Making 'Postmodern' Mothers: Pregnant Embodiment, Baby Bumps and Body Image (Genders and Sexualities in the Social Sciences)

Based On Interviews With Pregnant Women, This Book Provides A Multi-disciplinary Empirical Account Of Pregnant Embodiment And How It Relates To Wider Sociological And Feminist Discourses About Gender, Bodies, 'fitness', 'fat', Celebrity And Motherhood. This book, the first of its kind, provides a multi-disciplinary, empirical account of pregnant embodiment and how it fits into wider sociological and feminist discourses about gender, bodies, 'fitness', 'fat', feminism, celebrity and motherhood. This study draws on original qualitative data based on interviews with pregnant women, their partners, and maternity industry professionals including maternity designers. The voices of pregnant women are located at the centre of a range of competing social discourses to reveal what the author describes as 'postmodern' pregnancy, an experience that highlights the contradictions inherent in being a contemporary woman in the West: Eat junk food but do not get fat. Wear 'sexy' clothing but be a 'good' selfless mother. Be 'fit' but do not exercise too much. 'Postmodern' pregnancy features as an ambivalent and uncertain experience, with women constantly negotiating the boundaries of both femininity and motherhood in a neo-liberal socio-political and economic context that both promotes and constrains their 'choices' Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-10 The Research Story....Pages 11-22 Theories, Frameworks and Debates....Pages 23-40 ‘In-between’ Pregnant Bodies....Pages 41-61 Visibly Pregnant Bodies....Pages 62-83 Dressing and Maternity Fashion....Pages 84-130 Eating for Two?....Pages 131-167 Exercise....Pages 168-202 Conclusion....Pages 203-207 Back Matter....Pages 208-247