The author shares her experiences of pregnancy and birth, detailing the transformations of motherhood in an exploration of the mind and heart of a mother.
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Written during the months before and after the birth of the author's third child, Great with Child is an honest, funny, and passionate portrait of the everyday developments and profound transformations of motherhood. From the first tiny pinprick of a thought in her mind that maybe-just maybe-it was the right time for another baby, through the emotional dramas of pregnancy and birth, and on into the seamless string of sleepless nights that compose her son's first year, Rienstra beautifully depicts the difficulty and dignity of becoming a mother. Through recounting the details of her own story-the sonograms, the labor pains, nursing in the middle of the night-Rienstra lays bare how motherhood can alter and deepen a woman's views on just about everything else. Allusions to a wide array of sources, including the biblical Psalms, the poetry of Lucille Clifton, Jewish feminist midrash, and a Better Homes and Gardens baby book from 1953, weave through the narrative, illuminating the way that this primal experience colors and informs women's lives. The book is a rare glimpse into the mind and heart of a mother.
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