Sociocultural contexts of alcohol use among mothers: a scoping review

Mommy wine culture (MWC) refers to the acceptance and celebration of using alcohol to cope with parenting struggles, which has been perpetuated on social media through memes, #winemom posts, and commercial products since the early 2010s. While initially viewed as a light-hearted critique of the stresses of modern, intensive motherhood, media is increasingly critical of MWC for normalizing alcohol use and contributing to increasing drinking among women in recent decades. However, it is unclear to what extent increases in drinking among women is attributed to mothers, suggesting that concern and scrutiny aimed at mothers’ drinking may be misplaced, and potentially add to the stigma mothers face who are experiencing addiction. During the pandemic, Canadian mothers have experienced intensified parenting challenges, which may be contributing to increased alcohol use. Given the increasing pressures to be ideal mothers, the historical role of media in contributing to harmful maternal stereotypes (e.g. “mommy wars”, “welfare queen”, etc.), and the overall lack of research about alcohol use among mothers outside of pregnancy and breastfeeding, this topic is rife for exploration using a critical feminist lens. The importance of this has only been amplified by the pandemic