Beauty Work and Childbirth

Students: Alexsandra Chavez, Arianna Riddle, Dennis León Aguilera, Sarah Hattie Lewis, Carmen Salgado

Faculty Mentor: Kyla Walters Doughty

Sociology

College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts

Sociologists have shown how beauty impacts women’s access to socio-cultural and economic resources. However, scholars have not yet explained how beauty impacts perinatal experiences, including how pregnant people engage in beauty work during labor and delivery and how beauty may shape healthcare interactions and obstetric trauma. This study explores how women across race and class explain their engagement with or resistance to beauty work while pregnant and birthing. Our project also asks how birthing people experienced healthcare providers' interactions. By April, we aim to have conducted about 45 in-depth interviews with people who have given birth in California. Our interview focuses on gathering birth stories while also including questions to explore topics like beauty routines during pregnancy, maternity photo shoots, feeling respected during labor and delivery, and nudity during childbirth.