MOTHERHOOD PHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYONE If you have ever wondered what makes a good or a bad mother, or if mothers are always right in thinking their babies are beautiful, or indeed, whether mother always knows best, look no further. Without a single nag, Motherhood Philosophy for Everyone covers these salient philosophical issues, and more, including: The anticipation of impending parenthood compared with the reality Should we tell the occasional lie to our children? What does the Bible actually say about the virgin birth? If we were able to turn our children off, would and should we be tempted by this option? The experience of lesbian mothering The unexpected challenges and complications of being a mother As in any group of thinkers, some mothers are more ambitiously reflective than others, either out of temperamental thoughtfulness, moral and political concerns, or, most often, because they have serious problems with their children. However, maternal thinking is no rarity. Maternal work itself demands that mothers think From Maternal Thinking: Toward A Politics of Peace, Sara Ruddick

MOTHERHOODPHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYONEIf you have ever wondered what makes a "good" or a "bad" mother, or if mothers are always right in thinking their babies are beautiful, or indeed, whether mother always knows best, look no further. Without a single nag, Motherhood - Philosophy for Everyone covers these salient philosophical issues, and more, including:* The anticipation of impending parenthood compared with the reality* Should we tell the occasional lie to our children?* What does the Bible actually say about the virgin birth?* If we were able to turn our children off, would and should we be tempted by this option?* The experience of lesbian mothering* The unexpected challenges and complications of being a mother"As in any group of thinkers, some mothers are more ambitiously reflective than others, either out of temperamental thoughtfulness, moral and political concerns, or, most often, because they have serious problems with their children. However, maternal thinking is no rarity. Maternal work itself demands that mothers think..."From Maternal Thinking: Toward A Politics of Peace, Sara Ruddick

Foreword xJudith WarnerAcknowledgments xvSheila LintottNavel-Gazing at Its Finest: An Introduction to Motherhood - Philosophy for Everyone 1Sheila LintottPart I MOMMY BRAIN: Truth, Knowledge, and Belief in Mothering 151 How Many Experts Does It Take to Raise a Child? Mothering and the Quest for Certainty 17Sue Ellen Henry2 Creative Mothering: Lies and the Lying Mothers Who Tell Them 29Amy Kind3 Pro-Choice Philosopher Has Baby: Reflections on Fetal Life 41Bertha Alvarez Manninen4 Kim, Ellen, and Zack's Big Adventure: Lesbian Mothers Raising a Boy Steeped in His Masculinity 52Kim AnnoPart II LABOR PAINS: The Work and Wonder of Being a Mom 635 Days and Nights of a New Mother: Existentialism in the Nursery 65Elizabeth Butterfield6 Mindful Mothering: How Feminist Buddhist Practices Enhance Experiences of Beauty 77Sheryl Tuttle Ross7 A Face Only a Mother Could Love? On Maternal Assessments of Infant Beauty 89Glenn Parsons8 Kevin, Coming Into Focus: On Getting to Know My Son 100Laura NewhartPart III MOM'S MORALITY: Ethical Issues in Mothering 1159 Making Choices: The Ethics of Infant Feeding 117Chris Mulford10 Lactational Burkas and Milkmen: On Public Breastfeeding and Male Lactation 129Maureen Sander-Staudt11 On "Crying-It-Out" and Co-Sleeping 141Kevin C. Elliott and Janet L. Elliott12 Natural Childbirth is for the Birds 154Jen BakerPart IV Is Motherhood Everything You Thought It Would Be? Fantasy Meets Reality 16713 The Off Button: Thought Experiments and Child Control 169Sara Goering14 The Virtues of Motherhood 180Nin Kirkham15 The Media Proudly Present: "Lessons" From Celebrity Moms 191Clemence Due and Damien W. Riggs16 God, Mom! The Blessings of Breasts and Womb 202George A. DunnA Brief Afterword: Some Words from Contributors' Kids on Motherhood and Philosophy 213Read All About It: A Feminist Bibliography on Pregnancy and Mothering 215Compiled by Amy MullinNotes on Contributors 222