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

A candid, feminist, and personal deep dive into the science and culture of pregnancy and motherhood.

Like most first-time mothers, Angela Garbes was filled with questions when she became pregnant. What exactly is a placenta and how does it function? How does a body go into labor? Why is breast best? Is wine totally off-limits? But as she soon discovered, it’s not easy to find satisfying answers. Your obstetrician will cautiously quote statistics; online sources will scare you with conflicting and often inaccurate data; and even the most trusted pregnancy books for women will offer information with a heavy dose of judgment. To educate herself, the food and culture writer embarked on an intensive journey of exploration, diving into the scientific mysteries and cultural attitudes that surround modern parenthood to find answers to questions that had only previously been given in the form of advice about what women ought to do—rather than allowing them the freedom to choose the right path for themselves.

In Like a Mother, Garbes offers a rigorously researched and compelling look at the physiology, the biology of pregnancy, and the psychology of motherhood, informed by in-depth reportage and personal experience. With the curiosity of a journalist, the perspective of a feminist, and the intimacy and urgency of a mother, she explores the emerging science behind the pressing questions women have about everything from miscarriage to complicated labors to the realities of postpartum care. The result is a visceral, full-frontal look at what’s really happening during those nine life-altering months, and why women deserve access to better care, support, and information.

Infused with humor and born out of awe, appreciation, and understanding of the female body and its strength, Like a Mother debunks common myths and dated assumptions, offering guidance and camaraderie to every feminist mother navigating one of the biggest and most profound changes in their lives.

What happens when a journalist and mother demands real answers about the science of pregnancy?

• Pregnancy Science: A deep dive into the least understood human organ—the placenta—and the emerging science that reveals its lifelong impact on the health of both mother and child.
• Motherhood and Feminism: A candid feminist perspective on the cultural myths and judgments surrounding pregnancy, giving women the evidence-based information they need to choose their own path.
• Breast Milk Explained: A fascinating look at what breast milk is actually made of, how it acts as both food and medicine, and why your body is a brilliant, responsive system.
• Postpartum Experience: An honest exploration of the postpartum body, from physical recovery and C-section scars to the emotional landscape of mood swings and the massive identity shift of becoming a mother.
• Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss: A compassionate and validating look at the common, yet rarely discussed, experience of miscarriage, moving beyond platitudes to address the complex grieving process.

Garbes contends that while the labor of raising children is devalued in America, the act of mothering offers the radical potential to create a more equitable society. In Essential Labor, Garbes reframes the physically and mentally draining work of meeting a child's bodily and emotional needs as opportunities to find meaning, to nurture a deeper sense of self, pleasure, and belonging. This is highly skilled labor, a powerful act of social responsibility that impacts society at its most foundational level.

Part galvanizing manifesto, part poignant narrative, Essential Labor is a beautifully rendered reflection on care that reminds us of the irrefutable power and beauty of mothering.