I really enjoyed this book about handing pregnant mothers to be the power back in their voice and bodies when it comes to giving birth and healthcare for expecting mothers. I love learning about the alternative positive vocabulary to share with healthcare providers. I only wish this book was out before i had my first baby. I really enjoy all the empowerment language and I would recommend this title to any expecting mothers who are just interested in getting more control in their birth stories.

This book was so meaningful, it was exactly what I needed at this time in my life! I'm so glad I read this.

This book took me a long time to get through. Not because it's necessarily bad, but because it's very informational and at times negative. I was immediately intrigued by the title despite the fact that I am not pregnant, and I'm glad I read it. It gave lots of important information about the birthing process and the history of giving birth, and definitely influenced my own decisions about giving birth whenever I decide to become pregnant. However, the author does not shy away from scary, worst-case scenario stories. It definitely made me nervous, although I know she did it so that women feel more empowered to speak up.
I also thought that the author was repetitive at times, especially regarding the actual birthing process and over-medicalization. She could've gone more into depth about topics she briefly mentioned, such as minority maternal mortality or even intersectionality.
Overall, this book was extremely informational and provides good solutions/perspectives for future mothers. Just be prepared to read the horror stories.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing this ARC!

Fabulous take on conventional topics. Extremely helpful would make a great gift for a mama to be. Loved it.

5 stars.

The best thing this book did was make me renew my BC timer to make sure I'm taking it at the same time everyday. I know some people dream of being mothers, but this book was more like an episode of scared straight for me. Definitely made it clear to me that I do not want to birth a child ever.

There are so many ways that pregnancy can impact you forever, and I think almost NONE of those things are mentioned to soon to be mothers. It's considered shameful to speak about the dangers and issues surrounding birth, as to seem ungrateful or "not a good enough" mom or vain to care about your own body. Read this book to learn the things your mom never told you