A report jointly published by British Christian think tank Theos and the Bible Society in the United Kingdom has revealed that becoming a mother has a wide-ranging effect on every aspect of her life.
Theos and the Bible Society collaborated on the “Motherhood, Inside Out” study starting in late 2024, with the initial volume published on July 19. The study examined what really happens when a woman becomes a mother, aiming “to make the invisibility of new motherhood more visible.” An accompanying volume will be published in the future with fuller details on the experiences of mothers around the world.
Interviews with 91 moms and 14 professionals comprised the findings of this first volume. In particular, it explores how new moms navigate the “physical, social, political, and spiritual aspects of matrescence [ the process of becoming a mother].”
“It considers these mothers’ reflections on topics including personal identity, faith and spirituality, embodiment and body image, the media, family and friends, place in their local community, work, politics and current affairs, and mortality,” said Theos.
“The research found that participants were affected differently in all these categories; there is no definitive, universal way of becoming a mother. Nonetheless, with regards to every category, we encountered women whose views and perspectives – indeed, whose whole lives – had been changed at the deepest level when they had children.”
Most of those surveyed (57%) identified with the Christian faith in some form, with 31% not ascribing to any religious belief and 12% from another religion. Although researchers sought more input from mothers of other faiths, securing that feedback proved difficult.
Findings from the report showed that 62% of parents who had a child in the past 12 months reported suffering from loneliness that impacted their mental health and well-being. That statistic comes from recent research cited in the report by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Financial pressures proved to be another major issue, with 76% of moms relying on debt or savings because of low statutory maternity pay, according to cited data from the charity "Pregnant Then Screwed."
“Returning to paid employment after having children is a financial necessity for many mothers, whether they want to or not,” said Theos. “Statutory maternity pay is only paid for 39 weeks, although many women take longer off work to care for their new children, and company top-up policies vary widely in the level of their provision.”
Furthermore, data from 2024 showed 73% of women worry about money when pregnant or on maternity leave, while a quarter (23%) struggle to buy necessities and over half (54%) struggle “sometimes.” An increasing percentage of women said money worries had affected their health or well-being while pregnant or on maternity leave - 65% in 2024, up from 56% in 2022.
The experience of motherhood made 73% of respondents think more about other moms living in poverty and the challenges involved. Additionally, 72% thought more about education, and 62% considered nature and the environment more deeply.
“These statistics perhaps suggest a subtle but powerful political disruption that comes with motherhood, in the broadest sense, as priorities shift and change,” said the report. “Having a child, it seems, fundamentally recalibrates how women relate to the world around them.”
One unnamed respondent quoted in the report said: “I started thinking a bit more about mothers around the world, and thinking about mothers in Gaza, mothers in Ukraine, mothers in, you know, Israel and thinking, you know, I’ve definitely struggled with things, but I’m not in a war. I’m not in a bunker. I’m not, like, on the road being a refugee.”
Feedback from respondents showed mixed views regarding the impact of motherhood on spirituality: “Among the women in our qualitative interviews and focus groups, the impact of new motherhood on spiritual practice ranged widely: some reported a deepening of spirituality, others a refocusing of their practices, some faced significant barriers to spiritual engagement, and for a few, there was no change at all.”
Having a baby rarely turns non-religious people into believers, according to the report. Instead, it deepens existing, mild faith - encouraging people who were already somewhat spiritual to practice more often or join a church community.
Women with an existing faith found becoming mothers affected their spiritual practice in ways that could be both positive and negative. In response, moms often “reformulated” their practice of faith to complement their changing lives.
“These adaptations were almost entirely self-directed, highlighting a notable gap within Christian communities especially to meet and negotiate the spiritual needs of mothers,” noted the report.
Attendance at community worship, such as church services, also saw a varied response. Some moms attended church more regularly, but for others, attending became more difficult.
“Across these accounts, the primary attendance motivation was not often personal spiritual support, but the perceived value of community and the importance of shaping a child’s spiritual development,” noted the report. “This same motivation could also lead people to start attending church where they didn’t attend previously.”
Practical barriers meant that even getting out of the house could be challenging, “with young babies no more predictable on a Sunday morning than any other day.”
The report noted even greater difficulty once moms arrived at church services. Despite congregations offering general support, a “lack of proactive inclusion” led to some moms feeling “spiritually reduced.” For example, they felt pulled in two directions - juggling a child’s demands while trying to listen to the service or sermon.
“These accounts should not be read as suggesting churches are fundamentally unsupportive; our participants stressed this was far from the case,” added the report. “Nonetheless, there is an absence of proactive structures that protect mothers’ spiritual participation.”
The report listed several practices designed for inclusion, such as baby rooms with live-streamed services and community-wide support for childcare, as opposed to relying on a small rota of parents.
“Without such measures, the spiritual cost of early motherhood remains largely socially invisible,” warned the report. “Mothers continue to attend, but often at the expense of their own spiritual nourishment.”
At home, moms struggled to find the space needed for quiet reflection, prayer, and contemplation. Some simply did not have time to pray due to the intense demands of caring for young children. Bible reading proved challenging for similar reasons, with no easy solutions apparent.
“Nonetheless, many women we spoke to adjusted their practice to reflect their new lives amongst the challenges. Prayer became refocused on prayer for children; liturgical prayer took on new depth with the experience of parenting. Some also described a deepening appreciation for prayer as they navigated the anxieties and challenges of daily life.”
Moms frequently found community with other mothers, providing mutual support and a new spiritual outlet. The sheer awe and wonder of giving birth was also highlighted as a profound experience for both spiritual and non-spiritual moms alike.
“Finally, among the practicing Christian mothers we spoke to, becoming a parent often provoked a changed perspective on God and the stories of Scripture,” said the report. “This was a powerful and recurrent theme across the interviews, with women describing how becoming a parent made them see the idea of God’s character in a new way. Most frequently, the concept of God as a parent particularly resonated, with the love they felt for their own child giving a new frame for helping them understand God’s love and delight in them.”
Biblical figures and stories prompted varied reactions from the participants. Mary, the mother of Jesus, resonated with many moms, “shifting the story from nativity staple to one read with visceral empathy and embodied relation.”
Not only were classic stories of Scripture read with new depth, but the absence of female-centered experiences took on new weight. Some respondents noted that their experiences of motherhood challenged their reading of the Bible, pointing to a perceived absence of maternal stories or struggling with passages like the suffering of the firstborn children in Egypt.
“Yet, these challenges were not killer blows to faith and sit alongside other parts of Christian life and Scripture taking on new and enriching depth,” said the report.
“There is not only one pathway to motherhood. Matrescence can make women feel more authentic, raw, expanded, and deeply present – but it can also leave them radically challenged, as their sense of self is reshaped by love, responsibility, and vulnerability,” said the report.
“For some mothers, it is a process of feeling more 'fully alive'; for others it confronts them profoundly with their own mortality; for some, it may do both. It reorganises a woman’s identity, priorities, politics and inner world: a new life is born not only in her arms, but within her. As a result, motherhood opens quests for deeper meaning, with reflections on wonder, connection, the fragility of life, love, and gratitude all present among our participants.”
The report called for a greater understanding that matrescence is a life-changing event - not merely a medical one. Although maternal healthcare is safer than ever, there remains a prevailing need for relational, practical care to help moms process these profound changes and build confidence, especially if personal support networks are lacking.
The report said: “While digital platforms can connect, they cannot replace face-to-face relationships. Strong local networks – within pram-pushing proximity – remain vital. For many women, churches and faith communities can function as intergenerational 'villages', offering tangible help such as meal rotas, clothing swaps and parent and child groups, modelling the extended community many mothers seek in an increasingly dispersed world.
“Becoming a mother often involves profound yet largely unseen spiritual work, as women navigate shifts in identity, meaning, and connection with limited recognition or support. While rituals have historically helped hold and mark this transition, their relative absence today leaves many mothers quietly seeking or creating their own.”
The report called on practicing Christians to support new moms by asking open questions about potential spiritual shifts and challenges, paying particular attention to the impact on regular practices like prayer and Bible reading.
Supporting new mothers is an ongoing, society-wide responsibility, the report concluded.
“Ultimately, our findings point to a broader challenge: that society as a whole must do more to recognise and support the profound personal and relational changes that accompany the transition to motherhood. This recognition is needed in workplaces, communities, the media, personal relationships, and families.”
