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Research study
“A Wild and Inaccessible Place”: The Lived Experiences of Autistic Pregnancy and Birth by Charlotte Grahame, Andrew R. Thompson and Megan Freeth (2024).
What is the study about?
Pregnancy brings many physical and emotional changes that can be hard for anyone. Autistic women often feel more stress, depression, and anxiety during pregnancy. Many autistic women are diagnosed later in life and have trouble getting support early. There isn’t much research on what autistic women go through during pregnancy, so we don’t know enough about how best to support them.
Why is it important?
By studying their experiences, we can create better support systems tailored to their needs, leading to healthier outcomes for both mothers and babies and reducing the stress and difficulties that autistic women may experience during pregnancy.
Who participated?
Participants of this study were eight Autistic cisgender women living in the UK who had been pregnant sometime in the previous 16 years. They were all White and all but one was diagnosed with autism after their pregnancy.
What did the researchers do?
The researchers interviewed the participants and asked them about their pregnancy and birth experiences. They then analysed the interview transcripts.
What did they find?
Three main themes were found:
- Looking back on their pregnancy and birth experiences after diagnosis and feeling disconnected during birth, sadness about things not going as expected, struggling with sensory issues.
- Ups and downs in feeling like a mother (feeling instant love but also feeling like they don’t fully belong).
- Wanting support but facing challenges (feeling uncared for, powerless, and needing warm, steady support).
What do these findings mean for me as an Autistic person?
If you’re an Autistic person going through pregnancy and early parenthood, this study suggests that you may feel unsupported at times and experience ups and downs as you go through this journey. Having a diagnosis before pregnancy might help you advocated more effectively. Knowing about these challenges can help you advocate for more tailored support. You might benefit from providers who understand sensory and communication needs and who can offer more personalized care during pregnancy and postpartum.
What are the limitations of the study?
There may be memory issues because the time since pregnancy ranged from 1 to 15 years. This was a small group of women who were all White, spoke fluent English and live in the UK. Their experiences might not be representative of all Autistic people.
Video: Dr Vicki Gibbs unpacks this research, explaining the main findings and why the study is important.