Non-comparability and unplannability as material topoi in antenatal care conversations.

Objective: This paper studies argumentation and its function to establish common ground in pregnancy counseling conversations during the third trimester of the pregnancy, focusing on two material topoi: Non-comparability and Unplannability.

Methods: We take a conversation-analytical and interactional approach and draw on 37 natural occurring counseling conversations, videorecorded during two periods at a university hospital. The conversations are typically between the midwife and the pregnant woman.