Maternal Instinct – Review | Netflix Documentary

MATERNAL INSTINCT on Netflix is a true crime documentary about a truly heinous crime and the wildest story. While I knew the main case of this documentary, I had no idea just how insane the entire thing was. Do not miss out on this one. Read our full Maternal Instinct documentary review here!

MATERNAL INSTINCT is a Netflix documentary featuring a true crime case. However, beyond this heartbreaking and heinous crime, the documentary also tells the story of a woman who would do anything to get attention. Or be loved. Maybe even just trying to convince herself that the lies she was spinning were actually true.

The title should give you an indication of what this case deals with. And yes, we are in the area of a fake pregnancy, where a woman suddenly shows up with a newborn baby, but she has clearly not been pregnant. The question then becomes: Who actually gave birth to this newborn child?

Continue reading our Maternal Instinct documentary below. Find it on Netflix from June 12, 2026.

So many lies for no good reason

Maternal Instinct is the story of a woman who will do anything to be believed. Whether it’s convincing people that she has cancer, MS, or is pregnant. If you’ve watched other true crime documentaries or productions based on true crimes, you’ll be familiar with this.

For this Netflix documentary, we begin with the end. Or near the end of Taylor Parker’s many lies. We see a Texas state trooper pull her over because she’s driving very erratically on the highway. This was in 2020, and she claimed that she had just given birth to the newborn baby in her lap.

Of course, when you’ve just given birth, it’s obvious on the person who has just given birth. Taylor Parker’s body showed no signs of having given birth or even been pregnant. Of course, you’ll learn that it was never even possible, as the past events of Taylor Parker’s life are exposed in Maternal Instinct.

Who is Taylor Parker?

Well, having just watched the Netflix documentary Maternal Instinct about her, I have no idea. Taylor Parker is someone who changes her personality to fit the people around her. Always, however, with the purpose of being the center of attention and being adored and loved by everyone.

She appears to be someone who lives in the moment. First, she does something, then she deals with the consequences. Often, the kind of consequences that prevent normal people from ever doing whatever crazy thing she had just done.

Taylor Parkar claimed to be from a wealthy family, but fell in love with a local hog trapper, Wade Griffin, in a small East Texas town. While their relationship began as a whirlwind romance and appeared idyllic, this would soon change. To keep Wade as close as possible, she told him she was pregnant. All of this happened within months.

Despite showing off her baby bump and enjoying all the adoration, something feels off to many around her. And something is indeed very off. As her due date approaches, she needs to find a solution… and it’s a very dramatic one!

Watch Maternal Instinct on Netflix now

Maternal Instinct was directed by Jessica Dimmock (Thoughts & Prayers, The Texas Killing Fields, Captive Audience, Unsolved Mysteries), and it is one of the most brutal cases. Especially as we get to the final part of the documentary, dealing with the actual murder of a pregnant woman.

As with any true crime documentary, this covers a real-world case. It’s the murder of the 21-year-old Reagan Simmons-Hancock in New Boston, Texas. In October 2020, Taylor Rene Parker attacked the 21-year-old expectant mother inside her home and brutally murdered Reagan Simmons-Hancock by performing a crude C-section to steal her unborn baby, Braxlynn Sage.

Maternal Instinct is a well-made documentary about a heartbreaking and heinous crime. It’s a very difficult watch, but also an important one, trying almost desperately to get one key point across: Trust your gut instinct!

Interviewed in the documentary are old friends of Taylor, the family of Reagan, and Wade, along with his friends and family. As such, we hear about the crime from many different sides, but they all paint the same picture of a woman without remorse. Fortunately, I can say that the following trial will also reflect that, as she gets away with nothing!

Maternal Instinct is out on Netflix on June 12, 2026.