Going through childbirth when you have autism

For some autistic women, a late diagnosis comes after their child’s, but I received mine five months before I became pregnant. In motherhood, the Internet has all the answers. You want to know how to tell Braxton Hicks from real contractions, or what labour is going to feel like, really? There are forums, blog posts, and studies for that.

When you type ‘autism’ and ‘childbirth’ into a search engine though, there isn’t a lot about how one relates to the other. You are more likely to find studies about whether birth trauma causes autism, or about how soon after birth you can spot the signs your child might be autistic. Autistic mothers don’t exist, not really. The term ‘autism mum’ isn’t even for us. It is a term used by mothers of autistic children, usually as an identity tied to the hardship of parenting someone like me.