Postnatal experiences of teenage mothers in selected communities in Central Region, Ghana: a phenomenological study.

BACKGROUND

Teenage childbirth is an issue of social and public health concern in Ghana, with high prevalence in some regions, including the Central Region. There is a dire need to understand the experiences of teenagers beyond pregnancies to facilitate comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and service provision. We explored the postnatal experiences of teenage mothers in five communities in the Central Region of Ghana.

METHODS

We adopted a descriptive phenomenological design. Using in-depth interview guides and pictorial diaries/guides, 30 teenage mothers who had given birth less than two years before our study, were recruited. Data were analysed thematically using a systematic qualitative-oriented text analysis with QSR NVivo 12 Pro software.

RESULTS

Teenage mothers experienced pregnancy and childbirth related complications such as postpartum haemorrhage, preterm births, and low birth weight of their babies. Socio-cultural, psychological, and economic-related experiences were also observed. Teenage mothers were inexperienced and lacked financial support after childbirth. They often depended on the microsystem consisting of the family, friends, and the children's fathers as major source of support to enable them and their babies to survive, develop, and become healthy and happy in life.

CONCLUSIONS

Teenage mothers are confronted with challenges that require the assistance of actors within the microsystem to address. We recommend that stakeholders including healthcare professionals, traditional birth attendants (TBAs), and parents be sensitive to the postnatal challenges faced by teenage mothers so that they can work at providing the necessary skills and support to enable them to cope better with motherhood.