The continuum of regaining one’s body: Childbirth and reproductive choice under beauty pressure in Taiwan

Abstract

This article explores the phenomenon of regaining one’s body, by nuancing the Western feminist analysis of the cult of beauty and the ideal of the ‘yummy mummy’ in a non-Euro-American society, Taiwan. While existing studies of bouncing back after childbirth have focused mainly on losing weight during the postpartum period, this article examines a continuum of the beauty-related deliberations and different forms of aesthetic labor of Taiwanese women before, during and after pregnancy. Drawing on 62 in-depth interviews, my analysis shows that not only do women include the project of regaining their body in their plans for pregnancy and giving birth, but that beauty becomes a controlling claim that can compete with a child’s well-being or mother’s health. Moreover, this task should be viewed as a holistic and multidimensional concept because it involves not only body shape but also keeping desirability vibrant and dealing with delicate interpersonal relationships.