Is the idea of ‘maternal instinct’ a myth?

Washington Post ^ | October 31, 2022 | Rebecca Gale

[C19fan]

Like so many women in this country, Chelsea Conaboy went back to work shortly after having her first baby. She sat in a makeshift closet, trying to pump breast milk, and wondered when the magical “maternal instinct” she’d heard so much about would kick in.

[KC_Conspirator]

Yeah, its garbage.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Have a kid author and you’ll find out, prune.

[allwrong57]

Sometimes a cow won’t claim her newborn calf and will abandon it.

Apparently this woman fits into this mold.

The best way to get a cow to claim one is to put a border collie in with the cow, she’ll fight the dog and start protecting the calf.

I doubt this woman is smart enough that this would work!

[A_Former_Democrat]

ComPo:

Science? What “science”?

[grundle]

If the writer wants to find out if maternal instinct is real or a myth, I suggest that she try to pick up a grizzly bear cub in the wild, and see whether or not the cub’s mother tries to protect it.

[Valpal1]

While I know nothing about your mom and situation, I did work in the old state mental hospital before it was shuttered. I use to read old case files to while away the graveyard hours and there were many stories of psychotic women who abandoned their children (usually infants) because the voices in their head were telling them to kill the baby. They walk away because what little shred of themselves is left is trying to protect their infant.

[Varda]

Humans are the subject here and according to past research on the subject, yes it’s a myth. That is maternal instinct that kicks in at birth. It’s pretty clear humans don’t have that.
Infanticide is pretty common human behavior both now and in the past.

[Bobalu]

What a load of progressive nonsense!

Anyone who has ever cared for a baby knows that there are strong instincts to protect them. Moms will automatically protect their babies with violence if need be...

Deny gender, deny a mother's love, deny God? This is madness.

This story mentions the woman pumping milk in a closet, some pumps have a feature to record your baby's sounds, crying , laughing, gurgling.. you get the idea.. This makes it much easier to achieve letdown. yup, no instinct in evidence here! For some women the sound of any baby crying will cause a letdown.

Notice the Record/Play button on this Hospital-Grade pump... just the sound of your baby can cause a milk letdown.

See my tagline....

[grame]

But Ms Abrahms said abortion was the fix for inflation.

[Grampa Dave]

We live in area with cul de sacs and an arroyo with two herds of coastal does/fawns deer in our area and one with 4 adult males.

At this time the horney males are broken into Alpha, Beta, Charlie and Delta, and they follow the female herds. If they or people get too close to the fawns, the maternal instinct of the does kicks in.

[Avalon Memories]

My mother didn’t walk away due to mental illness. My father died in January 1971. It was only then that I learned she was still alive. All through my growing up, I never heard from her. No card, no phone call, no letter, nothing. When my father died, the only relatives I know on her side advised me not to try to see her. She was an alcoholic who apparently loved her booze more than she ever loved her baby girl. I’m 76 now and still ache for the mother I never knew. So yes, mother instinct does exist, but not in all women.

[Bobalu]

That’s a sad story my FRiend....

May God bless you and keep you....

[Grampa Dave]

Without reading this article, I have a few questions/statements, why corporations prefer their female workers to abort versus giving birth

What does an abortion cost any corporation, the woman is working for versus a professionally managed pregnancy and birth?

How much are the average health insurance costs, corporation pay for each child born until they are 25?

What is the average cost of off days for a worker to tend to a sick child in that child’s for 25 years versus a woman employee with zero kids?

[A Navy Vet]

"My theory is that the women in our culture have been trained to be so self-centered and so selfish that this learned behavior overcomes their maternal instinct. That is the best way to explain abortion. What degree of selfishness is capable of murdering your completely innocent baby in your own womb? It is incomprehensible to me. . . ."

Well said and I agree.

[Avalon Memories]

Thank you. You are very kind. :)

[tomkat]

:-)

[tomkat]

Good anecdote, and true.
Had a border collie once and that little gal was about tireless.

[Nifster]

So this woman should’ve never had a child

[Nifster]

Or a cub when it’s mama is near

[Nifster]

Something about the way she was raised

You are most likely better off for this sadness