A few days ago we gave the news that ‘Forced Mothers’, the spin-off / sequel to ‘Forced Fathers’, had been prematurely canceled in its fifth season, after having become one of Netflix’s favorite series.
Although it is not uncommon for many series to be canceled without closure or to do so in advance, this one in particular invites us to reflect on those shows and movies that focus on motherhood and parenting.
Because although there are many contents in which the story revolves around a family, most present superficial situations or only show the “beautiful” side, creating false expectations about life with children. I tell you why more series and movies are needed that show realistic motherhood .
Motherhood in fiction
Pregnancy, birth and parenting has been the focus of hundreds of series and movies for several decades. However, although these have been the main theme of all of them, the truth is that most have always presented images that are far from reality .
From pregnancies in which women do not show any discomfort except the typical dizziness and nausea so that we know they are pregnant, to deliveries where they sweat intensely, babies are born after two or three pushes and leave the hospital with a flat stomach, representations of the transition to motherhood are not exactly attached to real life .
And let’s not even talk about postpartum, that stage full of changes and discomforts such as lochia, wrongs, constipation and many other things that are never mentioned on the screen, because we usually see radiant and happy mothers with their newborn babies in their arms , as if the delivery would have been any little thing and the recovery would happen magically.
The problem of seeing maternity hospitals far from reality
It is true that we are all aware that series and movies are works of fiction, in which certain situations are often exaggerated or minimized. However, when we talk about motherhood and parenting, seeing these unrealistic examples causes many women to create false expectations about life with children.
And when the time comes to become mothers, they realize that reality is very different from those images they have seen everywhere: that pregnancy is not always beautiful, that each birth is different, that breastfeeding is not just about placing the baby in the breast and that’s it, and that postpartum can make us reach the brink of despair due to exhaustion.
So many things begin to be questioned: why am I struggling so much? Why is my pregnancy not like the ones I had seen? Could it be that I have bad luck? Am I doing something wrong with my baby because he doesn’t sleep through the night? Can I really handle all of this?
More realistic maternity wards, please
Fortunately, this has gradually become a thing of the past and currently, there are some television series and movies that show us a more realistic view of motherhood , from pregnancy, to childbirth, postpartum and parenting.
On television for example, we have ‘Workin’ Moms’ and ‘The Letdown’, two series that despite being very different, show realistic maternity wards in the same way , from pregnancy to the first years of life with children.
As for movies, two that certainly stand out are ‘Tully’, which shows brutally honest maternal postpartum and mental exhaustion , and ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’, which comically addresses the various ways in which you can experience a pregnancy and childbirth , but it also touches on important issues such as adoption and pregnancy loss.
They all have something in common: they help us realize that not everything is rosy and they make us feel that we are not alone. Because almost nobody talks to you about how hard it is to be a mother, and honestly, it is a respite to see that what we are experiencing is completely normal.
However, these productions can still be counted on the fingers of the hands and therefore, (and because it is also necessary that the work and value of all mothers be recognized), it is important that there are more films and series that show us Sincere, honest and above all, realistic maternity wards .
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