Strong Body, Strong Mind: Narrative Accounts of Pregnancy behind Bars

• In Event: Female Incarceration Experiences and Impacts

Abstract

This research centers on in-depth interviews with women who were formerly pregnant in prison, in order to better understand how the pregnancy experience unfolds in prison specifically with regard to health. This research is important both because this group has not received adequate attention from scholars and also because the number of women who are incarcerated has increased sharply in recent decades. Findings indicate that the participants made a concerted effort to have a "strong body" and a "strong mind" in prison. They were well aware of how their own health impacted the health of their fetuses, so they wanted to be in the best shape possible, as a means of preparing for childbirth and optimizing health outcomes. Self-care was especially important given the stresses and fears associated with imprisonment. The participants were also mindful of the food they consumed and made an intensive effort to consume food that was rich in nutrients, albeit as best they could behind bars. Findings also indicate that many of the women in the study had high-risk pregnancies and were without nutrients and routine healthcare prior to prison. This paper also speaks to the larger issue of prison as the last social safety net.

Author

• Rebecca Rodriguez Carey, University of Missouri