Estudios y maternidad: trayectorias académicas en la carrera de enfermería en el contexto universitario público ecuatoriano

University students who become mothers face a daily double burden of responsibilities: caring for their children, managing household chores, and fulfilling academic obligations; consequently, it is a challenge to maintain concentration and a consistent academic balance. In this context, the objective of the research is to describe the experiences of motherhood and its influence on the academic performance of nursing students at a public university in Cuenca, Ecuador. Thru a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design, from September to December 2024, using purposive sampling until saturation was reached with 10 students. The data were collected thru semi-structured interviews and analyzed by categories using the Taguette software. The results show that motherhood affects academic performance due to overload and lack of time, although it also serves as a source of motivation. Student mothers face academic, economic, emotional, and social challenges, such as long hours, limited support, financial constraints, and social prejudices, which underscores the importance of having support networks. It is concluded that, although motherhood brings joy and love, it also produces stress and sadness, since balancing the roles of mother and student involves significant sacrifices of time and personal well-being.