Embodied Experiences of Trans Pregnancy

Abstract

Drawing on interview data from the international project ‘Pregnant Men: An International Exploration of Trans Male Experiences & Practices of Reproduction’ this article explores embodied experiences of transmasculine and nonbinary pregnancy. Moving beyond the spectacle of the ‘pregnant man’, our analysis builds on existing literature on gendered embodiment to develop a deeper understanding of corporeality and the lived, bodily complexities of trans pregnancy. We consider the strategies trans men and nonbinary people engage in to manage gender presentation during pregnancy and the degree to which pregnancy disrupts the ability to control the presentation of gender. Our analysis contributes to the deconstruction of normative readings of the relationship between gender and embodiment within a sociology of the body and feminist scholarship on the body.