Motherdom: Breaking Free of Bad Science and Good Mother Myths

The “ideologies and stereotypes” that define modern motherhood mainly serve to cast blame on mothers, writes Bollen, a U.K.-based postnatal practitioner, in this intriguing debut. Bollen posits that these “Good Mother Myths” are underpinned by two factors: the first is bad science (based on bad assumptions) that overstates findings in order to generate sensational headlines; the second is a cultural tendency to associate women with nature. Bollen breaks down what happens when these two tenets interact, showing how they create contradictions that mean whichever choice a mother makes is judged by society as the wrong one (with neither choice in fact being particularly based on well-founded guidance). For example, she cites how women are equally “vilified” for cesarean sections and home births, or for breastfeeding or formula-feeding, even though all can be necessary options depending on the circumstances. Bollen also criticizes attachment parenting, arguing that it overemphasize mothers’ abilities to shape their children’s emotional landscape. As a corrective to such mother-blaming, Bollen calls for a slew of systemic changes that prioritize new mothers’ health and access to fact-based science; she also suggests adopting a concept called “motherdom”—“an expansive conception of motherhood” that will “depose” the current “institution.” While this concept feels fairly nebulous, the book is still worthwhile for Bollen’s fascinating investigations into the origins of a slew of supposedly scientific parenting advice. It’s a satisfying revolt against holier-than-thou moralizing around mothers. (Mar.)