Ella Barclay
Ella Barclay
Health and Wellbeing/Health, Wellbing & Society
UWE Bristol
Health and Social Sciences
September 2021
The journey into motherhood for undocumented migrant women in the UK’s hostile environment
For individuals residing in the state without the legal right to do so, pregnancy and birth can represent a fearful, costly journey. Although they cannot be denied access to care,…
For individuals residing in the state without the legal right to do so, pregnancy and birth can represent a fearful, costly journey. Although they cannot be denied access to care, undocumented migrant women will be charged for their use of maternity care after the fact, leading many women to view antenatal support as inaccessible. My research aims to understand the impact that these implicitly and explicitly hostile practices have on the experiences of pregnancy and birth for undocumented individuals, as well as unpick how these practices shape attitudes towards this journey into motherhood. To do this, I am using a range of ethnographic methods, including observations of drop-in sessions for migrant mothers and interviews with birthing companions who have supported marginalised women throughout the antenatal period.
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