Temporary Childbirth Migration and Reproductive Justice: Reconceptualising Continuity of Maternal and Child Healthcare in Rural India

In many South-Asian societies, including India, pregnant women often relocate to their natal homes during the third trimester of pregnancy and stay for several months post-childbirth. While this practice often provides the much-needed care, rest and emotional support for mother and child(ren); it can potentially hinder service provision continuity during a critical monitoring and intervention period. This study examines how temporary childbirth migration (TCM) shapes maternal and child healthcare (MCH)service-provision in two Jammu- Kashmir rural districts. Employing a participatory qualitative longitudinal design, the study follows 40 pregnant women from late pregnancy through six-months postpartum to document changing expectations, experiences of care, and pathways of healthcare access across natal and marital settings. Rooted in reproductive-justice framework, the research adopts a polyvocal methodology that pairs women’s narratives with interviews from key care-givers and stakeholders to understand the differences in healthcare across natal/marital households; the socio-economic, and cultural-costs of postnatal care; and variations in duration of stay, and rest afforded to women depending upon the gender of the newborn. By situating TCM at the intersection of gender, kinship, and health- systems-the fellowship will generate transferable insights to inform equitable health-system responses that strengthen healthcare continuity for migrants and improve overall MCH outcomes in resource-constrained settings.