Objective:

Describe the meanings about motherhood for a self-identified women group as afro-descendants.

Methods:

Qualitative research with an ethnographic approach. Approved by an ethics committee. Non-participant observations, interviews and focus groups were made. The analysis was guided by constants comparisons method.

Results:

Motherhood means a free decision versus a created wish, a responsibility of the Afro-descendant women and an eternal bond.

Conclusions:

Meanings that these women gave to motherhood brings with the meaning that motherhood is a positive and frustrating experience at the same time because responds to the cultural particularities in regard to machismo and to the importance that the ethnic group assign to the women in the preservation of the Afro-descendants practices and beliefs.