'Teresa Rogers knows when her four-year-old son is sad: his voice is flat. When he is happy, his voice brightens. Teresa is blind so she cannot see her son's grin, but she can hear him smile. She can feel for Vegemite stains on his cheeks after breakfast, and run her fingers through his hair to check for knots before he leaves for daycare. "I always wanted to be a mum, " she says, "but when it happened I was scared. I didn't know how I'd cope with the feeding. How would I dress it and change its nappies?" Buoyed by the support of her husband, Sean, Teresa's fear was soon tempered by excitement. "I still remember how slippery Ryan 's newborn body felt . He was so small and smooth. I ran my fingers over his face, feeling for the shape of his nose and his cheeks.He had a chubby little face,"she laughs. Sean told his wife how beautiful their son was, but she already knew.'
Description All You Need is Love: Fifteen Journeys to Motherhood is a portrait in words and pictures of fifteen Australian women and their remarkable journeys to motherhood. The mothers who share their stories have a diversity of experience – whether single, married, gay, heterosexual, disabled, surrogate, adoptive, multiple birth or foster mother - they tell of a selfless yet fierce love for their children. Their experiences are studded with fear, insecurity and sadness, but also light, laughter and love. Some women struggled to become mothers. Others fought to keep their babies alive. Some work, some stay at home. One mother cannot see her child, so she uses her fingers to feel for his smile. Another sees her children only on weekends, during prison visits. A woman with an adult son describes the pain of relinquishing her baby, and the joy at being reunited. All You Need is Love: Fifteen Journeys to Motherhood is a celebration of the joys and challenges of motherhood – a reflection of the diverse experience of women in 21st century Australia. |