Mothers Challenging "Unsafe" Birth: A Matricentric Feminist Perspective on Maternal Activism in Lithuania

This article offers a matricentric feminist analysis of two childbirth campaigns in contemporary Lithuania: the movement for decriminalization of home births (2012-2019) and the legalization of elective C-sections by maternal request (2021-2023). Contrary to the dominant conceptual dichotomy that positions these movements on the opposite sides on the “medical” versus “natural” axis (Brubaker and Dillaway 2009), this paper views these childbirth movements as forms of maternal activism that address questions of reproductive justice, providing a comprehensive insight into reproductive realities of contemporary Lithuanian women. Secondly, it highlights how the punitive “bad mother” discourse dominates public discussions on natural home births and elective C-sections. Finally, by examining available data, it argues that experiences of obstetric violence are a common thread between these two movements, creating a possibility of epistemological solidarity between the two unconventional birthing campaigns.