Australian women’s lived experiences of unrealistic motherhood and mothering expectations

Megan Bugden, Hayley McKenzie, Lisa Hanna, Melissa Graham, Department of Public Health, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Office of the Dean of Students, Deakin University

Journal of Family Issues

Published online on January 22, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Family Issues, Ahead of Print.
This article explores how hegemonic gender shapes the expectations on women to become mothers and adopt intensive motherhood practices. Implementing a qualitative phenomenological approach, interviews were conducted with twenty-four Australian women. The ...