‘Geographies of dying and death’ in relation to pregnancy losses: ultrasonography experiences

Abstract

The ‘geographies of dying and death’ denotes an area of academic inquiry interested in the spatialities of mortality and extending into themes of bereavement and loss. Such a lens has permitted exploration of various spaces and their interlinking economic, cultural and political contexts (Maddrell, A. & Sidaway, J. (2010) Introduction: Bringing a spatial lens to death, dying, mourning and remembrance. In A. Maddrell & J. Sidaway (eds.) Deathscapes: Spaces for death, dying, mourning and remembrance (pp. 1–16). Farnham: Ashgate; Teather, E. (2001) The case of the disorderly graves: Contemporary deathscapes in Guangzhou. Social & Cultural Geography, 2, 185–201). This paper argues that pregnancy losses – a rubric term for a range of medical events and social experiences, which can be legally recognised and/or personally regarded as deaths – should be given further consideration in the ‘geographies of dying and death’. Such a suggestion invites further reflection on the ways in which notions of ‘normative’ death have hitherto been mobilised in the sub-discipline. My focus in this paper will be on ultrasonography and related spaces to illustrate various spatial and temporal aspects involved in some experiences of pregnancy losses. The narratives of four participants from my doctorate research (McNiven, A. (2014) (Re)collections: Engaging feminist geography with embodied and relational experiences of pregnancy losses (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Durham University, UK) will be drawn upon in relation to encounters in/with: ultrasonography rooms, their related waiting spaces, disrupted expectations, and ultrasound imagery and audio recordings. This paper argues that, when in dialogue with ‘feminist reproductive politics’, attendance to pregnancy losses can thus contribute productively to the burgeoning ‘geographies of dying and death’.

Las ‘geografías del morir y de la muerte’ en relación con las pérdidas de embarazo: experiencias de ultrasonido

Las ‘geografías del morir y de la muerte’ denotan un área de investigación académica interesada en las espacialidades de mortalidad, extendiéndose hacia los temas de duelo y pérdida. Dicha perspectiva ha permitido la exploración de diversos espacios y sus contextos económicos, culturales y políticos de interconexión (Maddrell, A. & Sidaway, J. (2010) Introduction: Bringing a spatial lens to death, dying, mourning and remembrance. In A. Maddrell & J. Sidaway (eds.) Deathscapes: Spaces for death, dying, mourning and remembrance (pp. 1–16). Farnham: Ashgate; Teather, E. (2001) The case of the disorderly graves: Contemporary deathscapes in Guangzhou. Social & Cultural Geography, 2, 185–201). Este documento sostiene que se debería dar más importancia a las pérdidas de embarazos – un término categórico para una serie de eventos médicos y experiencias sociales que pueden ser reconocidas legalmente y/o personalmente como muertes – dentro de las ‘geografías del morir y de la muerte’. Tal sugerencia invita a una reflexión más profunda sobre las formas en las que hasta ahora han sido movilizadas las nociones de muerte ‘normativa’ en la sub-disciplina. Este artículo estará enfocado en la ecografía y espacios afines para ilustrar diversos aspectos espaciales y temporales que intervienen en algunas experiencias de pérdidas de embarazo. Los relatos de cuatro participantes de mi investigación de doctorado McNiven, A. (2014) (Re)collections: Engaging feminist geography with embodied and relational experiences of pregnancy losses (Unpublished doctoral thesis) se basarán en encuentros en/con: salas de ecografía, sus espacios de espera, expectativas interrumpidas, e imágenes de ultrasonido y grabaciones de audio. Este documento sostiene que, al interactuar con las ‘políticas reproductivas feministas’, la asistencia a las pérdidas de embarazo puede de este modo contribuir productivamente a las crecientes ‘geografías del morir y de la muerte’.

« Géographies du processus de la mort et de la mort » par rapport aux pertes de grossesse: expériences d'écographie

Les « géographies du processus de la mort et de la mort » font référence à un secteur de recherches universitaires qui s'intéressent aux spatialités de la mortalité et qui s'étendent aux thèmes du deuil et de la perte. Une telle optique a permis l'exploration de divers espaces et de leurs contextes économique, culturel et politique interconnectés (Maddrell, A. & Sidaway, J. (2010) Introduction: Bringing a spatial lens to death, dying, mourning and remembrance. In A. Maddrell & J. Sidaway (eds.) Deathscapes: Spaces for death, dying, mourning and remembrance (pp. 1–16). Farnham: Ashgate; Teather, E. (2001) The case of the disorderly graves: Contemporary deathscapes in Guangzhou. Social & Cultural Geography, 2, 185–201). Cet article argue que les pertes de grossesse – terme général couvrant une diversité de cas médicaux et d'expériences sociales étant reconnus légalement et/ou considérés personnellement comme des décès – devraient bénéficier de plus de considération dans les « géographies du processus de la mort et de la mort ». Une telle suggestion invite à plus de réflexion sur les façons dont les notions de mort « normative » ont été mobilisées jusqu'à présent dans la sous-discipline. Dans cet article, je me concentrerai sur l'échographie et les espaces qui y sont associés pour illustrer divers aspects spatiaux et temporels impliqués dans certaines expériences de pertes de grossesse. L'histoire de quatre participantes à ma recherche doctorale McNiven, A. (2014) (Re)collections: Engaging feminist geography with embodied and relational experiences of pregnancy losses (Unpublished doctoral thesis) servira de référence en ce qui concerne les expériences avec: les salles d'échographie, les espaces d'attente qui y sont associés, les attentes bouleversées, l'imagerie d'ultrasons et les enregistrements audio. Cet article argue que, en présence d'un dialogue avec « des politiques reproductives féministes », l'attention donnée aux pertes de grossesse pourrait ainsi contribuer de façon productive aux géographies naissantes « du processus de la mort et de la mort ».

Keywords::

• pregnancy loss
• space
• feminism
• death
• bereavement

Palabras claves::

• pérdida del embarazo
• espacio
• feminismo
• muerte
• duelo

Keywords::

• perte de grossesse
• espace
• féminisme
• mort
• deuil

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

^1. An ‘anembryonic miscarriage’ involves a gestational sac without an embryo while a ‘missed miscarriage’ is an ended pregnancy that has not yet reabsorbed or been passed with uterine bleeding.

^2. It should be noted that this is not unanimously agreed upon; hence, even for neonatal deaths in which a baby survived after birth for potentially several hours, days or weeks, social others may refute recognition that this counts as having really been ‘alive’ and thus having died.

^3. Other spatial examples are elaborated in my thesis (McNiven, 2014), including those of the online support groups and a variety of memorial practices as well as the bodies of women themselves.

^4. My discussion here concerns participants for whom the pregnancies were (or had become) wanted before the occurrence of pregnancy loss, and none of these specific examples concerned termination. However, it should be noted that ultrasound can sometimes be used in punitive ways as attempts to manipulate women with unwanted pregnancies into continuing them out of guilt and shame. The emotional geographies of such examples, in which appeals to the language of ‘death’ – and blame in relation to this – are imposed upon women in order to dissuade from termination, is a topic that I cannot address in the confines of this paper but which I signal as an important consideration.

^5. This is in contrast to transvaginal/internal probe ultrasound, which is not discussed in this paper.