Like a Mother by Angela Garbes

Like a Mother by Angela Garbes

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, Angela: - Angela Garbes is a Seattle-based writer specializing in food, bodies, women's health, and issues of racial equity and diversity. Garbes began writing for The Stranger in 2006, and became a staff writer in 2014. Her piece The More I Learn About Breast Milk, the More Amazed I Am is the publication's most-read piece in its twenty-four-year history, and the inspiration for this book. Garbes is an experienced public speaker, frequent radio and podcast guest, and event moderator. She grew up in a food-obsessed, immigrant Filipino household and now lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780062662958
ISBN 10	0062662953
Title	Like a Mother
Author	Angela Garbes
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Year published	2019-05-07
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.