Mothers making class distinctions : the aesthetics of maternity

While a great deal of contemporary research concentrates on changes in what mothers do, less has focused on what mothers look like. This is not, however, the case in the realm of popular culture and the media, where commentary on motherhood styles and the styling of motherhood has increased exponentially during the past decades. What mothers look like - particularly pregnant women and new mothers - has become the focal point of women's magazines, newspaper columns, motherhood blogs and even parenting manuals, at least in the affluent West. This focus has impacted on everyday women's practices and interactions: there is a new concern with the presentation of the maternal self and the avenues for pursuing a good maternal 'look' have multiplied. The growth of products, services and industries concerned with maternal style itself suggests that motherhood is more heavily bound up with consumption practices than previously.