Mom Genes

March 1, 2021
A science journalist navigates the murky waters of maternal instinct. "My hope is not to momsplain, but for you and I to discover together what divides moms and what unites us," writes Smithsonian correspondent Tucker. "I want to witness--under a microscope, or inside a monkey corral--the forces that move us all. I want to know what rocks the hand that rocks the cradle." There are many elements involved in maternal instinct--"a spontaneously arising set of emotions and actions pertaining to the perception and care of babies"--including genetics, hormones, brain chemistry, fear and uncertainty, and external influences from friends and family. Though the author touches on each of these factors, she is often stymied. "We don't truly know" how the maternal brain shape-shifts; the "findings are mixed and inevitably controversial" when it comes to maternal memory lapses; "maybe a few key genes could sway the quality of maternal behavior." According to one researcher in the field of maternal genetics, "we are at the base of this humungous mountain. We are not sure how to climb it. Everybody is just picking at it in various ways." Consequently, it's clear that we are in the nascent stages of such research. Despite some opacity based on learned guesswork, Tucker is a consistently energetic guide, and she doesn't shy away from discussing "the dangerous and opaque mental problems that hound moms." In a particularly vibrant chapter, the author explores the countless deleterious effects of poverty and how American society continually fails to provide the support that mothers deserve. Filling in the gaps and moving the story forward are Tucker's personal observations--she is the mother of four--and the ups and downs of her experiences, many of which will be familiar to mothers of all backgrounds. Stimulating preliminary notes toward a deeper understanding of an area of science that shows promise.

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Starred review from April 1, 2021

The term maternal instinct is a common one, describing the supposedly innate quality that one either has or doesn't have. In her latest work, Tucker (The Lion in the Living Room) examines the hard science behind maternal instinct. Meticulously researched and well-documented, Mom Genes is one part memoir (Tucker intersperses her own experiences as a white mother of four children), and one part incredibly readable popular science. It turns out that far from being born with maternal instinct, mothers instead begin to manufacture the instinct with the onset of pregnancy. Mothers are biologically different from their pre-pregnancy states and from the rest of humankind; for instance, structural changes occur in the gray matter of the brain during pregnancy. What role do hormones and genes play, for example? How do imprinted paternal genes in the placenta work to maximize maternal care? If the maternal state is universal, why is each mother so different? To answer this last question, Tucker explores the effects of differences in health care, income inequality, and racism in addition to biological influences. VERDICT Richly entertaining, filled with humor, and deeply informative, this engaging book is recommended for mothers, potential mothers, and anyone who has ever known a mother.--Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's Sch., Brooklyn

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2021
Science writer Tucker's (The Lion in the Living Room, 2016) humorous book advocates for women's empowerment by recognizing the complex neurological and chemical changes involved in becoming a mother. Tucker examines evolutionary biology and neurochemistry in the animal kingdom to question what maternal instinct means and how new mothers develop it, interweaving personal anecdotes from her own journey into motherhood that alternate between moving and amusing. Her conclusion--that maternal instinct indeed exists--comes with a warning: it is neither joyfully innate nor a magical enlightenment, but rather a volatile transmogrification, a sort of birth a woman herself undergoes. Tucker empathizes with women made vulnerable by their own dynamic neurochemistry in a politically gridlocked culture resistant to systemic changes that would support mothers. Using clever, colorful, figurative language and a warm, conversational tone, Tucker documents the complex challenges women who become mothers face. Readers might come in to learn what baby cuddles do to the brain, be tempted to leave over the poop talk and placenta eating, but ultimately stay for the acknowledgment Tucker gives to the unique experience of motherhood.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 19, 2021
Journalist Tucker (The Lion in the Living Room) takes readers on a tour of the “science behind the tender maternal instinct” in this revealing survey. Worldwide, Tucker writes, “more than 90 percent of all women become moms,” yet the “cellular-level revolution that rebuilds the female brain” during pregnancy and beyond is still poorly understood. Among the fascinating topics Tucker digs into are that “moms dream differently than other people,” that experience babysitting can predict postnatal hormone changes in men, and that the inner workings of baby-to-mom messaging (such as fetal movements) “serve an important psychological purpose.” Environmental factors such as access to shelter, chemical pollutants, and socioeconomic background, meanwhile, can increase depression and may even affect a baby’s sex—she cites a Columbia University study which showed that 70% of “the most emotionally and physically maxed-out” participants had girls. Tucker has a knack for making complex science accessible, and she encouragingly touts the importance of mothers having a support system: “New mothers depend on others for physical help... for practical guidance... and also for the more mysterious matter of emotional sustenance.” Moms-to-be in search of a straightforward look at the changes ahead will find this a good place to start.