The present study aimed to investigate the end of conjugality in the transition to parenthood, based on the female experience. We conducted a qualitative research, through interviews with a semi-structured script, with 12 middle-aged women from Rio de Janeiro, aged between 30 and 40 years. To analyze the data we use the method of content analysis in its categorical aspect. Ten categories of narratives emerged: absolute dependence and illusion of omnipotence, relative to the period of formation of the couple; pre-existing marital conflicts, sadness and depression in pregnancy and feelings of rejection, relating to the period of pregnancy; child and first care, and, motivations for separation, relating to the period after the birth of the first child; paternity after marital separation, adaptation to the new family arrangement and social imaginary, related to the period after the marital separation. The reported perceptions reassigned past experiences and pointed out that the motivations for separation in the transition to parenthood have manifested themselves since the formation of the conjugal couple and can be perceived in pregnancy and in the first relations with the child. Its effects were complex and had repercussions on all members of the family, individually and collectively.