Do you think there is a "mom" gene?
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| Tue, 09-25-2012 - 4:41pm |
Researcher believe that there might be a genetic link for nurturing in mice, but are unsure how it correlates to humans, you can read about it at this link:
http://moms.today.com/_news/2012/09/25/14095033-mom-gene-discovered-in-mice-do-you-have-it
From the article:
But Ribeiro says the same alpha estrogen receptor is expressed in women, and that a suppressed gene could have an impact on maternal behavior like feeding and caring for our babies. There’s also some evidence in mice, she says, that changes to this gene that occur in young pups may determine what kind of a mother a female mouse will become later in life.
Although there could be some genetic influences that determine if you want children or not, some believe that it's more due to nurture versus nature as you grow. There are plenty of women that are unsure whether they want to become a mother, who feel they are lacking a maternal instinct, that go on to be very successful at motherhood.
What are your thoughts on a "mom" gene? Do you think it's genetics or emotions that are behind your decision to try or not?
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It is possible. I think people who want babies, but are worried about money and such are fine to have babies. I think people who have plenty of money and such, but not sure if they want the babies, should get their tubes tied practically.
I had a mother who never wanted children. She always made my life miserable. On the other hand, my life long dream was to have children. I never would have wanted life without children. From what I can tell, people seemed to know pretty early on if they were "kid" kind of people.
I don't think there's a mom gene, per se. I think some men and women may have more of this alpha estrogen receptor in their brains than average and that makes them more inclined to caregiving and parenting. Also, as others on this discussion and in the original article/original article's discussion have said, some people have less of the receptor but put forth the effort to overcome the shortage and become good parents. I think I'm one of the people who have less of the receptor, because at this point I don't think I want kids, but I'm open to changing my mind later on.