Chapter two ‘‘Real Lesbians Don’t Have Kids’’ or Do They? Getting Ready for Lesbian Motherhood

This article draws on popular culture, ethnographic materials and mainstream commercials to discuss contemporary understandings of the relationship between fertility, pregnancy and parenthood among lesbians and other queer persons with uteruses. It argues that, on the one hand, same-sex lesbian motherhood is increasingly celebrated as evidence of Swedish gender and sexual exceptionalism and, on the other, queers who wish to challenge heteronormative gender disavow both the relationship between fertility and femininity, and that of pregnancy and parenthood. The author argues that in studying queer family formation, we must move beyond addressing heteronormativity and begin studying how gender, sexuality, race and class get reproduced in queer kinship stories.

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4. Lesbian Motherhood and Discourses of Respectability

Invisible Families ◽

10.1525/9780520950153-006 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 113-152

Keyword(s):

Lesbian Motherhood

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Unsettling lesbian motherhood: Critical reflections over a generation (1990–2015)

Sexualities ◽

10.1177/1363460717718510 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (7) ◽

pp. 1002-1020 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jacqui Gabb

Keyword(s):

Empirical Research ◽

Original Data ◽

Lesbian Mothers ◽

Equality Rights ◽

Entry Points ◽

Lesbian Motherhood ◽

Attitudinal Changes ◽

Critical Reflections

This article explores how advancements in equality rights combine with attitudinal changes in UK society and LGBTQ communities to impact on the experience of lesbian mothers over a generation. The author reflects on ordinary moments where sexuality and relationships become meaningful and situate emotions at the heart of analytical enquiry because it is through emotional interactions that micro–macro networks of relations intersect. Autobiography is combined with original data from empirical research to provide analytical entry points, which aims to advance understanding and also facilitate reflection on how we understand and come to know queer parenthood. Whilst there are now many routes into lesbian motherhood and the stigma of queer kinship is diminishing, this article demonstrates the need to problematize the prevailing narratives of coupledom that are emerging and tease apart the conflation of temporal progression, progressive rights and narratives of progress.

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Significance of specialised preconception counselling in oocyte donation pregnancy with prior history of postpartum eclampsia

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2020-235582 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. e235582

Author(s):

Kim van Bentem ◽

Lisa Lashley ◽

Marie-Louise van der Hoorn

Keyword(s):

Oocyte Donation ◽

Subsequent Pregnancy ◽

Prior History ◽

High Dose ◽

Gamete Donation ◽

Sperm Donor ◽

Lesbian Motherhood ◽

History Of ◽

Preconception Counselling ◽

Alternative Decision

A well-known complication in oocyte donation (OD) pregnancy is preeclampsia. Here, we present a 31-year-old woman, pregnant after OD. She conceived by the reception of the oocyte from her partner (ROPA) and sperm from a sperm donor. She developed preeclampsia with severe features, necessitating caesarean delivery at 29 weeks’ gestation due to deterioration of her clinical condition. Admission at the intensive care unit postpartum was necessary, because of recurrent postpartum eclampsia and administration of high dose magnesium sulphate for convulsion prophylaxis. This case illustrates the importance of preconception counselling for patients who are considering to conceive by OD and double gamete donation. In this specific case an alternative way to conceive was available. However, ROPA was preferred as part of shared lesbian motherhood. The risk of complications in the subsequent pregnancy has led to an alternative decision to accomplish a second pregnancy.

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