Despite growing interest into perinatal experiences, autistic perspectives remain underrepresented in research, healthcare services, and policy development in this field. This oversight contributes to the continued marginalisation of autistic women and birthing people (WBP) during a critical life transition. Both papers seek to address this gap by offering novel insights into the perinatal experiences of autistic WBP. Through a combination of conceptual analysis and empirical research, the papers aim to centre autistic voices and foreground the need for more inclusive and accessible perinatal care.

Part A presents a conceptual review which sought to explore the intersection between birth trauma and the perinatal experiences of autistic WBP in the literature. The paper suggests that while autistic WBP may share some vulnerabilities and risk factors with the broader population, they also face compounded challenges arising from additional systemic and structural barriers in perinatal care that might heighten their susceptibility to experiencing birth as a traumatic event.

Part B presents a qualitative empirical study, which explored autistic WBP’s experiences of pregnancy and antenatal care, and how they made sense out of these experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven autistic WBP (a mixture of those who were formally diagnosed and self-identified as autistic) in their second and third trimesters, then analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three themes were developed: ‘pregnancy, a journey of continuous change’, ‘navigating an unfamiliar system’, and ‘finding a sense of safety along the way’.

These papers highlight unique factors that autistic WBP experience during the perinatal period, drawing attention to sensory, interpersonal and structural dimensions of their experiences. The findings underscore the importance of recognising autistic-specific needs in perinatal contexts and the consequences of failing to do so. Clinical and research recommendations are proposed, including targeted professional autism-specific training and research on birth trauma as experienced by autistic WBP.