Becoming a mother is a glorious gift but it comes at a cost – Chimamanda Adichie says he could have written two books had she not had her child

Chimamanda Adichie has discussed the impact of motherhood on women, sharing insights during an interview on BBC’s Woman’s Hour. The Nigerian author delved into her own experiences as a mother, reflecting on how the role has influenced her creativity.

She described motherhood as a gift that came with a cost

She said: “Becoming a mother is a glorious gift but it comes at a cost and I think it’s important to acknowledge that, right?

“There is something that we… and I will say ‘lose’.”

“I felt that I could probably have written two novels had I not had my child. But I think that having her also sort of opened me up to this new, almost a new phase of experience and awareness that I’m hoping will feed my fiction.

“Even before I had her, when I was pregnant, I felt as though my brain had been wrapped in gauze. So, my brain didn’t work for a long time. And just more creatively, I think I am making my way back because I am working on a novel finally. But I just wasn’t able to get into my fictional space for a long time.”

She further discusses her sense of “horror” at aspects of motherhood for which she was unprepared, such as constipation and joint pains.

“I wasn’t prepared for so much, I really wasn’t,” she admitted.

Adichie delves into the birthing process, noting how women, in bringing life into the world, are sometimes reduced to their “animal selves.” She emphasizes the need for women to be informed about the less glamorous aspects of childbirth, including the possibility of defecation during the process.