This study aimed to apprehend the social representations of pregnancy after the age of 35 by low-income women who had experienced it. A qualitative approach was used based on the Theory of Social Representations. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews with 25 pregnant women assisted by a public reference service in inner São Paulo State. The technique of the Collective Subject's Discourse was utilized for data analysis. It was verified that the choice for late pregnancy was related to the woman's desire to consolidate their relationships in new marital partnerships, to financial stability and to the couple's maturity. The women represented late pregnancy as a positive experience if previous planning including their partners' involvement had occurred and if the event had been well-accepted by their families. Without meeting such conditions, the representations are filled with negative feelings connected to pain, suffering and death. The conclusion in this study emphasizes the importance of public health care services' taking these aspects into consideration.
Pregnancy; Pregnancy High-risk; Maternal Age; Qualitative Research; Income; Women's Health