This brave and important book gives voice to the ambivalence that plagues women today as they confront the contradictions of modern mothering. The Mother Puzzle tackles the difficult questions: Has new medical technology liberated our reproductive choices or trapped us with too many options? If a woman has modeled her professional life on her father, how can she envision herself as a mother? After spending so much of our lives dieting and working out, how does contemplating pregnancy change the way we think about our bodies? What happens to our egalitarian marriages as we move from being partners to being parents? The generation now embarking upon motherhood is unique. Many women have grown up in traditional homes yet take many feminist beliefs for granted; they have controlled their fertility for years before trying to conceive; some feel supported in their decisions to have children - or not to have them - and some do not. They have high expectations for motherhood; they have high expectations for their lives apart from motherhood. Today's women are venturing into new social, economic, and medical terrain. This is the first book to boldly examine the puzzling world of motherhood in the 1990s. In this insightful, lively exploration of what motherhood means to today's women, Judith D. Schwartz articulates what many women are thinking, but not saying, about having children. In sharing many women's experiences, thoughts, hopes, and desires, she portrays a vision of motherhood more in tune with our time and experiences. Combining history, feminist theory, psychoanalysis, and personal reflection, she brings an important new viewpoint to the debate on women's issues. It is a viewpoint that will enlighten and challenge women of today.