The study’s aims were to better understand how women with a high risk pregnancy perceive motherhood.  Specifically, this research sought to explore the women's cognitive constructions of the maternal role, experiences of hospitalization, and a comparison of qualitative data with quantitative data obtained from the Prenatal Self Evaluation Questionnaire (PSEQ). A mixed methods design was utilized with focused ethnography and an embedded quantitative component. Subjects in this study were primigravid women between ≥25 weeks to <37 weeks gestation of pregnancy and admitted to the hospital with Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) and/or Preterm Labor (PTL).  Qualitative data analysis was used to identify themes and patterns. The demographic data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.  Data from the PSEQ was analyzed independently with descriptive statistics, as well as, in comparison with the qualitative data. Several themes emerged from the data that provide some direction to the transition to the maternal role for women with complicated pregnancies.  This data can be utilized to inform nursing practice in the care of women hospitalized for obstetric complications, such as PPROM and PTL.