Paper short abstract:

Maternity care is intended to ensure effective reproduction and deliver healthy, viable children and sound, fertile mothers. Czech ethnographic research reveals that women whose pregnancy loses such prospects tend to receive discriminating treatment derived from the effectiveness of their pregnancy.

Paper long abstract:

Despite the universality and equity of access to reproductive healthcare in the Czech Republic, certain pregnancies are marginalized in favor of policies that promote particular reproductive outcomes.

Ethnographic research on prenatal and perinatal loss I conducted in 2020-2021 among Czech middle-class women exposes systemic differentiation between “prospective” and “non-prospective” pregnancies and reveals insufficiencies in care for the latter. In order to secure “successful” pregnancies, Czech post-socialist reproductive policies enforce extensive prenatal testing and interventional approach to pregnancy and childbirth, accentuating favorable birth outcomes and competitive national health statistics. My research shows that women whose pregnancies were miscarried, diagnosed with major fetal abnormalities, aborted or resulted in stillbirth were more likely to receive inadequate care. Their treatment often lacked psychosocial support, respectful treatment, and denied individual decision-making in their pregnancies. Moreover, their situation was disregarded in welfare policies and governmental institutions.

Recently, grassroot initiatives have set about to fill the gaps in support to families with pregnancy loss. These NGOs, often founded by lay women with personal experience, gradually professionalize and provide not only services to women, but also hospital training, lobby for policy changes, and raise public awareness.

Based on my experience with sharing research with NGOs, I intend to expand on the unique role that ethnography can serve to not only give voice to unheard women, but also provide unique data that supports arguments for changing reproductive policies and empowering individual choices. No less importantly, ethnography can help balance redefinitions and prevent bottom-up changes from creating new reproductive imperatives.