Rethinking Modern Motherhood & Reclaiming Our Bodies with Amanda Montei

Amanda Montei's fascination with understanding motherhood started long before she became a parent herself. However, it wasn't until she embarked on her PhD journey while welcoming her first child that she began to approach motherhood through a scholarly lens. In her illuminating book, "Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, and Control," Amanda dissects the nuanced layers of societal expectations and judgments that surround women's bodies, particularly during motherhood, reminding us to be attentive to the stories that are being told to us.

Join us for a deep and fascinating episode as Erin and Amanda delve into the complexities of motherhood, dissecting societal norms, reclaiming bodily autonomy, and advocating for systemic reform. This conversation will encourage you to question the “expert” advice around motherhood spouted on social media, and instead to lean into your support systems, embrace your individuality, and set boundaries. Here’s what’s on the table:

1. How societal pressures encroach upon women's bodily autonomy in motherhood and beyond–and why we have to continuing questioning these expectations
2. Exploring the oppressive nature of advice-driven parenting culture online and its isolating impact on mothers
3. How the lack of systemic support, including paid leave, affordable childcare, and gender equity in parenting responsibilities, exacerbates the challenges faced by mothers.
4. Embracing advice from community support systems, rather than parenting experts and social media gurus
5. How embracing your individuality and setting boundaries in motherhood, not only empowers mothers, but also models these essential behaviors for children

OUR GUEST: Amanda Montei is the author of TOUCHED OUT: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, & Control (Beacon Press), as well as the memoir Two Memoirs (Jaded Ibis Press) and The Failure Age (Bloof Books). Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, ELLE, and other publications. She has taught writing at Stanford University, Columbia University, and other institutions, and has received support from In Cahoots and Riverrun Foundation. Amanda holds an MFA in Writing from California Institute of the Arts and a PhD in English literature from SUNY at Buffalo. She resides in California and runs the newsletter Mad Woman.

Want more Amanda? Find her online at https://www.amandamontei.com/ and subscribe to her Substack https://amandamontei.substack.com/.

Read Amanda’s writing:

1. Book: “Touched Out”
2. "Mothers Want to Be Left Alone"
3. “When I became a mother, I lost my body – and realized it never belonged to me”