Introduction

The introductory chapter outlines the complex and dynamic nature of the early transition to motherhood, specifically pregnancy and childbirth. These processes are understood as hybrid—physiological, embodied, deeply emotional and personal, and yet distinctly public, constituted and reproduced through a number of discursive and material practices. Together, these different aspects constitute the individual trajectories and experiences of becoming a mother. The first chapter positions the study in conversation with different theoretical traditions and critically examines the ways in which pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood are commonly addressed in different areas of psychology, regularly neglecting their hybrid character and omitting some aspects altogether—especially those related to women’s embodied subjectivity. Finally, the theoretical and empirical focus of the book is explained and the study that forms its empirical basis is described in detail.