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Trying to “Have-It-All” at 30; Timing Motherhood

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The Existential Crisis of Motherhood
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Abstract

A time of heightened anxiety arises for women who have careers and wish to be mothers around the age of 30. It seems that for this group of women, the experience of choosing when to become mothers is imbued with anxiety rich with existential themes such as, choice, freedom, meaning, temporality, mortality and finitude. In this chapter, the author reflects on their own experience of this choice while also speaking to another woman in a similar situation. A depiction of the lived experience of a woman, with a career, trying to “have-it-all” was created. The research found that the anxiety experienced could broadly be divided across the existential themes of: uncertainty, meaning and temporality, and furthermore across the four existential worlds.

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Magnus, N. (2020). Trying to “Have-It-All” at 30; Timing Motherhood. In: Arnold-Baker, C. (eds) The Existential Crisis of Motherhood. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56499-5_12

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