mothering has so often and in so many ways been a source of oppression to women.
but isn’t it possible to imagine mothering very differently? given the time, the space, the money, and taking away the fear of loss of self, of loss of autonomy, of loss of identity, couldn’t mothering, the intense experience of early mothering, be a source of pleasure and joy?
for some of us it certainly has been. our motherhood has not been something that makes us less, but something that makes us more. rather than experiencing the threat to our autonomy that motherhood can be, some women, sometimes, are privileged enough to be confident enough in their autonomy, their selfhood, to just enjoy those first few months of early mothering.
but enjoying it requires a level of trust: in ourselves, our bodies, our lives and our world.
–Barbara Katz Rothman
