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Birth: Three Mothers, Nine Months, and Pregnancy in America
“An important book...Grant is a good storyteller, subtle and compassionate.” — The New York Times Book Review
In the tradition of Random Family and Evicted , a gripping blend of rigorous, intimate on-the-ground reporting and deep social history of reproductive health that follows three first-time mothers as they experience pregnancy and childbirth in today’s America.
Journalist Rebecca Grant provides us with a never-before-seen look at the changing landscape of pregnancy and childbirth in America—and the rise of midwifery—told through the eyes of three women who all pass through the doors of the same birth center in Portland, Oregon.
There’s Alison, a teacher whose long path to a healthy pregnancy has led her to question a traditional hospital birth; T’Nika, herself born with the help of a midwife and now a nurse hoping to work in Labor & Delivery and improve equality in healthcare; and Jillian, an office manager and aspiring midwife who works at Andaluz Birth Center, excited for a new beginning, but anxious about how bringing a new life into the world might mean the deferral of her own dreams.
In remarkable detail and with great compassion, Grant recounts the ups downs, fears, joys, and everyday moments of each woman’s pregnancy and postpartum journey, offering a rare look into their inner lives, perspectives, and choices in real time—and addresses larger issues facing the entire nation, from discrimination in medicine and treatment (both gender and race-based) to fertility, family planning, complicated feelings about motherhood and career, and the stigmas of miscarriage and postpartum blues. “An enlightening and accessible portrait of maternal healthcare in America" ( Publishers Weekly , starred) Birth is an inspiring look at one of life’s most profound rites of passage.
In the tradition of Random Family and Evicted , a gripping blend of rigorous, intimate on-the-ground reporting and deep social history of reproductive health that follows three first-time mothers as they experience pregnancy and childbirth in today’s America.
Journalist Rebecca Grant provides us with a never-before-seen look at the changing landscape of pregnancy and childbirth in America—and the rise of midwifery—told through the eyes of three women who all pass through the doors of the same birth center in Portland, Oregon.
There’s Alison, a teacher whose long path to a healthy pregnancy has led her to question a traditional hospital birth; T’Nika, herself born with the help of a midwife and now a nurse hoping to work in Labor & Delivery and improve equality in healthcare; and Jillian, an office manager and aspiring midwife who works at Andaluz Birth Center, excited for a new beginning, but anxious about how bringing a new life into the world might mean the deferral of her own dreams.
In remarkable detail and with great compassion, Grant recounts the ups downs, fears, joys, and everyday moments of each woman’s pregnancy and postpartum journey, offering a rare look into their inner lives, perspectives, and choices in real time—and addresses larger issues facing the entire nation, from discrimination in medicine and treatment (both gender and race-based) to fertility, family planning, complicated feelings about motherhood and career, and the stigmas of miscarriage and postpartum blues. “An enlightening and accessible portrait of maternal healthcare in America" ( Publishers Weekly , starred) Birth is an inspiring look at one of life’s most profound rites of passage.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2023
21 people are currently reading
956 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
August 14, 2023
This book started off pretty anti-hospital/anti-medicine so I almost didn’t keep reading. But I’m glad I kept on!
The brief histories of obstetrics/gynecology and midwifery were awesome. I enjoyed hearing about the three women’s lives and journeys in-depth and personally. I have never been a person who has wanted anything other than a (heavily) medicated birth, so it was good for me to understand other perspectives.
The scope of the book, however, felt more limited than the author wanted it to be. I agree with her politics so the bias in many ways didn’t bother me— but I do think the author tried to make claims about the entire U.S. maternal/postpartum care based on three women in Portland. Which is obviously not a comprehensive situation. I wish she would have selected one woman from Portland and then the other two from other regions of the country?
*DEFINITELY do not recommend to anyone who is pregnant with their first child. Read if you won’t give birth for awhile, have already given birth, or who will never give birth 👍🏼
The brief histories of obstetrics/gynecology and midwifery were awesome. I enjoyed hearing about the three women’s lives and journeys in-depth and personally. I have never been a person who has wanted anything other than a (heavily) medicated birth, so it was good for me to understand other perspectives.
The scope of the book, however, felt more limited than the author wanted it to be. I agree with her politics so the bias in many ways didn’t bother me— but I do think the author tried to make claims about the entire U.S. maternal/postpartum care based on three women in Portland. Which is obviously not a comprehensive situation. I wish she would have selected one woman from Portland and then the other two from other regions of the country?
*DEFINITELY do not recommend to anyone who is pregnant with their first child. Read if you won’t give birth for awhile, have already given birth, or who will never give birth 👍🏼
August 13, 2023
I do enjoy reading books on this topic and thought it was written in a way that was both informative and interesting. There is a bit in the middle that kind of slogged, but I switched to the audiobook and finished it soon thereafter. I wish the book had a wider range of perspectives: two out of the three women are white, all women are in heterosexual, committed relationships with men in the picture to help. Ultimately, it is fascinating that the midwifery/natural birth aspect all of these women sought was not in the cards for most of them. I think what this really gets at is that what makes you a mother is not the process of how you have your child. I thought how it all unfolded (projectile vomiting and diarrhea included lol) is indicative of real life.
June 19, 2023
This was an ok read. I've read a lot of books about this topic already. So, for me, this book didn't provide any new insights. It actually felt very surface level to me. I think it would've been a stronger piece if the main subjects had been able to write about their experiences themselves, like diary entries. And, there were a lot of unnecessary details, like describing the outfits that people were wearing.
July 29, 2023
beautifully weaves personal narrative with journalistic reporting on the dismal state of pregnancy and birth care in America. I laughed, I cried - truly visceral reactions! Highly recommend reading … but doing so after you give birth (if you plan on doing that)
April 8, 2024
I think this is a must read book for any first time expecting pregnant person - and even their partners! When TTC or when finding out you’re pregnant, a lot of Google searching goes on…it’s overwhelming! This book seemed to touch on a lot of the larger themes that had me fretting about pregnancy. It’s an overwhelming, life changing experience, and so I found comfort in these women’s raw shared experiences. The text itself is easy to read and interwoven with other research based facts that eased my anxieties- not because I felt like it gave me all the answers, but that’s what I was feeling and thinking about wasn’t just me. I just finished it and now passed it on to my partner. 🩷
September 9, 2023
4.5 - enjoyed the stories and good background
July 31, 2025
i got ads for healthy baby food after i finished this book Lol can a girl not read a book about pregnancy in america without my phone thinking im having a human child ??????!!!???
June 23, 2023
Do not read this book if you are expecting your first baby. The three featured birth stories all end in the mom's birth not going how she had planned. The featured birth stories also featured all three moms vomiting in labor and two of the three vomiting so heavily they get dehydrated. This isn't normal. It's all possible, but it's not the average experience, and no one should go into birth feeling like these types of experiences are inevitable.
The book is fairly pro natural birth throughout, being pretty frank about the risks of the "cascade of interventions," and particularly about the very real risks in hospital settings for women of color. HOWEVER the natural births that are then highlighted are such miserable experiences and only one of them ends in a natural delivery(and even she is a transfer), and it makes it feel like there is no winning regardless of birth setting or choice. The book is informative but skip if you're an expecting first time mom.
The book is fairly pro natural birth throughout, being pretty frank about the risks of the "cascade of interventions," and particularly about the very real risks in hospital settings for women of color. HOWEVER the natural births that are then highlighted are such miserable experiences and only one of them ends in a natural delivery(and even she is a transfer), and it makes it feel like there is no winning regardless of birth setting or choice. The book is informative but skip if you're an expecting first time mom.
July 29, 2023
The author did a great job at providing a brief history of obstetrics and midwifery in the United States. My mother's generation had chloroform and twilight births without the father present in the delivery room. My generation attended childbirth classes and were able to have their spouse attend the birth. We most often went to hospitals for delivery and caesarian births and induced births became more common.
This book provides interesting and sometimes disturbing statistics and an overview of the studies analyzing the current safety and mortality rates for women and also specifically for women of color during and after childbirth.
"We as a country need to do a better job of caring for pregnant people and mothers, and supporting families postpartum. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which was introduced in the Senate in 2021, would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant women whose healthcare providers say they need them. There needs to be stronger screening and treatment for postpartum depression and anxiety and other perinatal mood disorders. Universal paid leave and childcare are critical to giving new parents the time they need to heal, bond, and get their bearings. It shouldn't be a Herculean feat or require vast troves of money to balance work life and family life."
The book also follows 3 expectant mothers through their pregnancies and first births. While I applaud their candor and admire their courage in sharing their very personal stories, I felt that these were specific examples and not representative of every pregnancy as a whole. Everyone has a different unique experience in this very personal part of their lives if they have children. These stories may frighten first time expectant mothers. It may also reassure others.
I had 3 children and my personal physical challenge was having an O negative blood type requiring monitoring and RhoGam shots to prevent my body from rejecting future pregnancies. I was also monitored for gestational diabetes as my second infant was so large. I never did develop stretch marks across my stomach from the pregnancies though. My first pregnancy, I had an average size infant (7 lb. 6 oz.) and delivered 2 weeks early and forceps & an epidural were used with this delivery. This labor was 14 hours. My second pregnancy, I delivered a 9 pound baby 2 days from my due date without an epidural. This labor was 7 hours. My third pregnancy, I delivered another 9 pound baby a week past my due date with a whole room full of specialists as there was meconium present in the amniotic fluid. This labor was 9 hours. (I never once threw up during labor as the women in the book experienced. But, we were not allowed to eat or drink during labor.)
This book provides interesting and sometimes disturbing statistics and an overview of the studies analyzing the current safety and mortality rates for women and also specifically for women of color during and after childbirth.
"We as a country need to do a better job of caring for pregnant people and mothers, and supporting families postpartum. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which was introduced in the Senate in 2021, would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant women whose healthcare providers say they need them. There needs to be stronger screening and treatment for postpartum depression and anxiety and other perinatal mood disorders. Universal paid leave and childcare are critical to giving new parents the time they need to heal, bond, and get their bearings. It shouldn't be a Herculean feat or require vast troves of money to balance work life and family life."
The book also follows 3 expectant mothers through their pregnancies and first births. While I applaud their candor and admire their courage in sharing their very personal stories, I felt that these were specific examples and not representative of every pregnancy as a whole. Everyone has a different unique experience in this very personal part of their lives if they have children. These stories may frighten first time expectant mothers. It may also reassure others.
I had 3 children and my personal physical challenge was having an O negative blood type requiring monitoring and RhoGam shots to prevent my body from rejecting future pregnancies. I was also monitored for gestational diabetes as my second infant was so large. I never did develop stretch marks across my stomach from the pregnancies though. My first pregnancy, I had an average size infant (7 lb. 6 oz.) and delivered 2 weeks early and forceps & an epidural were used with this delivery. This labor was 14 hours. My second pregnancy, I delivered a 9 pound baby 2 days from my due date without an epidural. This labor was 7 hours. My third pregnancy, I delivered another 9 pound baby a week past my due date with a whole room full of specialists as there was meconium present in the amniotic fluid. This labor was 9 hours. (I never once threw up during labor as the women in the book experienced. But, we were not allowed to eat or drink during labor.)
April 6, 2023
This was a really fascinating read! Very readable and very informative, and I loved the way Rebecca Grant weaved together individual stories with elements of history, medicine, and sociology. I learned a lot! The focus on midwifery and birth center births was also really interesting. That focus made the stories feel cohesive, but at times I did find myself wishing there was more about why someone might choose a hospital birth too, and wishing there was a greater diversity of experiences represented.
The author includes an introductory statement about gender inclusivity, and she does comment on the increased obstacles that queer families face in pursuing good reproductive healthcare. I do still wish there was more inclusivity of queer families throughout the entire book, though, and of pregnant people who do not identify as women—it felt more like a last-minute add-in than a sustained effort. However, the introductory statement still makes this book more inclusive than a lot of books on the subject of birth, and I did appreciate it.
Overall, Birth is a compelling, well-researched, and accessible introduction to the world of birth centers and midwives, as well as to the more general experience of giving birth in the United States, and the stories at the heart of the book are well-told and a pleasure to read. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this world, and especially anyone considering going to a birth center or midwife themself.
Thank you to Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
The author includes an introductory statement about gender inclusivity, and she does comment on the increased obstacles that queer families face in pursuing good reproductive healthcare. I do still wish there was more inclusivity of queer families throughout the entire book, though, and of pregnant people who do not identify as women—it felt more like a last-minute add-in than a sustained effort. However, the introductory statement still makes this book more inclusive than a lot of books on the subject of birth, and I did appreciate it.
Overall, Birth is a compelling, well-researched, and accessible introduction to the world of birth centers and midwives, as well as to the more general experience of giving birth in the United States, and the stories at the heart of the book are well-told and a pleasure to read. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this world, and especially anyone considering going to a birth center or midwife themself.
Thank you to Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2023
I loved this book. I loved the history and the sociological aspects. It is clearly well researched and you understand every woman's reason for her choice.
It was a hard read for me though, as midwives we 're my only "issue" during my complicated twin pregnancy. Pushing for "natural" or even vaginal births to a woman who knows her baby isn't likely to survive that scenario is just as dangerous as "hospital interventions." in fact, more than one midwife challenged me to take the risk. My baby B had a serious heart defect, we had fetal surgery, and her umbilical cord was not attached at all to the placenta. It was a "clusterfuck" in there and she wasn't getting out alive with about 12 people in the delivery room and another 20 waiting outside.
If my water had broken before I was in the OR she would not have made it.
This book, as lovely and well researched as it was, in some ways sets a dangerous precedent. The best things any of us can do is make sure we are medically literate and aware of the risks of every type of birth situation.
Of course, a woman with my type of pregnancy had no business with midwives in the first place.
Anyway, Yes this was a great book that a lot of women would benefit from reading.
There is a lot of information about birth trauma here and I think for many of us it is traumatizing no matter who is there and what happens. Birth is traumatic.
Thank you for the ARC and thank you to the author for writing this.
It was a hard read for me though, as midwives we 're my only "issue" during my complicated twin pregnancy. Pushing for "natural" or even vaginal births to a woman who knows her baby isn't likely to survive that scenario is just as dangerous as "hospital interventions." in fact, more than one midwife challenged me to take the risk. My baby B had a serious heart defect, we had fetal surgery, and her umbilical cord was not attached at all to the placenta. It was a "clusterfuck" in there and she wasn't getting out alive with about 12 people in the delivery room and another 20 waiting outside.
If my water had broken before I was in the OR she would not have made it.
This book, as lovely and well researched as it was, in some ways sets a dangerous precedent. The best things any of us can do is make sure we are medically literate and aware of the risks of every type of birth situation.
Of course, a woman with my type of pregnancy had no business with midwives in the first place.
Anyway, Yes this was a great book that a lot of women would benefit from reading.
There is a lot of information about birth trauma here and I think for many of us it is traumatizing no matter who is there and what happens. Birth is traumatic.
Thank you for the ARC and thank you to the author for writing this.
July 21, 2023
dnf - 33%
meh. this really bored me, even though it's a topic I care about. this only applies to people who want to use a midwife and give birth in a birthing center, not a hospital, and the writing felt very stilted and disconnected to the three women it was covering. plodding. it's like, I either want a book of straight facts on pregnancy, or I want an emotional riveting memoir; this played the line between that and became a third thing altogether that wasn't good.
meh. this really bored me, even though it's a topic I care about. this only applies to people who want to use a midwife and give birth in a birthing center, not a hospital, and the writing felt very stilted and disconnected to the three women it was covering. plodding. it's like, I either want a book of straight facts on pregnancy, or I want an emotional riveting memoir; this played the line between that and became a third thing altogether that wasn't good.
August 25, 2023
Relies too heavily on Emily Oster. Also, three women's case studies is very much anecdotal evidence...but which woman is hiking at 35 weeks and which ends up struggling to heal from a. C-section is very "of course" but never reflected upon. The book struggles to tie theory of inequity to the story it is telling. It would have been a better book if the two plot lines were connected.
December 26, 2023
too long and kept putting it down. would’ve enjoyed it more if there was more discussion of how to improve hospital-based maternity care since that’s where the majority of people end up giving birth (including some of the mothers profiled)
May 21, 2023
Having a baby is an act of bravery. “To become pregnant is to expose oneself to an array of possible effects that there’s no way to anticipate.” Motherhood is a courageous “foray into the unknown, to willingly submit to the mysteries and vagaries of a situation with no assured outcomes.”
In our performative North American culture, birth symbolizes a paradigm shift from an experience that happens to you to an event you can prepare for. An exam, a performance, a team sport. In the Charybdis of pregnancy care, those who trust “modern medicine have been judged as rubes who put blind faith into the System and have their birth experiences besmirched.” Enter Jannifer Gallardo’s Andaluz birth center conceived in Guatemala and born in Oregon in the 1990s.
In Birth, Rebecca Grant braids together the stories of three women–two white, one Black–and their ‘matrescence,’ the psychological passage into parenthood. Like phoenixes, their old self dies in the fire of birth, a new being rising from ashes. Birth chronicles “the liminal space of pregnancy–not yet a mother, but not a person of unfettered childlessness either”–and the metamorphosis facilitated through the assistance of midwives and doulas.
‘“The word ‘doula’ comes from ancient Greek and roughly translates to ‘a woman who serves.’” They provide physical, emotional, and informational support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. As a believer, I am a discipleship doula! I am called to serve the physical, emotional and mental needs of those around me in their spiritual journey before they are born again, as they are born again, and as they grow in their relationship with Christ!
In our performative North American culture, birth symbolizes a paradigm shift from an experience that happens to you to an event you can prepare for. An exam, a performance, a team sport. In the Charybdis of pregnancy care, those who trust “modern medicine have been judged as rubes who put blind faith into the System and have their birth experiences besmirched.” Enter Jannifer Gallardo’s Andaluz birth center conceived in Guatemala and born in Oregon in the 1990s.
In Birth, Rebecca Grant braids together the stories of three women–two white, one Black–and their ‘matrescence,’ the psychological passage into parenthood. Like phoenixes, their old self dies in the fire of birth, a new being rising from ashes. Birth chronicles “the liminal space of pregnancy–not yet a mother, but not a person of unfettered childlessness either”–and the metamorphosis facilitated through the assistance of midwives and doulas.
‘“The word ‘doula’ comes from ancient Greek and roughly translates to ‘a woman who serves.’” They provide physical, emotional, and informational support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. As a believer, I am a discipleship doula! I am called to serve the physical, emotional and mental needs of those around me in their spiritual journey before they are born again, as they are born again, and as they grow in their relationship with Christ!
January 26, 2024
◽️ Birth: Three Mothers, Nine Months, and Pregnancy in America by Rebecca Grant
Thank you to Avid Reader Press for this gifted copy.
So, I read this while I was still pregnant, and fully expected to write my review while still pregnant, but now that my son is born I have some different perspectives.
I was 34 weeks pregnant when I finished this book, and it didn’t feel super relatable to me because I opted for a hospital birth and never really considered doing it any other way.
I ended up having my son at 36 weeks, and I will say, that reading one of the women’s stories and how she ended up having to go to the hospital and have a c-section brought me some peace as I ended up having one as well. I ended up doing everything opposite to my ideal birth plan.
I had a bit of a traumatic birth experience, and thinking back on this book made me feel less alone in the moment. However, it is upsetting to know so many of us have these kinds of experiences.
I know the author wrote this book with good intentions— that we all deserve autonomy over our bodies and have a say in our birth experiences. And I did end up advocating for myself during my own experience. I wonder if I would have had the confidence without this book. I am really glad I read it now.
One big bone I have to pick, however, is that a midwifery student talked about co-sleeping in this book and nothing was talking about how dangerous this is. I don’t like how that was just… left there like it’s a safe decision.
I would have liked to see stories from mothers who didn’t all plan to use the birthing center for a more diverse representation of the choices we make around our births, but overall I think this was a good read.◽️
Thank you to Avid Reader Press for this gifted copy.
So, I read this while I was still pregnant, and fully expected to write my review while still pregnant, but now that my son is born I have some different perspectives.
I was 34 weeks pregnant when I finished this book, and it didn’t feel super relatable to me because I opted for a hospital birth and never really considered doing it any other way.
I ended up having my son at 36 weeks, and I will say, that reading one of the women’s stories and how she ended up having to go to the hospital and have a c-section brought me some peace as I ended up having one as well. I ended up doing everything opposite to my ideal birth plan.
I had a bit of a traumatic birth experience, and thinking back on this book made me feel less alone in the moment. However, it is upsetting to know so many of us have these kinds of experiences.
I know the author wrote this book with good intentions— that we all deserve autonomy over our bodies and have a say in our birth experiences. And I did end up advocating for myself during my own experience. I wonder if I would have had the confidence without this book. I am really glad I read it now.
One big bone I have to pick, however, is that a midwifery student talked about co-sleeping in this book and nothing was talking about how dangerous this is. I don’t like how that was just… left there like it’s a safe decision.
I would have liked to see stories from mothers who didn’t all plan to use the birthing center for a more diverse representation of the choices we make around our births, but overall I think this was a good read.◽️
May 9, 2025
very in depth and harrowing at times.
“Allison held back tears as they waited, mentally trying to dam her panic until there was definitive news.”
“Making matters worse is the fact that rural hospitals are closing in droves. As many as 5 million women live in maternity care deserts - meaning counties with neither an OBGYN, a nurse-midwife, nor a hospital with a maternity unit. An additional 10 million live in areas with limited access to maternity care. Mortality rates for both infants and mothers decrease as urbanization increases.”
“Even the prospect of creating a registry for their baby shower, which Allison had previously been enthused about, was unappealing because it spawned so many other decisions. Where would the baby sleep? How would they transport him around? What kind of diapers would they use? How would they feed him? It wasn’t just building a registry. It was figuring out her entire parenting philosophy.”
“As with all things on the internet, the forums were a blend of kindness and chaos, nonsense and real information, judgement and support. They could show how fractionalized people could be, how defensive, combative, or uninterested in posts that didn’t align with their belief system.”
“Allison held back tears as they waited, mentally trying to dam her panic until there was definitive news.”
“Making matters worse is the fact that rural hospitals are closing in droves. As many as 5 million women live in maternity care deserts - meaning counties with neither an OBGYN, a nurse-midwife, nor a hospital with a maternity unit. An additional 10 million live in areas with limited access to maternity care. Mortality rates for both infants and mothers decrease as urbanization increases.”
“Even the prospect of creating a registry for their baby shower, which Allison had previously been enthused about, was unappealing because it spawned so many other decisions. Where would the baby sleep? How would they transport him around? What kind of diapers would they use? How would they feed him? It wasn’t just building a registry. It was figuring out her entire parenting philosophy.”
“As with all things on the internet, the forums were a blend of kindness and chaos, nonsense and real information, judgement and support. They could show how fractionalized people could be, how defensive, combative, or uninterested in posts that didn’t align with their belief system.”
August 13, 2023
4.5 stars
I really loved the blend of personal accounts, cultural commentary, and history within this text. The book follows 3 women (in the US) from months before conception to postpartum, who all attempt to give birth in a birthing center in Oregon. This book documents various experiences from miscarriage, and abortion to unexpected birth plans while also describes the history of medicalizing birth and how insurance (and different states) may or may not cover certain services/settings (especially related to home birth or birthing centers). I loved to be able to hear about three different women's vastly different pregnancy/birth/postpartum experiences and I really loved how statistics and history was blended in. From time to time, it felt like a tad too much history/statistics included, but for the most part I enjoyed their inclusion and it felt like it added additional context to the text.
I really loved the blend of personal accounts, cultural commentary, and history within this text. The book follows 3 women (in the US) from months before conception to postpartum, who all attempt to give birth in a birthing center in Oregon. This book documents various experiences from miscarriage, and abortion to unexpected birth plans while also describes the history of medicalizing birth and how insurance (and different states) may or may not cover certain services/settings (especially related to home birth or birthing centers). I loved to be able to hear about three different women's vastly different pregnancy/birth/postpartum experiences and I really loved how statistics and history was blended in. From time to time, it felt like a tad too much history/statistics included, but for the most part I enjoyed their inclusion and it felt like it added additional context to the text.
August 25, 2023
3.5! The author (a journalist) put in some WORK for this book so kudos to her. She followed 3 pregnant woman from basically 4 weeks pregnant-into postpartum. As someone who loves all things birth, this book was really interesting. While I know why the author needed/wanted to input the history of birthing in America, current statistics etc. + I felt that information was important to the book as a whole, I didn’t love how that information was placed in the middle of chapters. It stagnated the read for me, so it wasn’t until the last 100 pages when it became more just the labor and postpartum stories that I started to fly through the book. The author does a nice job at not just pointing out problems with our current system, but giving a bullet point list as to what things could/should change to improve pregnancy and postpartum care in America.
April 29, 2023
I love this reported book from journalist Rebecca Grant, which invites us to follow three real-life women through conception, pregnancy, birth, and fourth trimester in Portland, Oregon. Grant reports with true compassion and always centers the humanity of each woman going through the pregnancy and birthing process. I love that she treats women giving birth, something deemed so ordinary by our society, as the extraordinary and life-altering journey that it truly is. It's given me so much to think about and important questions to ask about how pregnancy and birthing people are treated by our medical system.
October 12, 2023
Admittedly, I am a birth nerd.
But I loved this book. It’s well researched and thoughtfully written, weaving three deeply personal narratives with facts, statistics and the history of midwifery/obstetrics in America.
Since it’s newly published, it contains the most up to date statistics (and let’s face it - they’re not great.)
On a personal note - this book follows three women due in March 2021, when I was also pregnant. That little tidbit definitely made me enjoy this book even more - and it turns out my son was born only a few hours after one of the babies in the book. I relished the labor and delivery chapters - the blunt honesty of the descriptions resonated with me deeply.
But I loved this book. It’s well researched and thoughtfully written, weaving three deeply personal narratives with facts, statistics and the history of midwifery/obstetrics in America.
Since it’s newly published, it contains the most up to date statistics (and let’s face it - they’re not great.)
On a personal note - this book follows three women due in March 2021, when I was also pregnant. That little tidbit definitely made me enjoy this book even more - and it turns out my son was born only a few hours after one of the babies in the book. I relished the labor and delivery chapters - the blunt honesty of the descriptions resonated with me deeply.
February 9, 2024
this was so insightful about hospital births in the US and what goes into birth centers, midifery, and doulas. I rated it four starts because it's. passion area of mine though I did skim through some sections of chapters that were a bit wordy. it's a great mix fo personal experience from the three women involved and history on birth.
my biggest takeaways:
1. the "over hospitalization of birth" we've acquired in the US
2. in 5-10 years when I give brith I will look into birth centers
3. the differences between doulas and midwives and how they intertwine
4. EVERY woman's story and experience is different
5. should I become a doula?
6. should I go to europe to have a baby?
my biggest takeaways:
1. the "over hospitalization of birth" we've acquired in the US
2. in 5-10 years when I give brith I will look into birth centers
3. the differences between doulas and midwives and how they intertwine
4. EVERY woman's story and experience is different
5. should I become a doula?
6. should I go to europe to have a baby?
April 21, 2024
Grant follows the lives of three first-time pregnant women who have chosen to give birth at a birthing center through to the first few months after birth.
Grant is a wonderful story-teller and does a great job sharing the choices, the daily textures of pregnancy through the lives of these three women and their families. We hear about their motivations to have children, how they found out, how they're managing with their work, their choices around the medical establishment, and then obviously their birth experiences. It's as though you got to sit down and interview these three women for hours about their pregnancy and birth experiences.
Grant is a wonderful story-teller and does a great job sharing the choices, the daily textures of pregnancy through the lives of these three women and their families. We hear about their motivations to have children, how they found out, how they're managing with their work, their choices around the medical establishment, and then obviously their birth experiences. It's as though you got to sit down and interview these three women for hours about their pregnancy and birth experiences.
March 27, 2023
This book is exactly what it says it is--the story of three women, their pregnancies, and the birth stories. It will be of interest primarily to those who are pregnant, have given birth, or want to know more about midwifery. It's well written and a lot of information about birth in America and different issues is given.
I was surprised at the complications that incurred in two of the births. But... that's life. Happy endings all around, but getting there was not easy.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It adds a lot to what is currently available about childbirth.
I was surprised at the complications that incurred in two of the births. But... that's life. Happy endings all around, but getting there was not easy.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It adds a lot to what is currently available about childbirth.
June 9, 2023
As a mom who had back-to-back babies not that long ago, I was immediate intrigued by the synopsis of Birth by Rebecca Grant and wanted to learn more about these 3 women's birth journeys.
I learned a lot about midwifery and out of hospital births, especially since both of mine were physician and hospital based. There was a lot of great historical information about the history of midwifery and how the current structure in the U.S. came to be. I will note that at times, it seemed like some of the info was unnecessary but was overall beneficial.
I think this book would be great for anyone looking to learn more about midwifery and/or to read about actual experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum months.
Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the gifted copy!
I learned a lot about midwifery and out of hospital births, especially since both of mine were physician and hospital based. There was a lot of great historical information about the history of midwifery and how the current structure in the U.S. came to be. I will note that at times, it seemed like some of the info was unnecessary but was overall beneficial.
I think this book would be great for anyone looking to learn more about midwifery and/or to read about actual experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum months.
Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the gifted copy!
March 17, 2024
A very compelling read that seamlessly weaves history, social commentary, and lived experience. The book’s shortcomings are rather obvious and openly-acknowledged by the author (i.e. lack of diversity in the stories featured). This book is a primer on the subject of reproductive justice. It doesn’t provide a complete cultural history, nor does it extensively discuss solutions to healthcare inequities. Overall, a good book that explores the nuances of the modern birthing experience with historical context.
May 18, 2024
Qualitative account of three women embracing the midwifery model of care and the choices women make along the path of pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum. 2/3 women are transferred to hospital in labor which paints realistic picture of transfer in home or birth center settings. A little fear inducing in some areas; details how women are preparing for pregnancy and birth in 2022 (with very little education). Pro-choice view prominent throughout the book; author speaks about birth centers in one paragraph and abortion rights in the next.
May 24, 2024
I loved this! Great writing, reporting, and researching. I was not expecting the focus on midwifery / birth centers but it was convincing. This book goes deep into the experiences, emotions, and flaws of maternal care in America, including racial inequities and the Black maternal experience. Through these three pregnant women, Rebecca Grant shows the many highs and lows, as well as how different the pregnancy experience can be between women. This brought me back to my pregnancy days and my birth experience with a reflective fondness. I definitely want to see what Rebecca Grant does next!
October 25, 2024
DNF at 26%. I found the concept of this book to be really compelling, but the narratives of the women Grant shadowed and the information dumps did not work together well. Whenever there was a switch between the investigative journalism to the info dump it felt really abrupt and just didn’t work for me. I liked the discussions of the history of midwifery and that sort of thing, but the info dumps got to be more interesting than the investigative journalism part of it for me, so I couldn’t focus on the narratives of the three women. Not for me.
February 5, 2025
For a book as generally titled as this, I expected more than just the stories of women who chose midwifery deliveries. It bashed on our medical system and gave a biased view of birth centers. I enjoyed the data and insight to birth centers value but I don’t think it needed to come with hating on general care that’s the option of so many women. I would’ve liked it more if it included the journey of a non birth center pregnancy and women not in the career path of midwife. Or, that’s what the book should’ve been titled!
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