Carolin Kebekus takes aim at herself, society, and all parents – because when it comes to having children, it seems everyone has some unsolicited advice.
We’re flooded with images of gorgeous newborns sleeping sweetly, flawless mothers gazing lovingly at their offspring right after birth, and proud fathers arriving with flowers and jewelry, as if to compete with the Three Wise Men. But these idealized scenes collide with the raw reality: blood, sweat, sleepless nights, and a whole lot of “ouch.” In those moments, it can really help to see the funny side of a dirty diaper.
Unflinchingly, yet with a good dose of self-irony, this book explores why pregnancy and birth are still fraught with taboos and false assumptions; what kinds of things can happen – and be thrown at you – as a pregnant woman or new mother; and what you hear, read, and are told – mostly unsolicited – because somehow everyone else always knows best.
