Re-working biographies: Women's narratives of pregnancy whilst living with epilepsy.

Weckesser, Annalise and Denny, Elaine (2017) Re-working biographies: Women's narratives of pregnancy whilst living with epilepsy. Social science & medicine, 185. pp. 110-117. ISSN 0277-9536

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Abstract

This paper explores the multiple ways experiences of pregnancy and early motherhood come to 'rework' the biographies of women living with epilepsy. Pregnancy is explored as a temporarily concurrent status alongside the long-term condition of epilepsy. Narrative interviews were conducted with 32 women from across the UK. Analysis of these narratives suggests that biographical disruption and continuity are both useful in the conceptualisation of women's diverse experiences of pregnancy and epilepsy. Such findings challenge the notion that the presence of a condition over a long period of time leads to the normalisation of illness. Participants' narratives demonstrate that, for some, pregnancy and early motherhood may be disruptive and can raise concerns regarding an ever present condition that may previously have been taken for granted. Findings also indicate the need for a greater consideration of gender and care responsibilities, as well explorations of concomitant conditions, in the theorising of biographies and chronic illness.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.036
Dates:	Date Event 16 May 2017 Accepted 18 May 2017 Published Online
Subjects:	CAH01 - medicine and dentistry > CAH01-01 - medicine and dentistry > CAH01-01-01 - medical sciences (non-specific) CAH15 - social sciences > CAH15-01 - sociology, social policy and anthropology > CAH15-01-02 - sociology
Divisions:	Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences > Centre for Social Care, Health and Related Research (C-SHARR)
Depositing User:	Annalise Weckesser
Date Deposited:	30 May 2018 11:15
Last Modified:	03 Mar 2022 17:15
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/5191