Composing and Recomposing Self as Lesbian Birth Mother: A Narrative Inquiry

Abstract

Motherhood and mothering are dynamic experiences, yet they are often framed within and by heterosexual contexts, positioning lesbian birth mothers as outside “typical” mothering experiences. Most pregnant women in Canada, including lesbian birth mothers receive some formalized prenatal care and give birth in an acute care setting. Despite this, little is known about the experiences of lesbian birth mothers as they interact with healthcare providers and the maternity health and social care systems. Narrative inquiry research is a way to study experience through story and is a way to generate meaningful insights into the experiences of lesbian birth mothers as they negotiate maternity care. Narrative inquiry is a relational, iterative process in which the research data collection and reporting are negotiated with participants and alongside a response community of advisors and experts. In this narrative inquiry, together with three (3) lesbian birth mothers, I explored their experiences with maternity health and social services, family, institutions, and community in the greater Calgary, Alberta area. Three co-composed narrative accounts of the experiences of being a lesbian birth mother are presented, followed by the narrative threads of (1) Lesbian Maternal Wisdom, (2) Functional Infertility or Free to Decide? (3) Shades of Grey; and (4) Whose Space is this Space? In the final chapter, implications and recommendations for practice, research, and policy are made.