A “good mother” should always choose the nutritional option that is “healthiest” for her kid. Right?
What if the “healthiest” option puts her health at risk? What if the “healthiest” option requires quotation marks around that word because it does not have a clear definition for what makes it the absolute “healthiest” option?
What if the “healthiest” option depends on her body.
When there is a perceived level of risk on both sides of a mom:baby risk:risk equation – e.g. the risk of choosing a less healthy option for a baby versus risk of stress exposure for the mother’s body and brain – how can we properly weigh the risk:risk in a way that includes impact on short- and long-term maternal health outcomes?
Sleep, breastfeeding, and the “good mother” narrative collide with fascinating overlap that (in my opinion) perfectly highlights the ways society over-prioritizes babies/children at the expense of a mother’s health under a false pretense of her choice.
After talking with
, pediatrician and public health leader, about her personal experience with sleep protection and breastfeeding, I knew I had to dig in further with her on all things risk:risk, maternal health, and motherhood narrative…LINKS:
Maternal Stress Project substack post
Devika’s Substack:
Devika’s Slate article — I Always Pictured Breastfeeding My Kids. Then My Psychiatrist Recommended Against It.
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