‘Brilliant’ Jenni Murray

‘Liberating, intoxicating’ Zoe Williams

‘Why, after decades of social progress, is motherhood still so much harder than it needs to be?’

Before they become mothers, women are repeatedly reminded that their biological clock is ticking. Once pregnant, a woman’s body becomes public property: she is patronised, panicked, and forbidden from exercising her autonomy. In labour, women’s wishes are overridden, resulting in potentially life-changing injuries and trauma.

When the baby comes home, women begin a life of pay cuts, lost job opportunities, heavier housework, unequal emotional loads, and judgement from all sides. State support and family networks have fallen away, and mothers are censured for every ‘choice’ they make – if they are given real choices at all.

In this searing and vital book, Eliane Glaser asks why mothers are idealised, yet treated so poorly; why campaigns for mothers have become so unfashionable; and what we need to do to shift the needle and improve the business of child-rearing for everyone.

In Motherhood, Eliane Glaser delves into the science and theory behind maternity, nursing, and perinatal health, challenging the societal norms and expectations that burden mothers. She explores the intricate relationships between mothers and their children, the impact of parenting on women's fitness, and the feminist perspective on motherhood.

For fans of Philippa Perry (Couch Fiction), Marianne Levy (Don't Forget to Scream), Katherine May (The Electricity of Every Living Thing), Lyndsey Hookway (Let's talk about your new family's sleep), and Emma Jane Unsworth (After the Storm).

Motherhood: Feminism’s unfinished business

Motherhood: Feminism’s unfinished business