Informed by mainstream Western discourse on population control, teenage mothering has over time been framed as a social and health challenge. The universalistic negative connotation, labelling and linguistic framing often misrepresent and distort the lived realities of the developing world. Using the case of teenage mothers from Uganda, we present an alternative narrative that situates teenage motherhood within the social and cultural contexts reflecting functionality, and relationality as more compelling compared to numeric age-based categorization. These are particularly crucial for forging identity and belonging. Problematization of teenage pregnancies thus creating an identity complex for young mothers. It presents teenage mothers as neither fully mothers nor children but an in-between category that affects their inclusion and participation in development programs. Teenage pregnancies bear negative connotations grounded on religion/ spirituality and carry legal implications for the responsible men, resulting in single teenage motherhood. Based on a qualitative study with young parents in Kampala’s informal settlements, informed by feminist (intersectionality) and indigenous epistemological approaches, we argue that indigenous approaches are crucial for transforming narratives and create a language that resonates with the culture, practices, and everyday lived realities of young mothers. Wholistic narratives enforce unity and belonging and limit blame, and stigmatization.