This chapter introduces the scope and arguments of the book. It analyses the existing scholarship on the history of gender and sexuality and explores why the history of pregnant women’s sexuality has been understudied. The chapter connects to present-day discussions about pregnant women’s sexuality, by discussing work in cultural and gender studies on contemporary representations of pregnant women’s sex. This literature review demonstrates the longevity of concepts about pregnant women in history, and indicates that this book offers new insights into the present-day construction of pregnant women’s sexuality in the West.