Mom-Coms like Workin Moms,' The Letdown, and SMILF are a somewhat recent genre that highlights the less glamorous reality of motherhood and they are resonating with moms everywhere. The sleep deprivation, lost social life, milking yourself like a cow and coming back to work - it is a fulltime job they aren't getting paid for. Which is why a recent study from Simon Fraser University study that suggests that 'having more children slows down the aging process,' and it had moms everywhere laughing through their tears - but one woman had the perfect response.
Image credits: sciencedaily
The study was published in Science Daily and was based on the examination of DNA strands in mothers. The researchers suggested in the paper that "the number of children born to a woman influences the rate at which her body ages," and the results were positive. They found "women who give birth to more surviving children exhibited longer telomeres. Telomeres are the protective tips at the end of each DNA strand and are indicative of cellular aging. Longer telomeres are integral to cell replication and associated with longevity."
Image credits: Staff Sgt. Dana J. Cable
Head researcher of the Pablo Nepomnaschy project realizes that the results contradict life history theory, which predicts more offspring accelerates biological aging, and says the telomere effect could be a result of estrogen, which dramatically increases during pregnancy. "Estrogen functions as a potent antioxidant that protects cells against telomere shortening," he explained.
Managing Editor and Snapchat Discover Lead Producer Maria Guido, published her reaction as an article:
"A 2016 study claims having more children makes women age slower and just,
HA HA HA HA
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HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
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HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
As you can imagine other mothers' shared Guido's feelings and came up with some pretty hilarious responses of their own
And pointed out a key aspect of the study that could explain a lot
One commenter shared some proof that maybe there was something to the science
While there is something to be said for science, there are multiple other scientific studies that support all the hardships that come with having kids such as, workplace bias, earning less money as a mother, deterioration of friendships, sleep deprivation, marriage problems and even a decrease in overall happiness.
But the lows come with highs, happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky explained to Time, her study on the happiness of parents vs non-parents found that while in some cases non-parents were happier: "all types of parents reported having more meaning in life than did their childless counterparts, suggesting that the rewards of parenting may be more ineffable than the daily highs (or lows)."
