Journalist Irin Carmon was eight months pregnant when the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion, unleashing pain and suffering for those who didn't want to be pregnant and, shockingly to some, those who did. What was clear to Carmon from her dozen years of reporting -- and from what she felt in her bones -- was how incomplete the American story of reproduction had been, and how much had been unexpressed, hidden, or taken for granted, and not just by conservative justices or in red states. Whether in cosmopolitan, liberal New York City or rural Alabama, the entire system is broken. Unbearable tells a deeper story, going beyond the headlines and any one experience or choice, and grounded in history and journalism. It introduces us to five women navigating pregnancy care -- from that first positive pregnancy test through joy, loss, and the unforeseen -- in a country that is at best indifferent and at worst willfully cruel, and to brave, outnumbered people fighting to make it better. Written with deep empathy and analytical rigor, Unbearable is at once a moving story of interconnection, a harrowing exposé, and assertion of humanity. Above all, it is a powerful call for solidarity, regardless of our circumstances or our decisions. -- Provided by publisher.

This book is an indispensable guide to the risks of medications, environmental toxins, and herbal remedies taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Since the discovery of birth defects caused by thalidomide, expectant mothers have questioned the effects of medications and other substances during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This book offers authoritative descriptions of the risks involved during pregnancy and breast-feeding, from prescription drugs, diseases, chemicals, vitamins, herbs, foods, alcohol, cigarette smoke, recreational drugs, and other abuse substances. Some of the topics covered: Tests for determining risks before conception, during pregnancy and after birth Charts and scores of answers to Frequently Asked Questions Charts of safe/unsafe medications, chemicals, vitamins, herbs and foods Practical advice for treating illnesses, avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals, and eating safely. The Complete Guide to Everyday Risks in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding has information that counselors for Motherisk share two hundred times a day. Since 1985, the Motherisk program at The Hospital for Sick Children has provided counseling based on the most up-to-date evidence research on tertatogens, substances or environmental factors that can cause birth defects. Motherisk is one of the biggest programs of its kind worldwide, counselling some 2,000 callers per week. This book will be an invaluable reference throughout a pregnancy and while nursing.

From the international bestselling author of Black, White, and Jewish comes a "wonderfully insightful" ( Associated Press ) book that's destined to become a motherhood classic. Now in trade. Like many women her age, thirty-four-year-old Rebecca Walker was brought up to be skeptical of motherhood. As an adult she longed for a baby but feared losing her independence. In this very smart memoir, Walker explores some of the larger sociological trends of her generation while delivering her own story about the emotional and intellectual transformation that led her to motherhood.