BETWEEN MOTHERHOOD AND GRADUATION: ACADEMIC AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND MOTHERS IN UNIVERSITY FROM THE COMMUNITY OF PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING COUNTRIES

Le résumé fourni par la source

Pregnant women and mothers enrolled in university programs in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), particularly those participating in international mobility programs, face academic and emotional challenges in adapting to undergraduate studies. This research aimed to analyze the educational and emotional experiences of pregnant women and mothers enrolled in university programs in the CPLP within the context of undergraduate studies. This is a qualitative study conducted with pregnant students and mothers from the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (Unilab), between November 2018 and August 2019. After obtaining informed consent, semi-structured interviews were conducted with each individual. The responses were evaluated using Content Analysis. The Research Ethics Committee of Unilab approved the project. The responses from the 28 students resulted in three categories, ranging from the psychological and academic repercussions of peer attitudes to returning to educational activities and childcare. According to an international pregnant student, the pregnancy diagnosis was marked by shock, uncertainty about childcare, and intensified apprehension due to her status as a foreigner in an adverse academic context. Furthermore, a Brazilian mother's description highlighted the premature return to classes, incomplete recovery, and an exhausting routine of caring for the baby, compromising cognitive ability, academic attendance, and performance in her undergraduate studies. It was concluded that pregnant and mothering university students from the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) face academic and emotional challenges throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period, intensified by unwelcoming attitudes in the university environment.

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