"Choice" as a double-edged sword: information, guilt and mother-blaming in a high-tech age

Women in the United States experience pregnancy in the context of more medical interventions than ever before. Procreative technologies can enhance both the range of choices for women and the possibility of greater social control of women's choices. Sometimes procreative technologies are a matter of routine, not choice. New developments in genomic research and prenatal diagnosis may lead to the routinization of further medical interventions in pregnancy. Women increasingly may lose the freedom to choose not to use prenatal tests or the information they provide. This article is drawn from a study of women's experiences of pregnancy. The women's stories and two examples of recent news reports demonstrate some of the pressures women face as they attempt to make choices about pregnancy and motherhood. The examples indicate that women face subtle and overt pressures on their "choices."