Incarcerated mothers and their babies are invisible to most of us. Little is known about the discourses surrounding women who give birth and begin raising their babies while doing time in prison. I conducted a two year, exploratory, qualitative study of babies' experiences in the Residential Parenting Program in Washington Corrections Center for Women, using Participatory Action Research (PAR). I present just one aspect of our work, namely operationalizing PAR concepts with prisoners, officers, early childhood educators, nurse practitioners, birth attendants, and community members. These stakeholders hold divergent views about incarcerated women and their newborns. They rarely if ever come to the same table to talk and learn from one another. Stereotyped identities, differences in power, privilege and autonomy, and the divergent missions of their organizations present real challenges to linking research and action on behalf of babies. PAR literature raises questions about the extent to which PAR philosophy can be truly carried out in prisons, when participation is not limited to one or two groups of allied stakeholders. I explain challenges. I present evidence supporting and contraindicating PAR in settings that mandate limited autonomy and agency for women. I present strategies that led to the emergence of a common discourse. I offer recommendations for future work. (author abstract)