It has been popular to denigrate motherhood for a long time. Our culture has been quite creative lately on TV. When was the last time you say a TV show with a mother in a role beyond a pitiful victim or ditzy sit-com character?

Here is an article with a refreshing point.

Enlightenment Bulletin Board :: This Is Your Brain on Motherhood

It's common these days to hear people say they don't have time to maintain friendships. Real relationships take a lot of time and work - it's much more convenient to keep in touch by e-mail. But children insist on face time. They fail to thrive unless we anticipate their needs, work our empathy muscles, adjust our schedules and endure their relentless testing. In the process, if we're lucky, we may realize that just this kind of grueling work - with our children, or even with others who could simply use some help - is precisely what makes us grow, acquire wisdom and become more fully human. Perhaps then we can start to re-imagine a mother's brain as less a handicap than a keen asset in the lifelong task of getting smart.

Check out some of the recent studies on Alzheimers. They consistently find creative activity prevents on-set of Alzheimers symptoms. It's not surprising motherhood is healthy, it just makes sense.