Abstract

The requirement that women should “know and let other people know” about their pregnancies dates back at least to the sixteenth century. Yet, the identification of pregnancy and of the date of conception has always been a source of uncertainty, giving rise, over the centuries, to a variety of procedures of bodily surveillance. This article re-examines the topic in the French context from the early modern era to the late twentieth century. It compares the different methods of detecting pregnancy, and the associated practical concerns, by considering specific situations related to medico-legal issues : criminal cases of infanticide (nineteenth century), anti-abortion policies (nineteenth to twentieth century) ; and the dossiers related to the non-payment of prenatal benefits (1945-1970). This historical review of the socialization of the gestational period seeks to identify how different procedures of medical evaluation, and different tactics of mediation or negotiation are likely to determine the treatment of pregnant women who claim not to be aware of their condition. In the process, we propose a social history of doubt, the body, and self awareness.