents felt a sense of guilt, thinking that if only they had done more to protect their
child, this would not have happened. Many parents of a pregnant adolescent perceived
the situation as a negative reflection on their own parenting skills. (Ezell, 2010). Having
the fact that their daughter got pregnant when they were still on their supervision was
44
somehow a mock on their parenting guidance. Being a mother means teaching your child
important rules and roles of life and learning how to be responsible of one's actions
(Diranian, 2015). Given the fact that their daughter got pregnant, mothers were deeply
including rumors about them being irresponsible in taking care of their child. Many
own parenting skills (Ezell, 2010). Mothers are often blamed for not looking after their
own children. Being in a crowded community, gossips can easily be spread. The teenager
puts herself in a place where she is responsible not only for herself, but also for another
human (Nall, 2014). As a mother, her concern at the current moment is not only for her
nor her daughter but also for the unborn child. One of our participants stated that rumors
and criticism were present because of the fact that the man who got her daughter pregnant
is a relative.
Financial is also part of their struggle or challenge. With parents already having
the responsibility of taking care of their daughter’s child, maintaining a well-paying job
in order to gain financial stability is more complicated (Chiariello & Goldstein, 2016).
Since the pregnant teenagers are continuing to reside within their family of origin, most
of the participants stated that they were the ones who also support for the financial needs
of the child and of the pregnancy of their daughter. If the teenage would not receive some
financial support, they would be unable to develop work skills, find childcare and are
likely to live in poverty (Mikulak & Wolpert, 2013). A pregnant teen, therefore, will need
45
all the help she can get from her family who will be her foundation of support, personal
They also differed in terms of coping mechanism in dealing with their problem.
Hence, having their daughter impregnated at a very young age is not planned and neither
a choice made by them, but as time passed by they learned to accept their situation.
they were vulnerable. They developed coping mechanism. The coping mechanisms of the
teenage mothers were getting Family Support, Acceptance of the Phenomenon, Getting
Support from the Husband’s Family and Finding Employment (Menesses & Saratan,
2015). These mechanisms are very necessary for them to avoid negative emotional and
anxiety, and hostility in others with whom they interact (Gotlib & Meltzer, 1987).
Perhaps, not surprisingly, individuals have been found to withdraw from interaction with
depressed persons (cf. Gurtman, 1986; see Gotlib & Whiffen, 1991, for a more detailed
review of this literature). In this study, the participants said they have different forms of
Shifting Attention is part of their coping mechanism. To cope with the situation at
hand, most mothers shifted their attention to something else rather than think of their
daughter’s pregnancy. Even though they were still pained by the pregnancy of their
daughter, they still managed to live with it by putting their attention to taking care of their
other children, as stated by some of the participants. Other participants stated that friends
helped them in coping up with situation. Lastly, one participant also said that in order for
her to cope, encouraging her daughter to continue her study helped her to cope with the
46
pregnancy of her daughter. The participants did not see their situation as a hindrance in
terms of education, because it demanded changes in the life style, dedication to studies or
work, with discipline and greater intensity and consequently, restriction to leisure
activities (Alvarez, Borges & Hoga, 2009). Because of this, a teenager’s normal course of
education is hindered and responsibilities are added. The teenager puts herself in a place
where she is responsible not only for herself, but also for another human (Nall, 2014).
Other participant, focus their attention in this matter rather than continuously
The following paragraphs are the insights of our participants to parents whose
child was impregnated at an early age. Parent who undergo the same situation can relate
to each other. They could help and give advice on how to overcome such situation related
Taking responsibility is hard due to fact that pregnant daughters are still
teenagers. Being a mother means teaching your child important rules and roles of life,
learning how to be responsible of one's actions (Diranian, 2015). So they accepted their
daughter and the responsibilities that come with it. A pregnant teen, therefore, will need
all the help she can get from her family who will be her foundation of support, personal
teachers, counselors, and comforters (Loufbourrow, 2016). Family support can serve as
the foundation of security and growth for an expectant mother and baby and it has a
positive impact on the attitude of women with an unwanted pregnancy (Kafeel, 2015).
One participant stated that it is revealed that a mother’s work is doubled once the child is
born. These double parenting duties can be extensive and time consuming for the
47
mothers. As a result, it would likely interfere with or distract the mother from monitoring
or supervising her own children (Burton, 2012). This simply implies that the impact
brought upon by early pregnancy now greatly affects the whole family.
Acceptance is a need as a parent who takes care of her daughter and the child
inside of her. Most of the participants mentioned that they learned to accept their
daughter despite being pregnant at an early age. A mother should avoid scolding and
must accept her daughter whole-heartedly, as advised. Many families reach a point of
acceptance, focusing their emotional energies on welcoming the infant and helping the
teenager move forward with her life and education after the birth (Ezell, 2017). Parents
should first understand their daughter and why it happened before scolding or getting
mad at her. They must not jump to conclusions and first understand her daughter’s point-
of-view. There would be negative effects if they would not accept their pregnant
daughter. Mothers of teenage daughters who become pregnant may come to believe that
early childbearing is not that bad after all (Guijarro et al., 1999). Hence, there can be
instances when a mother positively accepts the pregnancy of her teenage daughter.
Disregard rumors is also part of their escapism. When the participants’ daughter
was impregnated, no matter how hard they tried to block those rumors out of their
community or block the possibility for their daughters’ situation to be the talk of the
town, rumors would still find its way out through revelation. Disregarding rumors
prevents them from suffering an emotional crisis, depression or neglect of the baby
(Bodeeb, 2015). An impact and negative effect has been brought and it surely affects the
mother. Forgetting the rumors or the opinions of neighbors is the only thing a mother can
do to help her with the situation. And although some parents are embarrassed by their
48
teen's pregnancy and are worried about how family, friends, and neighbors would react,
others are happy about the news of a soon-to-be grandchild — especially if the teen is
older and in a mature relationship (Dowshen, 2016). Not minding what other people will
say is a way for them not to feel sorry about their situation.
Teenage pregnancy is a problem in the family and in the society. Thus, being a
mother of a pregnant teen is a challenge and at the same time, a big responsibility.
Talking about the challenges of these mothers and dealing with the problems are hard.
However, coping with the situation is a must, so mothers have to face the challenges and
accept the fact that their child is also a mother at that moment. To be a mother of a
pregnant teen is not a reason to be depressed and to stop living. It is only a challenge and
a struggle. The experiences it brings can make them stronger and it can be an inspiration
to continue living. These facts may also fill in as a motivation to other mothers whose
daughter got impregnated at an early age. The individuals, who are in a similar
circumstance with our study participants may take after their recommendations as the
mother of pregnant teens. It is to accept the situation of their daughter’s pregnancy since
she is still their daughter. Accepting the problem can even create a more specialized bond
for the daughter and for the mother. It can mold them to be tougher, to accept reality and
to be stronger.
In any case, mothers have to know about their daughter's doings. For those
mothers whose daughter cannot thoroughly give the needs of their child since they are
still young, it is critical that the mother makes the effort to coordinate with her daughter
for them to be able to sustain and manage the child’s needs. Mothers may still have the
49
connection with their daughters in order for them to assist the child and go about as
For future researchers, further studies can be done in the way of determining
challenges and coping mechanisms of the fathers towards their pregnant teenager. Future
researchers may also further determine more challenges and coping mechanisms of
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Same with the feelings and the experiences of mothers who have a pregnant teen
daughter in this study, it is not easy and fast to cope with the situation of having a
daughter who got impregnated at an early age. There are many challenges that would be
encountered, just like financial problems, rumors, and even emotional distress. As a
mother, these challenges must not be a hindrance in taking full responsibility of taking
care of the daughter and the soon-to-be grandchild. Mothers manage the situation when
they are vulnerable and they are able to develop coping mechanisms which help them
avoid negative outcomes. The results of the study further affirmed a similar study
conducted by Coster (2013). The study and the results stated that blame and exclamations
of your disappointment are not really the right thing to do during and even after hearing
the news. Instead of exclaiming to her, a conversation might be best saved for when you
are both calm and have had time to process the new information.
50
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