Main description:

This book discusses many aspects of fetuses and motherhood from fields as wide as sociology and medicine. It examines changing perceptions of the fetus over recent decades, comparing western ideas with those of non-western countries; examining maternal mental health during COVID-19 and charting the ascent of the 'fetus' to a cult phenomenon, which has currently reappeared in the courts. This work, given its multifaceted approach, will be of interest to a varied and wide range of people, from parents to doctors and nurses, to anthropologists and ethnologists, to scientists, to students of various disciplines, to psychologists and psychoanalysts, to lawyers dealing with the topic and to a general public simply interested in these fundamental themes.

Contents:

Titles and Subtitles.

PART I: The Ascent of the Fetus.

Chapter 1 : the 1960s and the 1970s.

* The Seeds of Change are Sown.

* The Sexual Revolution.

* Unveiling Pregnancy in the 1960s and the 1970s.

* Medical-Pharmaceutical Disasters.

* Gestating Dangerously.

* Private and Hospital Referrals.

* The Psycho-Prophylactic method.

* Childbirth in the 1960s and 1970s.

* The Nestle-Powder Milk Scandal and the birth of La Leche League.

* Iconic Pictures.

* A Serene Pregnancy and a Sweet Birth.

Chapter 2: The '80s.

* The Advent of Ultrasound.

* Amniocentesis and CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling).

* The Fear of Radiation.

* The Horrifying Fetus.

* The Birth of the New Fathers.

* Thomas Verny and International Fetal Societies.

* The Silent Scream. A Loud Deceit.

* The Birth of Fertility Treatments.

* Pregnancy in the 1980s.

* Starting Research.

* Breaking bad and sad news.

Chapter 3: The '90s.

* Fetal Images.

* Bonding with Fetuses.

* Fetal Primers and Magazines.

* Consumer Fetus.

* "Reborn Fetuses and Dolls".

* Motherhood on the Covers of Glossy magazines.

* Delivery in the 1990s.

* The rise of the Doula.

* Fading Excitement at birth.

* From Star to Fallen Star.

Chapter 4: The First Decade of the New Millennium.

* The Revolution of Assisted Reproduction Technologies.

* Frozen for Eternity.

* The Twins Epidemic.

* Wondrous and Miraculous Fetuses.

* The Transparent Uterus.

* Keepsake Ultrasound.

* Belly Casts.

* Ann Geddes' Misleading Talent.

* Pregnancies of the Stars.

* Sexy in the Consulting Room.

* Losing a Child.

* The Vanishing Twin and the Demise of Fetal Twins.

Chapter 5: 2010-2019.

* The Viral Fetus.

* The Royal Fetus.

* The Pixar Fetus.

* The Invulnerable Fetus.

* Breaking Nature's Limits.

* Surrogacy.

* Some Objections and Counterarguments to Surrogacy.

* Alarm from Hollywood and the Catwalks.

* Celebrity Pregnancies. Latest trends.

* Porn in the consulting-room and the labor ward.

* Back to Nature.

* Natural Births in the NHS.

* The Mass Entry of Companions.

* Gay Culture Orients Everything.

* Times are Changing.

Chapter 6: Citizen Fetus.

* How Fetuses are perceived.

* Points from the Past.

* The Advent of the Main Religions.

* The Age of Enlightenment. A Changed Attitude. Probing Women' Bodies.

* The Rise of Maternal-Fetal Conflict. The Fetus as a Patient.

* Abortion Crusades. Before WWII.

* Unborn in the USA.

PART II. Beyond Mythology.

Chapter 7: Studying Fetuses.

* How Fetuses are Commonly Interpreted.

* Fetal Movements and Fetal Behavior.

* Fetal Sensations.

* Fetal Animals.

* Premature Infants.

* Other Research and Views.

* Fetal Research and Working with Obstetricians.

Chapter 8: Basic Fetal Movements. Some Known Functions.

* Why Fetal Motions.

* General Movements.

* Local or Localized Movements.

* Fetal Breathing Movements.

* Sucking and Swallowing.

* Startles.

* Hiccups and Yawning.

Chapter 9: Preparing for Life After Birth.

* Facial Expressions.

* Longing and loss in the Twin Fetus.

PART III: Other Perspectives on Fetuses.

Chapter 10: Old Customs and New Cults.

* Belly Casts. African Fertility Ceremonies.

* Fetal Cemeteries. Their Japanese Roots.

* The Placenta.

* Umbilical Cord and Lotus Birth.

* The rebirth of the Vulva and Vagina.

* Exporting Abroad

Chapter 11: Fetuses from Other Worlds.

* Fertility treatments where treatments are lacking.

* Unusual Conceptions.

* Without Amniocentesis and Prenatal Diagnoses.

* Gendericide.

* Children and Fetuses in War.

* Maternity and Delivery Elsewhere.

* Pre-Natal Psychology in the Wild.

* Pre-Natal Psychology in a High-Tech Empire.

* Menstruation and parturition huts.

* Infanticide as Delayed Abortion.

PART IV: Covid Pandemic. Fetuses Become Citizens?

Chapter 12: Darkness Descends. Sars-CoV-19.

* We should have known better.

* Zombie Preparedness.

* End of an era.

* Transient Euphoria.

* Panic Buying.

* Anger.

* Death in Mind.

* It seemed the better way.

* The Joys of the Olympians.

* VIP Pregnancies.

* Ode to Video Communication.

Chapter 13: Pregnancy and Fetuses fade into Obscurity.

* Boom of Births as in the 1965 New York Blackout?

* Time to die.

* Fetal Erasure.

* Collapse of Births.

* Not Just the Pandemic.

* Waiting.

* Freedom and independence.

* Depression and Anxiety.

* Keep away from me.

* Adolescents.

* Generational divide.

* Fetuses turn up in tribunals, courts and cemeteries.

Chapter 14: Pregnancies and Home After Birth.

* Hero to Zero.

* Where have all the Flowers Gone.

* Fear of Pregnancy and of the Fetus.

* Fears of Childbirth.

* Chernobyl.

* The Thing.

* The Feus becomes Viral.

* Wish you were here.

* Just Breathe.

* Breastfeeding.

* Perinatal Depression.

* The sound of silence.

* Initial and involuntary pregnancies.

* The surrogate dilemma.

* Clarified fears.

* Love and Sex during Coronavirus.

* The honeymoon is over.

* Violence in couples.

* Boredom.

* Digital Technology.

* Sex Toys as Companions and Pornography.

* The Spread of Porn.

* Blue pills.

* The Virus made Sexy.

* Fetishizing Fetuses.

Conclusion.

* Citizens of different worlds.

* Citizens of Western Societies.

* The Maternal Body as a Public Arena.

* In Other Worlds.

* Under the thin veil of rationality.

* Out of this World.

* Covid-19, pregnancies and mental health.