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Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood
As an ecologist, Sandra Steingraber spent her professional life observing how living things interact with their environments. Now, 38 and pregnant, she had become a habitat—for a population of one.
Having Faith is Steingraber's exploration of the intimate ecology of motherhood. Using her scientist's eye to study the biological drama of new life being knit from the molecules of air, food, and water flowing into her body, she looks at the environmental hazards that now threaten pregnant and breastfeeding women and examines the effects these toxins can have on a child. Having Faith makes the metamorphosis of a few cells into a baby astonishingly vivid, and the dangers to human reproduction urgently real.
Having Faith is Steingraber's exploration of the intimate ecology of motherhood. Using her scientist's eye to study the biological drama of new life being knit from the molecules of air, food, and water flowing into her body, she looks at the environmental hazards that now threaten pregnant and breastfeeding women and examines the effects these toxins can have on a child. Having Faith makes the metamorphosis of a few cells into a baby astonishingly vivid, and the dangers to human reproduction urgently real.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
25 people are currently reading
662 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Steingraber
18Ìýbooks41ÌýfollowersEcologist, author, and cancer survivor, Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized expert on the environmental links to cancer and reproductive health. She received her doctorate in biology from the University of Michigan and master’s degree in English from Illinois State University. She is the author of Post-Diagnosis, a volume of poetry, and coauthor of a book on ecology and human rights in Africa, The Spoils of Famine. She has taught biology at Columbia College, Chicago, held visiting fellowships at the University of Illinois, Radcliffe/Harvard, and Northeastern University, and served on President Clinton’s National Action Plan on Breast Cancer.
Steingraber’s highly acclaimed book, Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment presents cancer as a human rights issue. It was the first to bring together data on toxic releases with newly released data from U.S. cancer registries. Living Downstream won praise from international media, including The Washington Post, the Nation, The Chicago Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, The Lancet, and The London Times. In 1997, Steingraber was named a Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year. In 1998, she received from the Jenifer Altman foundation the first annual Altman Award for “the inspiring and poetic use of science to elucidate the causes of cancer,� and from the New England chapter of the American Medical Writers Association, the Will Solimene Award for “excellence in medical communication.� In 1999, the Sierra Club heralded Steingraber as “the new Rachel Carson.� And in 2001, Carson’s own alma mater, Chatham College, selected Steingraber to receive its biennial Rachel Carson Leadership Award.
Continuing the investigation begun in Living Downstream, Steingraber’s new work, Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood, explores the intimate ecology of motherhood. Both a memoir of her own pregnancy and an investigation of fetal toxicology, Having Faith reveals the alarming extent to which environmental hazards now threaten each crucial stage of infant development. In the eyes of an ecologist, the mother’s body is the first environment for human life. The Library Journal selected Having Faith as one of its best books of 2001. In 2002, it was featured on “Kids and Chemicals,� a PBS documentary by Bill Moyers.
Formerly on faculty at Cornell University, Sandra Steingraber is currently Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. She is married to sculptor Jeff de Castro. They are proud parents of five-year-old Faith and two-year-old Elijah.
Steingraber’s highly acclaimed book, Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment presents cancer as a human rights issue. It was the first to bring together data on toxic releases with newly released data from U.S. cancer registries. Living Downstream won praise from international media, including The Washington Post, the Nation, The Chicago Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, The Lancet, and The London Times. In 1997, Steingraber was named a Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year. In 1998, she received from the Jenifer Altman foundation the first annual Altman Award for “the inspiring and poetic use of science to elucidate the causes of cancer,� and from the New England chapter of the American Medical Writers Association, the Will Solimene Award for “excellence in medical communication.� In 1999, the Sierra Club heralded Steingraber as “the new Rachel Carson.� And in 2001, Carson’s own alma mater, Chatham College, selected Steingraber to receive its biennial Rachel Carson Leadership Award.
Continuing the investigation begun in Living Downstream, Steingraber’s new work, Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood, explores the intimate ecology of motherhood. Both a memoir of her own pregnancy and an investigation of fetal toxicology, Having Faith reveals the alarming extent to which environmental hazards now threaten each crucial stage of infant development. In the eyes of an ecologist, the mother’s body is the first environment for human life. The Library Journal selected Having Faith as one of its best books of 2001. In 2002, it was featured on “Kids and Chemicals,� a PBS documentary by Bill Moyers.
Formerly on faculty at Cornell University, Sandra Steingraber is currently Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. She is married to sculptor Jeff de Castro. They are proud parents of five-year-old Faith and two-year-old Elijah.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
March 9, 2008
I just started this (don't tell my mom), but it is really great so far. Good mix of science and lyricism.
...
--Ok, so it took me six months to finish this, but only because I enjoyed it so much. It is great love story of having a baby, as well as a clearly articulated assessment of scientific risk. One of Steingraber's points is that we humans are not strictly at the top of the food chain-- our nursing infants are. And that every toxin in nature becomes more concentrated as it moves higher up the food chain. Thus the basic question: why is it that mothers are the ones who have to make the difficult choices and sacrifices (especially: breast feeding provides huge benefits vs breast milk is unavoidably contaminated) when the real solution is political action to force the reduction of the harmful chemicals in the first place. Why do we have to wait for "absolute" proof, when the mere suggestion that something might be causing serious harm should be reason enough to pull a product and do more safety studies.
But the frame of all this is a really lovely and incredible a story of new motherhood.
...
--Ok, so it took me six months to finish this, but only because I enjoyed it so much. It is great love story of having a baby, as well as a clearly articulated assessment of scientific risk. One of Steingraber's points is that we humans are not strictly at the top of the food chain-- our nursing infants are. And that every toxin in nature becomes more concentrated as it moves higher up the food chain. Thus the basic question: why is it that mothers are the ones who have to make the difficult choices and sacrifices (especially: breast feeding provides huge benefits vs breast milk is unavoidably contaminated) when the real solution is political action to force the reduction of the harmful chemicals in the first place. Why do we have to wait for "absolute" proof, when the mere suggestion that something might be causing serious harm should be reason enough to pull a product and do more safety studies.
But the frame of all this is a really lovely and incredible a story of new motherhood.
January 24, 2009
This book was a struggle for me to get through. The author's environmental concerns regarding pregnancy are well conveyed and argued. Anyone who has ecological concerns will find solid backing for legislation in this area. However, all the detailed explanations in scientific jargon were frequently inaccessible for me. It's too bad because I think that knowing how pollutants and chemicals influence an embryo's development are important. She dispenses a lot of useful, but also frightening information. I think it would take a certain kind of reader to enjoy this book while pregnant.
If it weren't for the side stories about Illinois, living in Somerville, MA, and more personal accounts about pregnancy and chilbirth...I wouldn't have made it through this book. Those vignettes were my favorite parts.
If anyone wants a more critical, scientific account of pregnancy and ecology...read this book.
If it weren't for the side stories about Illinois, living in Somerville, MA, and more personal accounts about pregnancy and chilbirth...I wouldn't have made it through this book. Those vignettes were my favorite parts.
If anyone wants a more critical, scientific account of pregnancy and ecology...read this book.
May 23, 2009
Oddly enough, I found this recommended in the young adult shelves of Powells, so from the cover I assumed it was a novel about a pregnant teen...no, and as someone with a hobby of trying to push science books onto teens, I don't really see many, pregnant or no, really getting into the book. But it's a perfect fit for me, and I'm really liking it so far. (Although a bit of an odd find right after I finished the neurobiologist's journey to motherhood book...) Good change from the insipid and repetitive week by week books I compulsively read, and doesn't hurt that she had her child the same week that I am due, so even the months fit the timeline - February as "a return to childhood" - napping and absurd pickiness with food. That was exactly how I had described the weeks where I ate nothing more nutritious than cheese and chocolate pudding.
Her description of stem cells is a perfect analogy to the angst that comes with the decisions that select a path in life: I feel a little like a migrating embryonic cell myself, sent out on a journey that seems not entirely of my own choosing or under my own direction - even though this is a long-hoped for pregnancy. I suspect I will be changed by it, that some new identiy is forthcoming. Restriction points lie ahead.
Another thing I like is how the information is grounded in the context of research - just this morning I told my husband that amniotic fluid is baby pee, but couldn't back it up ("I don't know, I read it in one of those books...") until getting to the amniocentesis section of this book. Also - for the earliest pregnancy tests, they injected a mouse with the urine of a possibly pregnant woman, then dissected it a week later to see if it had ovulated. Crazy.
That said, the emphasis on toxicology and all the potential dangers to a fetus means that it might not be the best pregnancy read for non-science nerds, or people who know they would just worry too much after reading a book about how toxins can affect fetal development.
Her description of stem cells is a perfect analogy to the angst that comes with the decisions that select a path in life: I feel a little like a migrating embryonic cell myself, sent out on a journey that seems not entirely of my own choosing or under my own direction - even though this is a long-hoped for pregnancy. I suspect I will be changed by it, that some new identiy is forthcoming. Restriction points lie ahead.
Another thing I like is how the information is grounded in the context of research - just this morning I told my husband that amniotic fluid is baby pee, but couldn't back it up ("I don't know, I read it in one of those books...") until getting to the amniocentesis section of this book. Also - for the earliest pregnancy tests, they injected a mouse with the urine of a possibly pregnant woman, then dissected it a week later to see if it had ovulated. Crazy.
That said, the emphasis on toxicology and all the potential dangers to a fetus means that it might not be the best pregnancy read for non-science nerds, or people who know they would just worry too much after reading a book about how toxins can affect fetal development.
August 19, 2011
Now, this book certainly isn't for everyone, especially if he/she will soon become a parent. There is a lot of potentially upsetting material, detailing the environmental pollutants currently present in our world and the often horrifying effects they have on developing fetuses and young children. That said, it felt like the perfect time to read it for me. She juxtaposes her factual information with a month-by-month account of her own pregnancy & breastfeeding, which I found ingenious as a means of both personalizing what she was talking about and drawing me, also currently a pregnant woman, into her own story with relatable anecdotes and feelings. As with anything, it is important to retain some skepticism and I would not take everythin she says at face value without doing some more reading (despite what seems to have been very thorough researching on her part, into a largely unexplored field), but I really recommend thisbook, as it is a topic to which I suspect most of us give very little thought, at least partially because the information is not very accessible. This book makes it just that.
December 6, 2007
A welcome departure from all the hyped up "pregnancy" books. A scientific way of looking at being pregnant and fetus development. Anyone who is remotely interested in science should read this, pregnant or not!
March 22, 2008
Several people recommended this book to me, a few of whom had used it in classes they teach. I thought I would peruse it as a potential teaching tool (I seem to be collecting works on women's reproductive issues for a class or three in the making) but liked it so much that I read it in full.
Steingraber is a really talented writer, with an ability to distill scientific information in a way that is palatable to the general (formally educated) public. She is also a bit of a poet, and in this book was able to weave in her poetry throughout the book. The book centers upon her first pregnancy, and is organized month-by-month around what she experienced as a pregnant woman versus what the scientific literature reports as normal fetal development for each period. She also reviews, as much of her work does, the effect of ubiquitous environmental contaminants on growing embryos. So, as a woman, an academic, a scientist, and expecting mother, she considers some tough reproductive issues through each of these lenses.
I thought this was a great book, and I almost bought it for a few friends and relatives who are expecting children. I only hesitated to buy it for them, because I figure expecting mothers don't need more to worry about when it comes to the health of their child (why distress them further??? - particularly when you're familiar with the literature on reproductive stress). But it is an informative piece that is relatively easy to read. And it should appeal to environmentalists, scientists, mothers (and others) alike.
Steingraber is a really talented writer, with an ability to distill scientific information in a way that is palatable to the general (formally educated) public. She is also a bit of a poet, and in this book was able to weave in her poetry throughout the book. The book centers upon her first pregnancy, and is organized month-by-month around what she experienced as a pregnant woman versus what the scientific literature reports as normal fetal development for each period. She also reviews, as much of her work does, the effect of ubiquitous environmental contaminants on growing embryos. So, as a woman, an academic, a scientist, and expecting mother, she considers some tough reproductive issues through each of these lenses.
I thought this was a great book, and I almost bought it for a few friends and relatives who are expecting children. I only hesitated to buy it for them, because I figure expecting mothers don't need more to worry about when it comes to the health of their child (why distress them further??? - particularly when you're familiar with the literature on reproductive stress). But it is an informative piece that is relatively easy to read. And it should appeal to environmentalists, scientists, mothers (and others) alike.
February 10, 2012
I picked this book up on a whim and got sucked into it. I normally don't like books which alternate between personal narrative writing and informative/educational writing, but I guess I liked both aspects of this book. I think anyone who is a parent with a job in academia will appreciate the personal tale. I found the scientific sections invigorating, which is no small feat when the topic of environmental exposures is so commonly overplayed and offputting to a scientist. Here the case under question is mainly the contamination of human breast milk. I thought she did a great job of digging into a wide range of evidence, discussing limitations in the evidence, and keeping things balanced while making it clear that there is a lot of disturbing stuff going on out there. I think this is the best book I've read on environmental exposures. One point that will stick with me is that it is the human infant that sits on top of the food chain and consumes the highest concentration of pollutants that bioaccumulate in the food chain. I'm motivated to do something!
May 12, 2011
I tried to read this book as fast as possible due to having nightmares every night about the public health outcomes of lack of regulation on all kinds of dangerous chemicals in our environment.
The author is an excellent and compelling writer, as well as a very informed ecologist. She definitely convinced me that tighter regulations on toxic chemicals are essential to the health of the next generations of humans - as well as other species.
Pretty much everyone should read this, especially those who make decisions about levels of regulation on toxic or understudied chemicals in the environment. Oh and parents, who will certainly join me in having nightmares.
The author is an excellent and compelling writer, as well as a very informed ecologist. She definitely convinced me that tighter regulations on toxic chemicals are essential to the health of the next generations of humans - as well as other species.
Pretty much everyone should read this, especially those who make decisions about levels of regulation on toxic or understudied chemicals in the environment. Oh and parents, who will certainly join me in having nightmares.
March 20, 2008
I would recommend reading this before you got pregnant -- not while pregnant, as I did. Because this book can seriously freak you out. There is so much in our environment that can negatively affect fetal development that it is truly a miracle we all come out as normal as we do.
I love the way Steingraber organized this book. She weaved stories of her own pregnancy with scientific explanations of fetal development and the impact of environmental toxins such as mercury, lead, PCBs, etc. It's a smart book but isn't too wonky.
I love the way Steingraber organized this book. She weaved stories of her own pregnancy with scientific explanations of fetal development and the impact of environmental toxins such as mercury, lead, PCBs, etc. It's a smart book but isn't too wonky.
January 3, 2009
This was a fantastic read. It was incredibly sobering in that I had no idea how saturated with toxins my world is, but I loved it because it captured the beauty and wonder of pregnancy. I loved reading her month-by-month descriptions of her pregnancy and the masterful way she puts words together. I would not, however, recommend this book to a pregnant or soon-to-be pregnant mother, as some of the things she writes about are disturbing. Again, though, the way she describes pregnancy and motherhood were wonderful; they made me want to be pregnant again.
November 13, 2008
Despite the worries some readers might have, I read this during the first trimester of my first pregnancy and have no regrets.
It woke me up and helped me become determined to live a more fully aware life with my child and family.
After reading this book, I started a garden, began eating mostly organic food, and thought things through on a much higher level. It frightened me into making the changes I thought perhaps were necessary prior to reading the book. Post-read, I knew I had to.
It woke me up and helped me become determined to live a more fully aware life with my child and family.
After reading this book, I started a garden, began eating mostly organic food, and thought things through on a much higher level. It frightened me into making the changes I thought perhaps were necessary prior to reading the book. Post-read, I knew I had to.
October 26, 2007
Such a great book! I had skip parts because I read it while I was pregnant the first time and some parts kinda freaked me out. But I find the premise -- that birth mothers' bodies are the first environment and we are damaging babies in utero with the polluting we refuse to adequately regulate -- so incredibly powerful that I regularly reccommend this book to people - even pregnant people.
June 2, 2008
A must-read for all potentially- or formerly-childbearing women and the men who love them. Not just a scientist, but also a beautiful writer, Steingraber explores the effects of various chemicals on a developing fetus.
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June 19, 2020Having Faith begins with the author’s realization that she is pregnant. 38 years old, an ecologist, she sets out to document all of the ways that the health of her embryo, fetus and baby could be compromised by environmental toxins transmitted through her body and her breast milk. Not faint of heart, she also looks at past reproductive health disasters, such as DES, thalidomide, and rubella. Steingraber also writes about the governmental and industry policies responsible for contamination and the disconnect between those and established science. For example, regulations geared towards adults ignore the fact that the placenta and breast milk actually intensify the rate at which certain chemicals are passed, and that small doses of a toxin may have a huge impact on a developing fetus at a critical moment. I found it absolutely fascinating.
How does this book relate to my AmeriCorps experience?
Toxicity in human reproduction affects everyone who has been born from a woman and might someday give birth. So, most people. Directly, it affects the adults and children we work with every day as social service providers. How many of the children having difficulty learning and focusing in the library were exposed to lead, to mercury, and to hundreds of other toxic substances in utero? How many had dangerous chemicals passed to them from breast milk? (The matter of all the kids who would be that much smarter and healthier if they had been breast fed is a whole other issue). Steingraber’s book is so powerful because she unapologetically makes that case that these contaminations are a global civil and human rights issue.
Would I recommend this book to other CTEPs?
Definitely. I will admit to crying more than once. Granted, it doesn’t take much, but I thought Having Faith was everything a book like this should be. A brilliant narration of Steingraber’s personal experience and the science behind it all. In other words, the best kind of documentary. Having Faith does contain a considerable amount of biology and science, but I think it is accessible to most people who’ve been through high school science classes or have a basic understanding of the principles of experimentation and controls, etc. My roommate says that I said “Did you know� more times from this book than any other in recent memory (like, did you know that lead paint was banned internationally in 1925 because of the known neurological effects but was not banned in the U.S. until 1977!!! I mean, really!). So if you like those kinds of epiphanies, dive in.
How does this book relate to my AmeriCorps experience?
Toxicity in human reproduction affects everyone who has been born from a woman and might someday give birth. So, most people. Directly, it affects the adults and children we work with every day as social service providers. How many of the children having difficulty learning and focusing in the library were exposed to lead, to mercury, and to hundreds of other toxic substances in utero? How many had dangerous chemicals passed to them from breast milk? (The matter of all the kids who would be that much smarter and healthier if they had been breast fed is a whole other issue). Steingraber’s book is so powerful because she unapologetically makes that case that these contaminations are a global civil and human rights issue.
Would I recommend this book to other CTEPs?
Definitely. I will admit to crying more than once. Granted, it doesn’t take much, but I thought Having Faith was everything a book like this should be. A brilliant narration of Steingraber’s personal experience and the science behind it all. In other words, the best kind of documentary. Having Faith does contain a considerable amount of biology and science, but I think it is accessible to most people who’ve been through high school science classes or have a basic understanding of the principles of experimentation and controls, etc. My roommate says that I said “Did you know� more times from this book than any other in recent memory (like, did you know that lead paint was banned internationally in 1925 because of the known neurological effects but was not banned in the U.S. until 1977!!! I mean, really!). So if you like those kinds of epiphanies, dive in.
January 2, 2019
I wanted to love this book and recommend it to everyone I know. The impact of pollution on fetuses is very important and under discussed. And while I’m sure Dr. Steingraber gets all of the ecology correct, some of the other stuff she got wrong - or it became wrong in almost 20 years of hindsight.
The author buys in to the fetishization of “natural� birth. For those unsure why this is wrong, I’d recommend “Pushback� by Dr. Amy Tuteur. The bottom line is that c-sections save lives of mothers and babies. The stigma against them is wrong.
Next, while the science of breastmilk and breastfeeding is fascinating, and it would be beneficial to increase the rate of breastfeeding at the population level, Steingraber gets a few facts totally wrong.
First she says that there’s no such thing as a woman who can’t make any milk or can’t make enough milk. This is simply not true. Many women cannot breastfeed or breastfeed exclusively for a host of heath reasons among them insufficient glandular tissue and sickle cell disease.
Secondly she cites a statistic implying that formula kills 4,000 American infants a year. This is grossly untrue and simply disgusting fear mongering. 4,000 American infants a year may die from infectious disease, but there is no way to know that breastfeeding would have saved some or all of them. Tragically, breastfed infants can die of diseases too and this fact seems to escape her.
The pollution of human bodies, fetuses and breastmilk is an obscene and outrageous travesty. It’s an essential intersection of the environmental and reproductive justice movements. But that’s no reason to lie about the facts that some women can’t breastfeed and that formula is perfectly safe.
The author buys in to the fetishization of “natural� birth. For those unsure why this is wrong, I’d recommend “Pushback� by Dr. Amy Tuteur. The bottom line is that c-sections save lives of mothers and babies. The stigma against them is wrong.
Next, while the science of breastmilk and breastfeeding is fascinating, and it would be beneficial to increase the rate of breastfeeding at the population level, Steingraber gets a few facts totally wrong.
First she says that there’s no such thing as a woman who can’t make any milk or can’t make enough milk. This is simply not true. Many women cannot breastfeed or breastfeed exclusively for a host of heath reasons among them insufficient glandular tissue and sickle cell disease.
Secondly she cites a statistic implying that formula kills 4,000 American infants a year. This is grossly untrue and simply disgusting fear mongering. 4,000 American infants a year may die from infectious disease, but there is no way to know that breastfeeding would have saved some or all of them. Tragically, breastfed infants can die of diseases too and this fact seems to escape her.
The pollution of human bodies, fetuses and breastmilk is an obscene and outrageous travesty. It’s an essential intersection of the environmental and reproductive justice movements. But that’s no reason to lie about the facts that some women can’t breastfeed and that formula is perfectly safe.
October 21, 2020
Having read this years ago, I still find occasion to reference and revisit some of Steingraber’s descriptions and arguments. Particularly, biomagnification when it comes to the breastfeeding infant and the potential inaccuracy of toxicity levels regarding kid’s interactions with materials (arsenic in pressure treated wood in playgrounds was her example).
I love how she writes- that mixture of science and poetry- and some imagery, like her description of the geography of placental rivers- where, even there, we can find dioxins. Taking her daughter Faith outside, under the stars, surrounded by the rural upstate New York night sounds, even comes to mind for me this morning, in my own dark, with my own child.
Her work, while necessary and beautiful, is heavy.
I love how she writes- that mixture of science and poetry- and some imagery, like her description of the geography of placental rivers- where, even there, we can find dioxins. Taking her daughter Faith outside, under the stars, surrounded by the rural upstate New York night sounds, even comes to mind for me this morning, in my own dark, with my own child.
Her work, while necessary and beautiful, is heavy.
June 11, 2017
This book is amazingly informative. I first read it 10 years ago and it made such an impact on me I had to read it again once I became pregnant. But it is now 16 years old. And with the Paris agreement signed and then backed out of, I want to know what the consequences are NOW for environmental pollutants in embryologic development and breast milk. This topic is more about protecting the future AND THE PRESENT than any economical strategy ever could be.
July 6, 2020
Dr. Steingraber uses beautiful imagery to simplify the pivotal events through gestation. She explains physiological symptoms of pregnancy and terogenic effects of various environmental agents. I highly recommend this novel to anyone planning a pregnancy or anyone who wants to learn more about embryology. My one qualm is that Dr. Steingraber sets a moderately judgemental tone when discussing certain topics such as laboring methods and breastfeeding.
November 18, 2017
Beautifully written account of pregnancy and breastfeeding from an ecologists perspective. Very much suggested for second pregnancies. Hard to really grapple with mercury poisoning and the deep sadness of a polluted world the first time around but on my second go I’m much better prepared to take it in.
June 5, 2019
A brilliant book! I happened to find it in a secondhand-store and I consider this one of the most precious findings of mine ever. It's very personal and very much global, so relatable, both realistic but not scary. It's also very well written in both scientific and literary sense (I read it as a translation in Estonian, therefore also well translated).
April 10, 2021
Aautor on ühtaegu doktorikraadiga ökoloog, luuletaja ja võitlev keskkonnahoolik, kirjeldab läbi oma raseduse väga ilusas ja valusas keeles kõiki neid olulisi keskkonnateemasid, mis inimese kehasse kokku jooksevad.
January 5, 2018
This book was a life changer for me- thought provoking, well-written, and a beautiful blend of science and story telling. I have heard the author speak and I read her other books as well.
February 23, 2019
A new favorite
April 12, 2019
A very sweet memoir, but a lot heavier on dense science than I was prepared for.
April 2, 2022
A MUST for all women planning to bear a child.
December 22, 2019
I highly recommend this to parents and even anyone who's just thinking about having children one day. The book reads alternatively like a science book and a memoir, and I really enjoyed the marriage of the two. The "science" parts are done in a way that makes them relatively easy to understand, and they're interspersed with stories of the author's own experiences being pregnant and mothering her daughter in the first couple years of her life.
But what I most enjoyed about this book was the frankness about environmental hazards and their impact to pregnant and nursing mothers and their children, such as industrial poisons that wind up in amniotic fluid. If only everyone looked at things the way the author does, we'd have much safer pregnancies and children.
Here are a few parts of the book that really stood out to me:
* If our goal is to protect human embryos, we cannot afford to wait until we understand everything about how a chemical might inflict its damage.
* ...the presumption that heredity can account for many birth defects continues to this day, even though there is little evidence to support it...In fact, most of what is known about developmental abnormalities points to a much larger role for the environment.
* Besides, the sense of safety offered by bottled water is a mirage. It turns out that breathing, not drinking, constitutes our main route of exposure to volatile pollutants in tap water, such as solvents, pesticides, and byproducts of water chlorination. As soon as the toilet is flushed or the faucet turned on--or the bathtub, the shower, the humidifier, the washing machine--these contaminants leave the water and enter the air. A recent study shows that the most efficient way of exposing yourself to chemical contaminants in tap water is to turn on a dishwasher. (This surprises you?) Drink a bottle of French water and then step into the shower for ten minutes, and you've just received the exposure equivalent of drinking a half gallon of tap water.
She also recommends finding out what the shows for your community if you're pregnant or planning to be, so I'm off to do that now...
But what I most enjoyed about this book was the frankness about environmental hazards and their impact to pregnant and nursing mothers and their children, such as industrial poisons that wind up in amniotic fluid. If only everyone looked at things the way the author does, we'd have much safer pregnancies and children.
Here are a few parts of the book that really stood out to me:
* If our goal is to protect human embryos, we cannot afford to wait until we understand everything about how a chemical might inflict its damage.
* ...the presumption that heredity can account for many birth defects continues to this day, even though there is little evidence to support it...In fact, most of what is known about developmental abnormalities points to a much larger role for the environment.
* Besides, the sense of safety offered by bottled water is a mirage. It turns out that breathing, not drinking, constitutes our main route of exposure to volatile pollutants in tap water, such as solvents, pesticides, and byproducts of water chlorination. As soon as the toilet is flushed or the faucet turned on--or the bathtub, the shower, the humidifier, the washing machine--these contaminants leave the water and enter the air. A recent study shows that the most efficient way of exposing yourself to chemical contaminants in tap water is to turn on a dishwasher. (This surprises you?) Drink a bottle of French water and then step into the shower for ten minutes, and you've just received the exposure equivalent of drinking a half gallon of tap water.
She also recommends finding out what the shows for your community if you're pregnant or planning to be, so I'm off to do that now...
January 4, 2009
I was already disinclined to have children, any youthful and idealistic desire to bear fruit having slowly been eroded away over the years by tales from all my friends' experiences. This book sent the Reproductive Desire-o-Meter plunging even more sharply south. It struck terror into my soul.
The author, an ecologist, describes her personal journey through pregnancy and breastfeeding through the eyes of a pragmatic scientist, using her experience in studying environmental toxins to illustrate the dangers posed to babies by all the crap we've put in the air, water and our food. At each point in development, she tells about all the horrible things that can go wrong at that point, caused by the chemicals that get through the placenta and through the milk glands. Since babies are at the very top of the food chain, they are burdened with all the happy effects of biomagnification...all those toxins get more and more concentrated with every level up the chain. This book makes me never want to eat fish again, and perhaps move to the middle of nowhere.
Not that it's a bad book. It's well researched, and makes the good point that we need to make a bigger fuss about the companies that are knowingly putting these pollutants out there, making our children mentally retarded immunological disasters. I also enjoyed her stories about her pregnancy, which were funny, scientifically-minded and avoided getting all cutesy and emotional. I did find it repetitive in places, and thought the transitions from personal narrative to scientific discussion were a bit contrived at times.
According to the author, pregnancy books gloss over this kind of information, or flat-out lie about it, so as not to upset expecting mothers. I think it would be a good thing for them to read, actually, because it does contain a few do-able suggestions to lower the chances of contaminating your baby.
The author, an ecologist, describes her personal journey through pregnancy and breastfeeding through the eyes of a pragmatic scientist, using her experience in studying environmental toxins to illustrate the dangers posed to babies by all the crap we've put in the air, water and our food. At each point in development, she tells about all the horrible things that can go wrong at that point, caused by the chemicals that get through the placenta and through the milk glands. Since babies are at the very top of the food chain, they are burdened with all the happy effects of biomagnification...all those toxins get more and more concentrated with every level up the chain. This book makes me never want to eat fish again, and perhaps move to the middle of nowhere.
Not that it's a bad book. It's well researched, and makes the good point that we need to make a bigger fuss about the companies that are knowingly putting these pollutants out there, making our children mentally retarded immunological disasters. I also enjoyed her stories about her pregnancy, which were funny, scientifically-minded and avoided getting all cutesy and emotional. I did find it repetitive in places, and thought the transitions from personal narrative to scientific discussion were a bit contrived at times.
According to the author, pregnancy books gloss over this kind of information, or flat-out lie about it, so as not to upset expecting mothers. I think it would be a good thing for them to read, actually, because it does contain a few do-able suggestions to lower the chances of contaminating your baby.
June 14, 2008
I first heard about this book through Mother Earth magazine, after which I ordered it immediately. The book is strikingly unique and refreshing in its approach to pregnancy and environmental contaminants. Writing from her own perspectives both as a first-time pregnant woman and as one who has deeply researched the ways in which humans are affected by chemical contaminants, she shares poetically and factually, interspersing her own experiences in pregnancy with detailed research which is enormously helpful as well as easily digestible for those who are not trained in ecology. This is tremendously more helpful than most books on pregnancy that I have read, as many focus on what is happening to the woman but have no answers for those who would question what they are eating or otherwise ingesting. Complete with detailed analyses on the benefits of breastmilk, yet at the same time the unavoidably contaminated nature of it, this book is truly one that I would recommend to everyone I know. The only disagreement that I had with the author is in her belief that our bodies evolved, whereas I believe that they were created. For the most part, this book reads like a warm, deeply satisfying conversation with a friend who has spent years researching the evidence and studies surrounding miscarriage, birth defects, and environmental contaminants. It is certainly eye-opening, and I have read some reviews which advise against reading it while pregnant, but I certainly do not. The topic of my baby's well-being is at the forefront of my mind, and at three months pregnant, I have not only deeply appreciated it but also feel strongly that it should be read by all those who care about the health of the human race, whether or not they personally intend to have children. This is definitely what I would call a must-read.
August 10, 2012
This was my favorite book that I read during pregnancy and my child's infancy. This book joins a memoir of the author's pregnancy with description/ exploration of the science around pregnancy and birth, especially focusing on ecology and the environment. Beautifully written, deeply spiritual, and extremely moving. There were some parts that were a little difficult to read while pregnant (like the part about thalidomide) but were still powerful. I reread parts of this book many times while pregnant and while nursing a baby, because there were just so many beautiful and *real* stories and insights that stayed with me.
I love this review of the book and especially agree with the comments about how Steingraber addresses the environmental issues:
My only additional comment, post-pregnancy/ birth/ breastfeeding, is that I'm now more acquainted with some research that calls into question points she made in the book (around things like breastfeeding, birth interventions, etc). Nothing is very conclusive in these areas, so I wouldn't exactly say she's *wrong*; and she certainly was not self-righteous on the topics (like many people can get). But I think some things are more complicated than the way she portrayed them. I'll have to go back and reread this at some point to see what I think now.
I love this review of the book and especially agree with the comments about how Steingraber addresses the environmental issues:
My only additional comment, post-pregnancy/ birth/ breastfeeding, is that I'm now more acquainted with some research that calls into question points she made in the book (around things like breastfeeding, birth interventions, etc). Nothing is very conclusive in these areas, so I wouldn't exactly say she's *wrong*; and she certainly was not self-righteous on the topics (like many people can get). But I think some things are more complicated than the way she portrayed them. I'll have to go back and reread this at some point to see what I think now.
September 8, 2009
I wish I could make everyone read this book just so I could talk to everyone about it. I learned so much from this book, which is an ecologists' accounting of her own pregnancy/birth/breastfeeding experiences coupled with scientific research about growing healthy babies. I loved the tone of the book, the awed and gorgeous explanations of the workings of the female body and nature in general (Steingraber's style reminds me a bit of Natalie Angier's); I've never read such poetic descriptions of menstrual cycles and mammary glands. Before reading "Having Faith" I had never thought of my gestating uterus as a marshland, but now it all seems so logical.
The tone, though, was just the icing on the information-packed cake. This book is packed with information about the environmental contaminants that are threatening our health and, especially, the health of fetuses and babies. Within this context (the context of minimizing vulnerable babies' exposure to chemical and toxic hazards), Steingraber also discusses the benefits of natural childbirth and extended breastfeeding.
I felt a little uncomfortable with her discussion of amniocentesis, but other than that I enjoyed every page of this book. Intelligent, informative, and so, so fascinating.
The tone, though, was just the icing on the information-packed cake. This book is packed with information about the environmental contaminants that are threatening our health and, especially, the health of fetuses and babies. Within this context (the context of minimizing vulnerable babies' exposure to chemical and toxic hazards), Steingraber also discusses the benefits of natural childbirth and extended breastfeeding.
I felt a little uncomfortable with her discussion of amniocentesis, but other than that I enjoyed every page of this book. Intelligent, informative, and so, so fascinating.
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