Books about queer/Trans pregnancy experience
March 4, 2022 9:08 PM Subscribe
Can you recommend any writing from the perspective of queer or Trans women describing their experience with pregnancy?
A loved one is pregnant. It is her first pregnancy. We are all happy!
She is always interested in the art and writing and perspectives of the 'other'. From this, I imagine it would be a nice idea to recommend accounts of her experience from 'non-standard' points of view.
I don't know how to look for this type of writing.
The examples I've thought of are just... The examples I've thought of. If you know of something that might fit this theme, please recommend it!
I would definitely request that any stories end with healthy births. I remember how nervous I felt when my wife was pregnant. I'm not looking to cause worry, but to share different perspectives that aren't my own.
A loved one is pregnant. It is her first pregnancy. We are all happy!
She is always interested in the art and writing and perspectives of the 'other'. From this, I imagine it would be a nice idea to recommend accounts of her experience from 'non-standard' points of view.
I don't know how to look for this type of writing.
The examples I've thought of are just... The examples I've thought of. If you know of something that might fit this theme, please recommend it!
I would definitely request that any stories end with healthy births. I remember how nervous I felt when my wife was pregnant. I'm not looking to cause worry, but to share different perspectives that aren't my own.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is very much about queer motherhood and family-making. Also very beautiful.
posted by rabbitbookworm at 9:35 PM on March 4, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by rabbitbookworm at 9:35 PM on March 4, 2022 [5 favorites]
My friend’s partner wrote a great book about being pregnant and early parenting as a trans masc person, and the process of transitioning/coming out during that time. He narrated the audiobook, which came out great as well. Very happy ending, their family is healthy and doing great.
Many of the component essays are available elsewhere online if you want to sample the book.
posted by supercres at 9:46 PM on March 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Many of the component essays are available elsewhere online if you want to sample the book.
posted by supercres at 9:46 PM on March 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
There's a graphic memoir Pregnant Butch that might fit the bill.
I feel I should add a warning that there are some bits of it that can be read as TERF-y - things I heard commonly in 2005 (the year it was written) in even pretty hip and modern lesbian communities, but that would get a lot more pushback now. Things have changed a lot. If your loved one is sensitive to that sort of thing, definitely make clear that it's a bit of a time capsule.
posted by potrzebie at 10:03 PM on March 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
I feel I should add a warning that there are some bits of it that can be read as TERF-y - things I heard commonly in 2005 (the year it was written) in even pretty hip and modern lesbian communities, but that would get a lot more pushback now. Things have changed a lot. If your loved one is sensitive to that sort of thing, definitely make clear that it's a bit of a time capsule.
posted by potrzebie at 10:03 PM on March 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
Check out The Natural Mother of the Child by Krys Malcolm Belc. It’s an excellent memoir describing the author’s experience building a family and the dissonance of what it’s like to be seen as a father by the world, while also having gestated his own child. I highly recommend the audiobook which is read by the author.
posted by oxisos at 10:21 PM on March 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by oxisos at 10:21 PM on March 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Jinx, oxisos 😃 (though of course I’m realizing I should have put the title and author in the actual text)
Interesting other facet of the book is that Belc’s wife (my friend Anna) was gestational parent to their two other kids, so the contrasts between the author being gestational and non-gestational parent are really interesting.
posted by supercres at 12:05 AM on March 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Interesting other facet of the book is that Belc’s wife (my friend Anna) was gestational parent to their two other kids, so the contrasts between the author being gestational and non-gestational parent are really interesting.
posted by supercres at 12:05 AM on March 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
There's an essay collection called "Confessions of the Other Mother: Nonbiological Lesbian Moms" but it's from 2006 so perhaps a bit dated at this point.
(Also I want to share that a large subset of trans and nonbinary people I know hate The Argonauts because it's about trans stuff but by and centering a cis person's perspective.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 1:42 AM on March 5, 2022
(Also I want to share that a large subset of trans and nonbinary people I know hate The Argonauts because it's about trans stuff but by and centering a cis person's perspective.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 1:42 AM on March 5, 2022
A friend of a friend wrote this NYT op-ed, Adventures in Transgender Fertility. It looks like their story is now also an audiobook.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 3:18 AM on March 5, 2022
posted by Sweetie Darling at 3:18 AM on March 5, 2022
A family member has a project on queer parenting, mostly centered around experiences as a non-bio parent. She wrote a book about it last year.
posted by another zebra at 4:23 AM on March 5, 2022
posted by another zebra at 4:23 AM on March 5, 2022
Response by poster: Sorry about the typo!
And thanks for all of the recommendations so far. The plan is to read then myself and then pass them on, so I should probably learn a bunch of things I never would have otherwise.
posted by Acari at 8:14 AM on March 5, 2022
And thanks for all of the recommendations so far. The plan is to read then myself and then pass them on, so I should probably learn a bunch of things I never would have otherwise.
posted by Acari at 8:14 AM on March 5, 2022
The book Detransition Baby is about a potential queer parenting situation involving a cis woman who is pregnant, her partner who is a detransitioned trans woman, and the partner’s ex, a trans woman who wants to be a mother. It’s excellent and really delves into a lot of questions around queerness/transness and parenting. (Note: it’s fiction but very rooted in reality)
posted by lunasol at 8:16 AM on March 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by lunasol at 8:16 AM on March 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
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posted by nebulawindphone at 9:23 PM on March 4, 2022 [21 favorites]