I struggled a bit with the narrator - she sounded a bit like the narrator does on desperate housewives but not in a good way, and her put-on voices are a bit strange at times. Overall this is a great book for those planning to have children or already on that journey. Infused with candor and humor, born out of awe, appreciation, and understanding of the human body and its workings, Like a Mother is a full-frontal look at what’s really happening underneath your skin (and to it) and why women need to know. With a journalist’s curiosity and discipline, a mother’s urgency, and a food writer’s insatiability, she explores the science behind the pressing questions women have about a number of subjects, including postpartum hormones, breast milk, and miscarriage. In Like a Mother, Angela offers a rigorously researched and compelling look at the physiology, biology, chemistry, and psychology of pregnancy and motherhood, informed by research, reportage, and her own experience. To educate herself, the food and culture writer embarked on an intensive journey of exploration, diving into the scientific mysteries and cultural myths that surround motherhood to find answers to her questions that had only previously been given through a lens of what women ought to do - instead of allowing them the freedom to choose the right path themselves. Your OB will cautiously quote statistics online sources will scare you with conflicting and often inaccurate information and even the most trusted books will offer information with a heavy dose of judgment. What exactly is a placenta? How does a body go into labor? Why is breast best? What are the signs and effects of postpartum depression?īut as she discovered, it’s not easy to find satisfying answers. Like most first-time mothers, Angela Garbes was filled with questions when she became pregnant. What to listen to after What to Expect.Ī badass, feminist, and personal deep-dive into the science and culture of pregnancy and early motherhood that debunks myths and dated assumptions, offering guidance and camaraderie to women navigating one of the biggest and most profound changes in their lives.

Like a Mother by Angela Garbes