“I Needed to Become a Mother”: Poetic Representations of Maternal Embodiment, Autonomy, and Birth Trauma

While poetic inquiry has been used to explore many aspects of motherhood, there less attention given pregnant, birthing, and immediately postpartum/fourth trimester embodiment. Here, we utilize poetry a topic that is understudied embodied experiences in the transition from pregnancy early motherhood. The poems present this article are part larger project exploring into In context project, 14 women were interviewed about their pregnancy, birth, postpartum. order maintain focus on new only participants within 6 months first birth at time interview included article. full data set was analyzed using feminist-informed qualitative method centered voice (The Listening Guide), here derived second listening, which focuses participants’ use “I” narratives.