Pregnant Bodies – Embodied Pregnancy: An Introduction

Abstract

Research on pregnancy has primarily been conducted in relation to topics, such as abortion or reproductive rights, within the framework of (giving) birth, conceptualisations of foetal bodies and, more generally, regarding the notion of life. However, it is equally necessary to draw attention to the pregnant bodies themselves and embodied pregnancy as an experience, as bodily experiences of pregnancy influence and are affected by social contexts and interactions, technical innovations and the historical development of gender and body concepts. This special issue highlights the need to reconsider naturalised and biomedical definitions of pregnancy and take into account that a pregnant body does not necessarily refer to the body of an individual; it may imply a larger group of people, their bodies and practices, and refer to a collective endeavour. In addition, it discusses approaches that consider pregnancy and pregnant bodies from a time-sensitive, processual and intersectional perspective.