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Paper short abstract:

The paper explores the relationship between medical policies and practices and pregnancy within the framework of a reproductive healthcare system in Zagreb, Croatia. The emphasis is placed on personal experiences of being pregnant and giving birth during the pandemic and post-pandemic times.

Paper long abstract:

Reproductive health policies and practices in Croatia arise as a relevant research topic during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, earthquakes, or changes in law policies. The author uses the public healthcare system in Zagreb and personal narratives to provide insight into the urban context of the pandemic and post-pandemic experiences of pregnancy and childbirth. This paper examines changes or restrictions that were put in place within the reproductive healthcare system as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how those policies and practices affected the experience of pregnancy. By analyzing the relationship between policies and approaches in the biomedical discourse and through personal narratives based on the lived experiences of pregnant women who gave birth and those who tried to conceive via medically assisted reproductive technologies during the strict lockdown in 2020, the author wants to see what kind of impact introduced epidemiological measures had on the provision and quality of health services related to women’s reproductive health. Furthermore, the author wants to investigate, if there is any evidence of a post-pandemic change in reproductive healthcare practices that arose from lessons learned during the pandemic. It is important to urge the discussion about women’s reproductive healthcare rights and how the Croatian public healthcare system deals with challenges related to social, economic, or public health issues within demanding times to be better prepared to ensure quality healthcare despite the possible crisis in the future.