Status Updates From Matrescence: On Pregnancy, ...

Gaining baby knowledge to be a better aunt!!! Duh.

Kinda glad I’m a man. Not gonna lie…

i think this is better after you have kids and “ruined” your life because reading it before takes all the excitement out and gave me like multiple panic attacks. Its the same as saying your job is horrible, is funny and semi relatable to other employees maybe a ring of alarm to employers, but it would be terrifying for a 18 y.o to hear only the bad parts exaggerated

Turns out I can’t read this now as I need to approach motherhood with a little more blind faith and this is all a bit too close to the bone for me!

Hurry up Marlon he has 10’pages to go and I’ve taken it off him to start it before this baby is literally here

Mama, if you’re in your PP season…
Please read this book.

“[…]Estimate 24 per cent of stillbirths, 19 per cent of live, preterm births and 31 per cent of live births with foetal growth reduction would not have occurred if all women had the same risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes as those in the least deprived group. Fewer babies and mothers would die and suffer, in other words, if our society wasn’t structured unequally along racial and social lines”

So glad I’m starting the year with this book. This will likely be a 5-star read. Wow.

Already fascinating.

I’m not pregnant this is for Casey

A goal for 2026 is to try and get through my physical TBR, which includes a lot more non-fiction titles. This has been on my shelf for a long time, and I wish I’d gotten to it sooner.

Early days but this has been a great read so far!

Dude, where the fuck was this woman’s useless husband?!

first half was better than second half but this was wonderful at helping sort my emotions out lol

It’s pretty dang good. I’d suggest this read for expecting fathers.

The section on OASI has incorrect information and is overly fearful, relying exclusively on the testimony of those who have been let down and continually injured (like the author) and fearmongering
I find the section on feeding and the author’s lambasting of the WHO guidelines on EBF and attitudes to EBF again incorrect and more of a reflection of opinion

Well now I can pick this back up where I left off since I’ve come out the other side 👶 Don’t recommend this for FTM during pregnancy unless you want to scare yourself x

On the other side of one pregnancy and delivery, and given my particular experience, this book is really hitting the spot. I would, however, suggest that first time expectant mothers proceed with some caution.

“Framing unpaid care work as a source of individual personal satisfaction conceals the fat that it is also a public good with immense social benefits. Children grow up to pay taxes, work for public services, support the older generation, repay public debt, keep society going.”

- telling women they have “mom brain” affects how they see themselves
- the cognitive load of adapting to parenthood may constitute an “enriching environment” that actually makes the brain more resilient
- “the idea that motherhood is wrought with memory deficits and is characterized by a brain that no longer functions well is scientifically just not so”

“I thought the baby would grow inside my body, as in a flowerpot, that I would still be the same person. But that didn’t seem to be the case.” yes yes yes already feeling seen by this book

"according to a study made in israel by dr blabla" SIIIIGHHHHH

been listening to the audiobook but ran out of time, it got returned. so so powerful and so important and needed to be written - also incredibly depressing and horrible, the descriptions of her birth made me almost vomit at the bus stop, but this book is full of stuff that i wish all the mothers i know knew before having kids, i want everyone i know to read it

Oh my word everyone should read this

Njnjj

The author never realises that the main problem are MEN. She has a husband who apparently does not care enough to work part time and care for the children. She fails to address heteronormativity and her assumption that she can take better care of her children than her husband just because she is a woman is sexist and stupid.

The way this book describes my experience so accurately is actually kind of exhausting. It’s validating, affirming, 100% worth reading, but having my struggles spelled out to me is a lot like reliving them. I’m having to take lots of breaks to get through this.

yo this is crazy

almost a mother

everyone needs to read this book, havers of children, not havers of children, everyone

I think I actually hate this book