Birth: Three Mothers, Nine Months, and Pregnancy in America -- Rebecca Grant

<b>"An important book...Grant is a good storyteller, subtle and compassionate." --<i>The New York Times Book Review</i></b> <p/><b>In the tradition of <i>Random Family </i>and <i>Evicted</i>, 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.</b> <p/>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. <p/>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. <p/>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 an