Despite increasing attention to maternal well-being, research continues systematically obscuring vulnerable and marginalized motherhoods. This study examines how diverse women, with different family configurations and socio-structural conditions in Spain, experience motherhood and well-being across intersecting and unequal social locations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis informed by intersectional and ecological frameworks. Analysis revealed four interrelated themes: (1) The meaning of motherhood: desire, obligation, and renunciation; (2) Well-being and motherhood: between support and overwhelm; (3) Parenting experience and relationships; and (4) Influence of childhood on motherhood. Overall, results demonstrate that maternal well-being is configured through dynamic interactions between biography, relational ecologies, and structural support systems, underscoring the need for inclusive policy and trauma-informed approaches attentive to marginalized motherhoods.
Fernández-Rouco et al. (Sat,) studied this question.