Uncertain Motherhood presents research on maternal behavior in relation to women who have less than optimal outcomes in pregnancy. The contributors examine mothers' reactions to events as diverse as unwanted pregnancies, livebirths following stillbirths, infertility, at-risk pregnancies, premature births, and carriages resulting in babies with birth defects. Recognizing the need for caregivers to develop a greater understanding of the women's experiences, the editors have assembled and integrated the results of various studies in terms of uncertainty theory, culminating in their proposed model of uncertain motherhood.