Feeling good mother/father and other regimes.LGBT people’s emotions and parenthoods / Sentirse buena madre/buen padre y otros regímenes. Emociones y parentalidades de personas LGBT

En el presente artículo analizamos y discutimos la dimension emocional que las personas LGBT asocian al ejercicio de la maternidad/paternidad. Basadas en las teorías feministas y las contribuciones de la subalternidad y la interseccionalidad, aplicamos el método biográfico, en un proceso de investigación dialógico-recursivo. Las personas participantes fueron 21 personas LGBT e informantes clave, pertenecientes a la academia, la psicoterapia, la política, y el activismo de la diversidad, de Chile (16), Mexico (4), y Colombia (1); entre 21 y 57 años, con una media de edad de 37.19 y una desviación estándar de 10.03. Encontramos emociones relacionadas al mandato social de “ser una buena madre/un buen padre”; emociones resultantes de la situación de desprotección social y legal; y emociones devenidas de la experiencia de parentalidad. Concluimos que las dinámicas de represión/resistencia atraviesan los cuerpos y las emociones son un aspecto fundamental de esta encarnación; dado ello, el desarrollo de investigaciones enfocadas en emociones puede abrir caminos para alcanzar sociedades más justas a través del cultivo de la sentimentalidad como elemento base de las relaciones que nos mantienen como miembros dignos de la sociedad y considerando el efecto performativo de las demandas emocionales.(AU)

In this article, we analyze and discuss the emotional dimension that LGBT people associate with the exercise of motherhood/fatherhood. Based on feminist theory and subalternity and intersectionality theory con-tributions, we applied the biographical method to a dialogical-recursive in-vestigative process. Participants were 21 LGBT people and key informants, belonging to academia, psychotherapy, politics, and diversity activism, over 18 years old, from Chile (16), Mexico (4), and Colombia (1); the partici-pantswere people between 21 and 57 years of age, with a mean age of 37.19 and a standard deviation of 10.03. We found emotions related to the social mandate to "be a good mother/father"; emotions resulting from so-cial situations such as discrimination and legal lack of protection, and emo-tions derived from the parenting experience. We conclude that repres-sion/resistance dynamics go through the bodies, and emotions are funda-mental to this incarnation. Given this, the development of research fo-cused on emotion can open ways to achieve more just societies through cultivated sentimentality, societies aware of the type of bonds that keep us as worthy members of a society and the performative effect of our emo-tional demands.(AU)

[Adolescent mothers: the ambivalence of the desire for a child and the specific nature of maternity center care]. / Les mères adolescentes : ambivalence du désir d'enfant et spécificité des prises en charge en centre maternel.

In France, teenage pregnancy has remained a relatively moderate and stable phenomenon for several decades. Public discourse on young people's sexuality and the issue of teenage pregnancies focuses overwhelmingly on two themes: contraception and voluntary termination of pregnancy, leaving in the shadows the reality of the experiences of these young under-age mothers. Thus, one of the major challenges of support in maternity centers is to ensure the coexistence of psychic movements linked to adolescent reorganization and those linked to the birth of motherhood. With this in mind, we have been able to highlight the importance of care structures for these mothers, acting as a substitute family figure for these young people. This support seems to have fostered the creation of more appropriate conditions for the establishment of the first mother-baby bonds in these initially very precarious psychological contexts.

[Teenage pregnancy: when digital social networks support becoming a mother]. / Grossesse à l'adolescence : quand les réseaux sociaux numériques viennent supporter le devenir mère.

The onset of pregnancy during adolescence brings with it upheavals for the body, identity, family and society. This particular context can make some teenagers psychopathologically fragile, while others adapt perfectly. When these mothers-to-be receive support, their adjustment to pregnancy seems to be facilitated. At present, it seems easy for teenagers to maintain contacts and thus benefit from a form of support on digital social networks. Recently discussed in the literature, the latter could represent a source of social support in this type of pregnancy, but also of support for the identity process of becoming a mother.

Understanding the socio-demographic and programmatic factors associated with adolescent motherhood and its association with child undernutrition in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, a significant number of girls become mothers during adolescence. In Bangladesh, adolescent childbirth is highly prevalent and has adverse effects on children's health and undernutrition. We aimed to identify the relationship between the undernutrition of children and adolescent motherhood, the factors associated with adolescent mothers' age at first birth, and to examine the programmatic factors and gaps influencing children's undernutrition in Bangladesh. METHODS: We analysed the 'Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey' BDHS-17-18 data and desk review. To examine the factors associated with adolescent motherhood and its impact on child undernutrition, data from 7,643 mother-child pairs were selected. Child stunting, wasting, and underweight were measured according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) median growth guidelines based on z-scores - 2. Univariate, bivariate, simple, and multiple logistic regressions were used for analyse. We followed the systematic procedures for the literature review. RESULTS: Approximately, 89% of adolescents aged ≤ 19 years were married and 71% of them gave their first childbirth. Children of adolescent mothers (≤ 19 years) were significantly 1.68 times more wasted (aOR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.64), 1.37 times more underweight (aOR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.86) and either form 1.32 times more stunting, wasting or underweight (aOR:1.32; 95% Cl: 1.05 to 1.66) compared to the children of adult mothers (> 19 years) after adjusting potential confounders. The factors associated with mothers' first childbirth during adolescence were the age gap between husband and wife 5-10 years (aOR: 1.81; 95% Cl: 1.57-2.10) and age gap > 10 years (aOR: 2.41; 95% Cl: 1.96-2.97) compared with the age group < 5 years, and husbands' education (aOR: 1.29; 95% Cl: 1.04-1.61) compared with the uneducated husbands. In the literature review, we found potential gaps in focusing on the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) program in Bangladesh, from thirty-two programmes only half of them focused on adolescents aged 10-19 years, and eleven programmes focused only on girls. CONCLUSION: Children of adolescent mothers are at risk of wasting, underweight, and any form of undernutrition. For effective policies and interventions in Bangladesh, it is important to emphasise delaying adolescent pregnancy and prioritising child undernutrition.

Are companies ethically justified in offering nonmedical egg freezing as an employee benefit?

All over the world, many companies are including oocyte cryopreservation for nonmedical reasons, also popularly known as nonmedical egg freezing (NMEF), within their employee benefits packages. However, it is important to ask whether companies are ethically justified in offering NMEF as a benefit for their employees. The inclusion of NMEF within companies' employee benefits packages could be ethically justified in two ways. On the one hand, company-sponsored NMEF can serve as a strategy to mitigate or eliminate gender inequalities in the workplace, such as female underrepresentation in positions of authority and leadership and the so-called work/motherhood conflict. On the other hand, company-sponsored NMEF can be a means to expand women's reproductive autonomy by making egg freezing accessible to those women who are not able to afford it otherwise. This article calls into question these ethical justifications. We argue that by offering NMEF as an employee benefit, companies maintain current workplace inequalities and impose an option for women with multiple risks and externalities. Therefore, companies' offering of NMEF benefits cannot be ethically justified. Furthermore, we argue that companies that offer NMEF benefits incur fiduciary responsibilities related to the physiological, emotional, psychological, and financial costs of the use of company-sponsored NMEF.

Egg donation and gestational surrogacy: Pregnancy is riskier with an unrelated embryo.

Modern medicine has revolutionized family planning. Remarkably, women1 can carry to term embryos with whom they share no genetic connection, a feat made possible through egg donation and/or gestational surrogacy. Our reproductive systems evolved to accommodate embryos that are 50% related to the carrier, not 0% related. Here, we apply evolutionary theory to explain how and why pregnancy is riskier with an unrelated embryo. When a woman gestates an unrelated embryo, she is significantly more likely to develop preeclampsia and other diseases above and beyond the known risks associated with advanced maternal age, IVF, multiple gestation, and subfertility. Such "allogeneic pregnancies" are riskier even in fertile, healthy, commercial surrogates and when the egg is donated by a young, healthy donor. We propose that unrelated embryos present a special immune challenge to the gestational carrier, because they have fewer matching genes to the maternal body-therefore exacerbating symptoms of evolutionary maternal-fetal conflict. Indeed, maternal risks seem lower when the embryo is more related to the carrier, e.g., if a sister donates the egg. Finally, we discuss microchimerism in egg donation pregnancies, whereby wholly foreign cells pass from mother to embryo and vice-versa. We conclude with several medical proposals. First, egg donors and surrogates should be informed of the increased health risks they would face. In considerations of risk, these young, fertile women should not be compared to older, infertile women undergoing IVF; the proper comparison group is other young, fertile women. Second, contrary to some medical advice, perhaps genetically-related egg donors and surrogates should be preferred, all else equal. An immunological matching scheme, like what is used for organ transplants, could improve surrogate pregnancy outcomes. Third, more research is needed on microchimerism, sperm exposure, and the long-term impacts of allogeneic pregnancies on maternal and child health.

Freedom for some, but not for Mum: the reproductive injustice associated with pandemic 'Freedom Day' for perinatal women in the United Kingdom.

Introduction: Healthcare services for pregnant and postpartum ('perinatal') women were reconfigured significantly at the advent and for the duration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and despite the United Kingdom announcing 'Freedom Day' on 19 July 2021 (whereafter all legal lockdown-related restrictions were lifted), restrictions to maternity (antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal) services remained. This study presents data from eight perinatal women about their experiences of psychosocial wellbeing and maternity care in the post-'Freedom Day' epoch. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually, with data recorded, transcribed, and analysed by hand. Grounded theory analysis was employed with the final theory assessing the reproductive injustice of the pandemic 'Freedom Day'. Results: Analysing iteratively and inductively led to four emergent themes: 'A Failing System, Failing Women'; 'Harm Caused by a State of Difference'; 'The Privileges (Not Rights) of Reproductive Autonomy, Agency, and Advocacy'; and 'Worried Women and Marginalised Mothers'. Together, these themes form the theory of 'Freedom for some, but not for Mum'. Discussion: Women experienced a lack of high-quality reliable information about the pandemic, vaccination against the virus, and the changes to, and decision-making surrounding, their perinatal care. Women recognised healthcare professionals and maternity services were stretched and that maternity services were failing but often reported hostility from staff and abandonment at times when they were unsure about how to navigate their care. The most singular injustice was the disparity between women having to accept continuing restrictions to their freedom whilst receiving maternity care and the (reckless) freedom being enacted by the general public.

Associations between childbirth, gang exposure and substance use among young women in Cape Town, South Africa.

The prevalence and influence of gangs on adolescents and young adults remain a concern in Western Cape, South Africa-particularly as they have one of the largest gang presence. While less attention has been focused on young women, there is a need to elucidate the relationship between gang exposure and health behaviors, such substance use, in addition to understanding whether becoming a caregiver impacts this relationship. This study uses baseline data from 496 participants enrolled in a NIDA-funded R01 trial that recruited young women aged 16 to 19 who were out of school and reported recent alcohol or other drug use and sexual risk behavior. At enrollment, a risk behavior survey was administered, and urine drug screening was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine baseline associations between childbirth, a gang exposure index based on eight items, and positive drug screens of the most prevalent drugs in the Western Cape (marijuana, methaqualone, and methamphetamine). At enrollment, approximately 39% of the sample had a positive urine screen for marijuana, 17% for methaqualone, and 11% for methamphetamine. Additionally, 28% had ever given birth. While only 6% reported ever being a member of a gang, most reported exposure to gangs through their physical and social environments. For all three drugs, gang exposure was associated with statistically significantly higher odds of a positive screen. Every one-point increase in the gang exposure index was associated with a 31% increase in the odds of a positive marijuana screen (p < .001), a 26% increase for methaqualone (p = 0.005) and a 37% increase in the odds of a positive methamphetamine screen (p < .001). Ever given birth was associated with lower odds of marijuana use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.42-0.96), but it was not associated with methaqualone or methamphetamine use. The findings suggest that exposure to gangs through young women's social and physical environment is positively associated with drug use. Childbirth was also protective for marijuana use, indicating there may be something unique about this type of drug, such as one's ability to more easily stop use. Although very few young women reported gang membership, a majority reported some exposure, indicating the need to address how pervasive this exposure is and the potential risk.

Nurturing futures through the maternal microbiome.

Recently there has been growing recognition of the productive and protective features of our microbial kin and the crucial role of 'commensal' microbes in supporting and sustaining health. Current microbiological and pharmacological literature is increasingly highlighting the role of maternal gut microbiomes in the long-term health of both mothers and children. Drawing on the information and advice directed towards Australian parents from conception through the first years of a child's life, we consider its messaging about the need to secure for the foetus/future-child an enduring, optimal state of health by managing the maternal microbiome. We argue that this post-Pasteurian trend gives rise to relations of care that are, at once, newly collective and more-than-human-but also disciplinary in ways that position the maternal microbiome as a new site of scrutiny that disproportionately responsibilises and burdens mothers. We notice how microbiome research is used both to reframe motherhood as a form of micro(bial)-management and to maintain motherhood as a medicalised process. The feminist and more-than-human potential that this research can provide is missing in the way these resources are presented to parents.

Deconstructing stigmatising narratives: a qualitative analysis of contrast devices in interviews with mothers with a mental illness.

BACKGROUND: In the context of stigma and mental health research, limited empirical studies examine stigma through the positioning of individuals within interview contexts. This study addresses this gap by investigating the positioning processes in interviews with mothers with a mental illness, with a specific focus on the use of contrast devices as a strategy identified through analysis. By analysing how mothers position themselves through contrast devices and to which discourses they refer, this study provides insights into how stigmatising discourses are evident in the narratives of mothers with a mental illness. METHODS: This study is based on 20 semi-narrative interviews with mothers with a mental illness who participated in the Village Project (a pilot project co-created for children of parents with mental illness in Tyrol, Austria). Our analysis focuses on identifying stigmatising discourses related to motherhood and mental illness by examining the use of contrast devices in their accounts. RESULTS: The analysis shows insights into mothers' efforts to distance themselves from labels such as 'bad mother', 'not normal/crazy women' and 'weak person'. These positions often carry a gendered dimension, with motherhood emerging as a central position. Our study highlights the challenges mothers with a mental illness face in navigating societal norms and expectations related to motherhood during research interviews. CONCLUSION: The research contributes to a deeper understanding of mental health stigma in the context of motherhood, emphasising the importance of considering gendered dynamics and societal expectations in mental health research.

How Do Households Fare Economically When Mothers Become Their Primary Financial Support?

The economic circumstances in which children grow up have garnered much scholarly attention due to their close associations with well-being over the life course. While it has been well-documented that children are increasingly growing up in households where their primary financial support comes from their mother, regardless of whether she is partnered or single, the consequences for household economic well-being are unclear. We use the 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation to quantify how a mother's transition into primary earner status affects the economic well-being of her household and if the effects differ based on her relationship status. On average, household income declines and more households are unable to meet their economic needs once the mother becomes the primary earner. However, these declines in income are concentrated among partnered-mother households and mothers who transition from partnered to single during the year. At the same time, although many single mothers see an increase in household income, the majority of these households are still unable to meet their economic needs. These findings suggest that the shift to a welfare system that requires employment coupled with structural changes in the labor market have created financial hardship for most families.

Exploring the role of motherhood in healthcare engagement for women living with HIV in the USA.

Mothers living with HIV are faced with managing their own complex healthcare and wellness needs while caring for their children. Understanding the lived experiences of mothers living with HIV, including grandmothers and mothers with older children - who are less explicitly represented in existing literature, may guide the development of interventions that best support them and their families. This study sought to explore the role of motherhood and related social/structural factors on engagement with HIV care, treatment-seeking behaviour, and overall HIV management among mothers living with HIV in the USA to inform such efforts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between June and December 2015 with 52 mothers living with HIV, recruited from the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) sites in four US cities. Five broad themes were identified from the interviews: children as a motivation for optimal HIV management; children as providing logistical support for HIV care and treatment; the importance of social support for mothers; stressors tied to responsibilities of motherhood; and stigma about being a mother living with HIV. Findings underscore the importance of considering the demands of motherhood when developing more effective strategies to support mothers in managing HIV and promoting the overall health and well-being of their families.

Stability and change in maternal wellbeing and illbeing from pregnancy to three years postpartum.

PURPOSE: Motherhood affects women's mental health, encompassing aspects of both wellbeing and illbeing. This study investigated stability and change in wellbeing (i.e., relationship satisfaction and positive affect) and illbeing (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms) from pregnancy to three years postpartum. We further investigated the mutual and dynamic relations between these constructs over time and the role of genetic propensities in their time-invariant stability. DATA AND METHODS: This four-wave longitudinal study included 83,124 women from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) linked to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Data were collected during pregnancy (30 weeks) and at 6, 18 and 36 months postpartum. Wellbeing and illbeing were based on the Relationship Satisfaction Scale, the Differential Emotions Scale and Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-8. Genetics were measured by the wellbeing spectrum polygenic index. Analyses were based on random intercept cross-lagged panel models using R. RESULTS: All four outcomes showed high stability and were mutually interconnected over time, with abundant cross-lagged predictions. The period of greatest instability was from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum, followed by increasing stability. Prenatal relationship satisfaction played a crucial role in maternal mental health postpartum. Women's genetic propensity to wellbeing contributed to time-invariant stability of all four constructs. CONCLUSION: Understanding the mutual relationship between different aspects of wellbeing and illbeing allows for identifying potential targets for health promotion interventions. Time-invariant stability was partially explained by genetics. Maternal wellbeing and illbeing develop in an interdependent way from pregnancy to 36 months postpartum.

Motherhood Role from a Postpartum Perspective: Effects Reflected by High-Risk and Normal Pregnancies.

High-risk pregnancies not only heighten concerns about the baby's health but also have the potential to impact the mother-infant relationship by shifting the mother's focus towards her own health needs. This study aims to delve into the intricacies of motherhood roles among women experiencing high-risk pregnancies compared to those with uncomplicated pregnancies, aiming to shed light on the disparities between the two groups. The participants of this descriptive, comparative, and correlational study consisted of literate mothers admitted to a hospital in Eastern Turkey, diagnosed with high-risk pregnancies, and with no prior history of psychological support. Due to an inability to reach the entire population, an unknown sampling method was employed for sampling calculation. The sample comprised 133 mothers with high-risk pregnancies and an equal number of healthy mothers, totaling 266 participants. Data were collected using the "Maternal Introduction Form" and the "Maternal Role Gaining Scale", and analyses were conducted using the SPSS Statistical Programme. Given the non-normal distribution of the variables, nonparametric tests were applied post reliability analysis. There is a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in the scores of maternal attitude and anxiety, as well as maternal role and the Maternal Role Gaining Scale, based on various demographic factors such as marriage duration, spouse's education, family economic status, pre-pregnancy health issues, medication use, hospitalization status and reason, assigned sex of the baby and desired gender, total pregnancies, mode of delivery, postpartum difficulties, support for baby care, feeding method, high-risk pregnancy diagnosis, and week of diagnosis. A Bonferroni corrected analysis also revealed significant differences between mothers with and without high-risk pregnancies.

Do pregnancy and motherhood have an impact on cognitive functions in women.

Pregnancy and motherhood are some of the most physically and mentally challenging periods in a woman's life. The aim of current study was to examine aspects of cognitive functions in pregnancy and motherhood that are controversial in the literature. The study included 30 healthy pregnant women aged between 18-40 years in their second and third trimesters, 30 healthy controls (nulliparous and non-pregnant women) and 30 healthy mothers matched with the pregnant women for age, handedness and education level. Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Trail Making, Stroop, Digit Span, Verbal Fluency and Rey Auditory and Verbal Learning Tests (RAVLT) were applied to all participants. The pregnant group showed significantly lower performance in trail making, digit span, verbal fluency as well as RAVLT compared to other two groups suggesting deficiencies in cognitive areas such as attention, set-shifting, planning, learning, language functions, semantic memory, working memory, encoding memory and retrieval. A trend toward increased function in response inhibition was observed in the mothers. Regression analyses revealed that pregnancy significantly decreased performance in verbal fluency, trail making, and RAVLT. Our findings from rigorously selected participants may help comprehend alterations in cognitive functioning during pregnancy and motherhood, as well as shed light on the contradictory literature.

Infant Feeding Practices, Prevalence of Adolescent Motherhood and Malnutrition among Infants in Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Background: Adolescent motherhood and malnutrition among children are significant challenges in Africa, but there is limited data on the impact of adolescent motherhood on their children's health and nutrition. This study assessed infant feeding practices, prevalence of adolescent motherhood, and malnutrition among infants in Mangu local government area (LGA). Methodology: A cross-sectional survey using multistage sampling was conducted. Validated questionnaires were used to collect socio-demographic data, and appropriate tools were used for anthropometric measurements. Data were compared with established standards. Descriptive statistical tools, chi square, Pearson correlation, and independent sample t-test were used for data analysis, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 200 mothers completed the study. The majority of the infants (78.5%) were less than 6 months old, and 21.5% were 6-12 months old. Breastfeeding initiation within 1 hour was reported by 39% of mothers, while 38% practiced prelacteal feeding. Only 28.5% practiced exclusive breastfeeding, and all mothers breastfed their babies. The prevalence of adolescent motherhood was 37.5%. The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight among infants were 29.5%, 12%, and 8.5%, respectively. Children of adolescent mothers had higher rates of severe stunting compared to children of mothers above 19 years of age. There were significant differences (p = 0.017 and p = 0.029) in stunting rates and weight-for-age indices between children of adolescent mothers and mothers above 19 years of age. Conclusion: Adolescent motherhood contributes to chronic malnutrition in children, and there is a high prevalence of malnutrition among infants in Mangu LGA, Plateau State.

Maternal responsibility and blame in technological disaster: Radiation risk management as gendered labor after Fukushima.

State governance after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident created a culture of silence and tolerance surrounding radiation risk, and deliberately fueled the popular understanding that acting upon radiation-related concern was antithetical to national and regional economic recovery. Outright denial of danger by Japanese leaders, paired with loosened safety standards and limited state support for affected residents by way of guidance and compensation, led to a privatization of radiation risk management that placed responsibility for exposure reduction onto families while also constraining their action. Drawing on in-depth interviews and participant observation, this article explores how such dynamics fell most heavily on concerned mothers, who were far more likely to take on this additional realm of domestic labor and care work due to deeply ingrained norms of gendered labor and citizenship. Yet such maternal labor was not lauded as a valuable social contribution. Rather, concerned mothers found themselves in a double bind in which to care for their families through vigilant avoidance of potential risk was to betray the state. Risk mitigation came to require a significant amount of emotion work associated with not appearing overly anxious or paranoid, constantly assessing the risk perception of others, and at times suppressing concern and compromising on risk tolerance. The results of this study suggest that neoliberal models of environmental risk management, particularly in moments of high uncertainty surrounding the risk in question, can not only create internal, interpersonal, and community conflict but also exacerbate existing gender inequalities.

The Role of Single Motherhood in America's High Child Poverty.

Many claim a high prevalence of single motherhood plays a significant role in America's high child poverty. Using the Luxembourg Income Study, we compare the "prevalences and penalties" for child poverty across 30 rich democracies and within the United States over time (1979-2019). Several descriptive patterns contradict the importance of single motherhood. The U.S. prevalence of single motherhood is cross-nationally moderate and typical and is historically stable. Also, child poverty and the prevalence of single motherhood have trended in opposite directions in recent decades in the United States. More important than the prevalence of single motherhood, the United States stands out for having the highest penalty across 30 rich democracies. Counterfactual simulations demonstrate that reducing single motherhood would not substantially reduce child poverty. Even if there was zero single motherhood, (1) the United States would not change from having the fourth-highest child poverty rate, (2) the 41-year trend in child poverty would be very similar, and (3) the extreme racial inequalities in child poverty would not decline. Rather than the prevalence of single motherhood, the high penalty for single motherhood and extremely high Black and Latino child poverty rates, which exist regardless of single motherhood, are far more important to America's high child poverty.

"She Was Feeling Overwhelmed at Home Caring for Her Children": Expectations of "Intensive Motherhood" as a Risk Factor for Young Women's Suicide.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among young women and perinatal mothers. This paper explores how expectations of motherhood played a role in young women's deaths by suicide. I question the notion that motherhood is a "protective" factor against suicide. Using the concept of "intensive motherhood," I interrogate how expectations of mothers became fatal. Through analysis of 31 young Australian mothers who died by suicide, three key themes are explored, centered upon the theme of "failing motherhood": mothering without a father, mothering with mental illness, and the loss of care of children.