Motherhood. It’s what’s expected of every woman and after birth, often becomes their identity. But what happens to women who do not want to be mothers? What happens to women who want children but do not want to go through the stress and pain of carrying and birthing a child? Are they any less of a mother? Is their child any less theirs? The answer is an obvious no, but to some, that is not the case. Traditionalism has limited the idea of “motherhood” to those who bear and birth their children and we need to further broaden that idea to remove the stigma and alienation around non-traditional mothers. We as a society need to recognize that to carry and give birth requires far more of the mother than what we see in pictures, posts and the media. The toll that a baby in utero takes on a woman’s body is extensive and long lasting. The effects of pregnancy does not end at birth. The physical and mental toll that having a child takes on a woman can be deadly. Yet we’ve isolated women in this experience. A woman’s choice to not bear children needs to be normalized and respected. It is important to recognize and understand that women are not human incubators. And to be a mother means a whole lot more than just having carried and given birth to a baby. A good mother is reflected in the love they give their child.