Touching stories: Why birthplace narratives matter

Abstract

We have lost touch with birthplace. During the twentieth century in Ireland, childbirth was uprooted from local environments and relocated within hospital-based settings. This process contributed to a loss of touch with birthplace – a process worsened during COVID-19. There have been no maternity services for over 30 years in County Clare, a region in the west of Ireland where I conducted a series of interviews with people reflecting on their experiences of birth. These multigenerational birthplace stories inform the content and direction of the creative component of this research. As part of this research, a series of artworks is currently being made in relation to these birthplace stories, some of which are shared in this article. This research project is theoretically and methodologically rooted in critical post-humanism, in particular the work of feminist new materialists. A speculative ethics of birthplace care underpins the research and drives the development of an ethos of care that considers the entwinement of birthing bodies, matter and place.