Women’s Storied Lives

Pregnancy and Motherhood

Pregnancy and motherhood are common events for women through both time and space. The following books explore some of the ways in which pregnancy and motherhood have been experienced in the Western world from 1800 to the present. However, this exploration is necessarily only a small sampling of women’s myriad experiences, as each individual’s journey is necessarily different and cultural identity can change a woman’s experience exponentially.

Miscarriages and stillbirths have plagued women throughout history, as has the pain of losing a child after days, months, years, or even decades. Slavery has separated innumerable families and infertility is a devastating reality for many that has long been silenced. Still, for many women, pregnancy is a time of joy and worry and fulfillment. Motherhood is never straightforward, but it is often beautiful. Oftentimes, new generations rely on the ones that came before for wisdom and advice, binding women together in unique ways.
 

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