Mother Brain

I absolutely loved Mother Brain. If I had read it in the early days of my recovery from postpartum psychosis, it would have been more than medicine - reassuring, legitimising and qualifying all those negative feelings that I thought were "just me"

LAURA DOCKRILL, author of WHAT HAVE I DONE?

A compelling book that upends popular notions about becoming a parent. Conaboy beautifully expresses her experience as a mother and weaves this together with interviews with parents, the history of the idea of maternal instinct and an overview of research on how parenting changes the brain . . . MOTHER BRAIN reminds us why scientific research is a feminist issue

NEW STATESMAN

I learned so much from Mother Brain - about neuroscience, yes. But also about pernicious mythmaking, and the vast chasm between the reductive, sexist lines we're sold about motherhood versus the science and stories of how families are actually made, how brains and hearts and bodies are transformed by pregnancy and parenthood. A generous, engaging, deeply researched book that will change the way you think about your own parents, your children and yourself

REBECCA TRAISTER, author of GOOD AND MAD

A fascinating insight into a hugely complex but important topic. Mother Brain is vital reading for anyone who wants to understand more about how and why the maternal brain changes during such an important life event. Conaboy writes in a compelling and accessible way that will help so many people understand themselves better

MELISSA HOGENBOOM, author of THE MOTHERHOOD COMPLEX

Fearlessly researched and deeply empathetic, Mother Brain blew my mind. Every page pruned away sexist, guilt-inducing assumptions about the 'maternal instinct'. If every new parent, boss and lawmaker read this book, we would make a century of progress overnight

LAUREN SMITH BRODY, author of THE FIFTH TRIMESTER

Mother Brain takes direct aim at the damaging and false narratives of morality and biology that have shaped our thinking about women and mothers for centuries. Fascinating and relatable . . . A must-read

BRIGID SCHULTE, author of OVERWHELMED

Shines a bright light on the truth of parenthood, and the way it changes us. Mother Brain is a book for anyone raising a child, or who ever was one. Insightful, generous and wise

JENNIFER FINNEY BOYLAN, author of SHE'S NOT THERE

Mother Brain captivated me from page one. Conaboy fearlessly pours herself into the silence surrounding the open secret of mothering and caregiving - how we are profoundly remade by it, in both beautiful and destabilising ways

ANGELA GARBES, author of LIKE A MOTHER

[Conaboy] deploys her journalistic skill to bring this complex subject to a readable level . . . Mother Brain isn't a parenting manual but rather a work of pop science jam-packed with neurobiological research; it's both fascinating and surprisingly readable . . . Highly recommended

LIBRARY JOURNAL *starred review*

Part memoir, part scientific sleuthing, Mother Brain is storytelling at its very best. This book is deeply engrossing, not only because it untangles so many mysteries, but because it helps us reframe what we thought we already knew - about motherhood, about parenting, about ourselves. A game-changer

AMY ELLIS NUTT, author of THE TEENAGE BRAIN

Engaging . . . The author deftly translates scientific studies into accessible prose that speaks to needs and anxieties that many parents share

KIRKUS REVIEWS

Becoming a parent often comes with an influx of overwhelming feelings, and beliefs that result in guilt and shame. Conaboy dissects the research of what is truly going on inside our brains through storytelling to help us remove the unrealistic parenting expectations and get true support

EVE RODSKY, author of FAIR PLAY

An illuminating examination of the changes the brain goes through during parenthood. Surprising and enlightening, this should be required reading for all caregivers

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Starred Review

Mother Brain uses science to confirm a truth known to adoptive and other non-gestational parents: becoming a parent rewires our brains to love and care for children, just like biological parents. This physiological change anchors us to our children and makes space for society to see us as real parents. Thank you, Chelsea Conaboy, for including our mother brain in your tome about parenthood

NEFERTITI AUSTIN, author of MOTHERHOOD SO WHITE

Mother Brain offers a science-based reassurance that 'unlike a rigid instinct, [parental aptitude] also can be repaired and redirected' by any motivated caregiver

SCIENCE MAGAZINE