Sod the ‘science’ — we just want to feel supported

May 22, 2026 - 14:16

A new study suggests that mothers should start cultivating their child's taste for vegetables before the baby is even born. The research claims that what a woman eats during pregnancy can shape her child's lifelong food preferences, putting the onus firmly on mums to get it right from the very beginning. But for many women, this is just another piece of exhausting advice in a long line of impossible expectations.

Claire Cohen says she has had enough of the constant messaging telling mothers to do everything perfectly. From breastfeeding to sleep training, from organic purees to screen time limits, the pressure never stops. Now, science wants women to worry about what their unborn baby thinks of broccoli. It is not that the research is wrong or unhelpful. It is that the burden always seems to land on the mother. Where is the study about what fathers should eat? Where is the societal support that makes it easier for families to cook fresh meals instead of reaching for convenience foods?

The real issue is not whether babies can learn to like kale in the womb. The issue is that mothers are tired of being told that every single choice they make will determine their child's future. Sometimes, a woman just wants to eat a slice of cake without feeling guilty. Sometimes, she wants to feel supported instead of studied. The science is fine. But what mothers really need is a break from the endless pressure to get everything right.