Designing Motherhood: Things That Make and Break Our Births
Beth provided sensitivity editing for exhibition materials for Designing Motherhood: Things That Make and Break Our Births, when shown at The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. The exhibit is the first-of-its-kind consideration of the arc of human reproduction through the lens of design, including an award-winning book and an exhibition that was in Philadelphia (2021), Boston (2022), Seattle (2023), Stockholm and Houston (2024) and New York City (2025).
In Philadelphia, the exhibition was organized as a collaboration between the Designing Motherhood curatorial team and thought leaders at Maternity Care Coalition, a direct-service organization that ensures families can birth with dignity, parent with autonomy, and raise babies who are healthy, growing, and thriving.
Some press for Designing Motherhood!
Vogue: A New Exhibition in Philadelphia Examines the Hidden Histories of Reproduction
New York Times: Menstrual Cups in Museums? It’s Time
The Guardian: Designing Motherhood: project puts objects shaped by maternity in focus
Smithsonian Magazine: Designing Motherhood: A new exhibition and book series offers an intimate view of reproductive history
While being born is a universal human experience, the designs that shape it are not. Many remain taboo, rarely considered, and inaccessible to many. Designing Motherhood invites you to consider why and how we have developed designs to facilitate reproductive health, and to ponder the political, economic, and social implications of how we medicalize reproduction. These are not just women’s issues. They are human issues. They matter to us all.