Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy

At 31 weeks pregnant, this is the first and probably only book about pregnancy that I will have read before my baby arrives. Being pregnant means being constantly overwhelmed and inundated by information. I have been picky about where I seek it—especially if I’m going to be committing myself to a 200+ page book.I knew when I saw the title of this book that it was the one for me. I needed something that would be unapologetically feminist; empowering without being sanctimonious; and candid about the realities of pregnancy, birth and motherhood without without making me more anxious than I already am about the toll that they take on the mind and body.This is very much a hybrid of a personal memoir and an informational book—and that makes it, mercifully, highly engaging. I gained value from reading about this like-minded woman’s thoughts, emotions and experiences, because there is of course a certain universality to all of it.The common themes throughout are ones that I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about myself: the endless barrage of information, and how “sifting through these contradictory messages amplifies the already tremendous sense of responsibility you have as an expectant mother” and the distinct indifference within the medical community when it comes to dealing with women’s health, to name a few.In addition to addressing these cultural topics, Garbes also provides fascinating explanations of, for example, the placenta, which I didn’t even know was an organ.I’m coming away from reading this book with a better understanding of my own body, reassurance that my own thoughts and feelings are normal, and a sense of confidence that I’ll be better equipped to advocate for myself as I navigate post-partum life and new motherhood.

I really loved this book. Early in my 1st trimester with my 1st child I was finding it a bit difficult to identify with some of the assumptions and sentiments I kept coming across in your standard, run-of-the-mill maternity literature. It's important to be well rounded in what your absorbing especially when moving through pregnancy for the first time and Like a Mother was a breath of fresh air for me. The author delves into topics that aren't given much TLC in other spaces and approaches pregnancy more holistically and with less judgment. Her personal experiences were insightful and honest. I asked my husband to read after I finished and he found this book to be informative, well written and enjoyable too.

Really enjoyed this deep dive into the science of pregnancy, especially the chapter on the placenta. With the exception of the breastfeeding chapter, if you’re not planning on breastfeeding or pumping (more details below if you’re interested), I would recommend this book to all parents-to-be (yes, even parents who will not personally experience carrying a pregnancy!) to better understand all the changes & incredible things the bodies of birthing parents do to create new life.Notes on Breastfeeding Chapter:Having graduated from ASU’s SHESC, which Garbes mentions many times throughout her book, I have a great amount of respect for their faculty & the research they do. I found the research being done on breastmilk interesting and I’ll definitely have to look more into it from a curiosity standpoint. However, the sparse commentary on formula feeding being a good alternative felt like an afterthought added last minute after an editor said “Hey this is starting to sound like you might maybe believe ‘Breast is Best’ you should add a few things about formula being ok so people don’t think you’re parent shaming.”As someone who is hoping to be a parent one day and, for several personal reasons, has zero desire to breastfeed, it felt like the only time the author was in favor of formula was if you tried and weren’t able to produce enough breastmilk to feed your child. Although, to be fair, Garbles never used those exact words… I did push through the remaining chapters where I did feel like subjects and tone was more on par with the chapters preceding the one on breastfeeding.

This book was delivered yesterday, and I'm nearly finished with it already. I had a first-trimester miscarriage a few months ago, and my husband and I are trying again. I also have a mental illness and with extensive research and input from my doctors have decided to stay on meds, especially to help with the crippling anxiety I had during my first pregnancy. It's as if this author was inside my brain, listening to my irrational (some rational) thoughts and fears. I feel more prepared to handle pregnancy and motherhood having read this book.There's no judgment and I LOVE how she points out that ALL childbirth is natural, regardless of intervention methods. I constantly felt that I was doing everything wrong, even if I was just sitting at my desk, during my first pregnancy, and she quelled all of that in the first two chapters alone.Angela Garbes offers her own perspective on her experience with miscarriage, pregnancy, and motherhood, but what I LOVED most of all was the science-based information (the placenta is fascinating!) and quotes from medical professionals (midwives, obgyns, doulas, etc.) that were uncensored and unbiased.This book is what I needed to help me prepare for pregnancy after a miscarriage, and made me realize that there's no perfect way to grow a baby and give birth—It's beautiful, messy, and unique to you and your baby. Lastly, she's helped me tune out the unsolicited "advice" from friends who don't even have children. I'm finally more excited than I am fearful of growing our family.I'm a medical writer, which means I've spent entirely way too much time reading research studies and data on pregnancy. This book offered that and so much more. I think my days of getting lost in an endless hole of research are finally over.