Motherhood Studies

Joyful. Graceful. Blessed. Strong. Anxious. Depressed. Stigmatized. Stereotyped. What happens when motherhood isn’t what you expected—and when you reach out for support, you are met with judgment and prejudice? Sandra Igwe shares her journey as a young Black mother, coping with sleepless nights, anxiety, and loneliness after the birth of her first daughter. Burdened by cultural expectations of the “good mother” and the “strong Black woman” trope, her mental health struggles became an uphill battle.

In Forget "Having It All", Westervelt traces the roots of our modern expectations of mothers and motherhood back to extremist ideas held by the first Puritans who attempted to colonize America and examines how those ideals shifted - or didn't - through every generation since.

Based on the belief that there's more to women's lives than just getting a date, Gilman's stories tell of struggling to get a life and a clue, and engaging in some spectacularly demented behavior along the way. At turns heartbreaking, insightful, and screamingly funny, it uniquely chronicles a generation and heralds a talented writer of note.

Part memoir, part popular science, and part social commentary, Bottled Up probes breastfeeding politics through the lens of Barston’s own experiences as well as those of the women she has met through her popular blog, The Fearless Formula Feeder. Incorporating expert opinions, medical literature, and popular media into a pithy, often wry narrative, Barston offers a corrective to our infatuation with the breast. Impassioned, well-reasoned, and thoroughly researched, Bottled Up asks us to think with more nuance and compassion about whether breastfeeding should remain the holy grail of good parenthood.

Like many women her age, 34-year-old Rebecca Walker was brought up to be skeptical of motherhood. As an adult she longed for a baby but feared losing her independence. In this very smart memoir, Walker explores some of the larger sociological trends of her generation while delivering her own story about the emotional and intellectual transformation that led her to motherhood.

Since the world’s first test-tube baby was born in 1978, in vitro fertilization has made the unimaginable possible for millions of people, but its revolutionary potential remains unrealized. Today, fertility centers continue to reinforce conservative norms of motherhood and family, and infertility remains a deeply emotional experience many women are reluctant to discuss.

Aman a sus hijos, pero se arrepienten de ser madres. #madresarrepentidas es un tratado de pensamiento radical que no dejará indiferente a nadie. En este ensayo controvertido, tan minucioso como iluminador, la socióloga Orna Donath examina la dimensión del tabú, desactiva los dictados sociales y deja que sean las propias madres quienes hablen de sus experiencias. Así, #madresarrepentidas se erige como un nuevo e imprescindible manifiesto feminista, llamado a romper barreras.

For so long, Ruthie Ackerman believed that the decision not to have children was a radical act. She'd grown up being told that she came from a long line of women who had abandoned theirs. Plus, Ruthie feared she would pass on her half-brother’s rare genetic disorder. Haunted by this generational inheritance, she goes searching in the twists and turns of her DNA to decide once and for all whether she should become a mother. When a geneticist leaves her at a dead end, she chooses to marry a man who doesn’t want children—only to realize that, despite everything, she desperately does.

It is a love letter of sorts. And while there are some who might beg to differ, you'd have to know the author to know that that was true. Daisy Tatous. "The Petals of Rose" is a poignant exploration of the intricate and often tumultuous relationships between mothers and daughters. Through the compelling narrative of Rose Tatous, listeners are immersed in a multi-generational saga that weaves together the lives of women across time.

This book is about mothers. Nature hasn't created a single relationship as powerful and naturally strong as the one between a mother and her child. If you are a mother who aspires to enjoy both a fulfilling life and a successful career this book is for you. Written with honesty and humour, 'Mothers as Leaders' includes captivating real-life stories of twenty powerful, inspiring women leaders from across the world and from all walks of life.

Find solace and strength through prayer. No matter how far our culture has come, we will never be able to shed the idea that women are primarily responsible for parenting their children. This obligation leaves women and mothers exhausted and burdened. Society urges them not to worry about their mothering job, while offering no tangible advice or measures customized to a mother's individual circumstances and requirements.

Women in today's advanced capitalist societies are encouraged to "lean in." The media and government champion women's empowerment. In a cultural climate where women can seemingly have it all, why do so many successful professional women - lawyers, financial managers, teachers, engineers, and others - give up their careers after having children and become stay-at-home mothers? How do they feel about their decision and what do their stories tell us about contemporary society?

Claudia Garcia crossed the border because her toddler, Natalia, could not hear. Leaving behind everything she knew in Mexico, Claudia recounts the terror of migrating alone with her toddler and the incredible challenges she faced advocating for her daughter’s health in the United States. When she arrived in Texas, Claudia discovered that being undocumented would mean more than just an immigration status—it would be a way of living, of mothering, and of being discarded by even those institutions we count on to care.

Sweet, supportive, dependable, selfless. Long before she had children of her own, journalist Carrie Mullins knew how mothers should behave. But how? Where did these expectations come from—and, more importantly, are they serving the mothers whose lives they shape? Carrie's suspicion, later crystallized while raising two small children, was that our culture’s idealization of motherhood was not only painfully limiting but harmful, leaving women to cope with impossible standards—standards rarely created by mothers themselves.

Millennial moms: You’ve survived pregnancy, and now you have a newborn baby and you’re entering your first year of newborn care. What’s next? Deep Breaths: The New Mom’s Handbook to Your Baby’s First Year is Michelle Pearson’s debut book. In her newborn baby book, this YouTube mom of five details what to expect during pregnancy, what to expect during the first year of motherhood, and much much more.

Best-selling author Stasi Eldredge celebrates the glorious design and beauty of a mother released to be all she was meant to be.

If Mama Goes South, We're All Going with Her looks at five biblical principles from Galatians for overcoming problems that weigh women down and dilute their influence on others. What does it really look like to "not grow weary in well doing"? Am I really making a difference? Why do I feel alone? These questions, and more, are touched upon with splashes of humor and plenty of personal depth.

With insight and compassion, Pamela Stone shows convincingly that, far from representing a return to tradition, the decision of some women to relinquish high-powered careers is a reluctant and conflict-ridden response to the growing mismatch between privatized families and time-demanding jobs.

In this 10th anniversary edition, renowned political commentator Cokie Roberts once again examines the nature of women's roles. From mother to mechanic, sister to soldier, Roberts reveals how much progress has now been made and how much further we have to go. Updated and expanded to include a diverse new cast of women, including Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Billie Jean King, and others, this collection of essays offers tremendous insight into the opportunities and challenges that women encounter today.

Coming out to Mom is a lesbian rite of passage. In the third edition of this landmark anthology, 34 remarkable women face their fears and confusion, prejudice and misunderstandings, and speak honestly and bravely about the difficulties and joys of life with their "different daughters". Among the topics of discussion are family, community, religion, grandchildren, bisexuality, transgenderism, and coming out.