Women's Age at First Childbearing in a Brazilian Metropolitan Area: A Qualitative Approach

Andrea B. Simão, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

This work presents a study about the age at first childbirth of white and negro (black + brown) females, from 20 to 29 years-old and 50 to 59 years-old, with different educational levels, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It consists of a qualitative analysis about norms, values, and behaviors regarding the age at first childbirth. It has two main questions. First, what are the differences in the norms, values and behaviors regarding the timing of first childbirth when different cohorts of women are compared? Second, are the observed differences more pronounced due to birth cohort, educational background or race/skin color? The analysis reveals values and behavioral differences among the generations of females. For example, despite the norm spread that the proper age to have the first child is after 20 years-old, many women had their first childbirth during the teenager years.