Sharing Bodies: The Impact of the Biomedical Model of Pregnancy on Women's Embodied Experiences of the Transition to Motherhood

Elena Neiterman
2013 Healthcare Policy | Politiques de Santé  
This paper explores how a medicalized view of pregnancy shapes the process of pregnant embodiment and women' s experiences postpartum. Analyzing interviews with 42 pregnant women and new mothers, I show that while women' s experiences of pregnant embodiment are shaped by biomedical notions of pregnancy, women also bring new meaning to the biomedical guidelines. Women view pregnancy as a process of sharing their bodies with their children, and they continue to share their bodies with their
more » ... ns during the postpartum period. I conclude the paper by reflecting on the role of the body in shaping our understanding of medicalized phenomena.
doi:10.12927/hcpol.2013.23595 fatcat:c3zv5yqcunfl3klx2siz5nhgza