Episode 124 – A Feminist’s Journey Through Pregnancy with Angela Garbes (Social Distance Series)

This Filipino American Life

TFAL is having a baby! Actually, just Gerlie and Joe are having a baby.

The latest change in their lives prompted a discussion about pregnancy as Filipino Americans. In this episode, the TFAL crew delves into what we know and don’t know about pregnancy. Most of our conversation is around what we don’t know because, let’s be honest, most Filipino families aren’t very open about pregnancy and everything that’s involved. What we did learn from our families came through common phrases like, “Don’t have a baby too young,” which was often code for “Don’t have a baby out of wedlock.” Depending on your sex, you probably either heard, “Don’t get pregnant” or “Don’t get someone pregnant.” As adults, the phrases changed to, “When are you giving me grandkids? When are you getting pregnant? How many kids are you planning to have?” While these phrases may have caused us to pause and consider our life choices at the time, none of them really prepared us for the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual changes expectant mothers and fathers experience or even the politics of navigating through western society’s often white-privileged healthcare system.

Joining us on this episode is Angela Garbes, author of Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy. She gives us the real deal on navigating pregnancy today as a Pinay and woman of color. With thorough research and frank details, she introduces us to what we wished we learned about the changes we go through when preparing to welcome babies into our lives. Whether you’re an expectant or experienced parent, a parental caretaker of any kind, or even a supporter of parents, Angela will have you snapping your fingers to everything she shares with TFAL. She also gets us to consider the societal pressures that are placed on mothers and parents, and how we might reframe those expectations to really center parents’ and children’s needs.

Listen through the embedded player below, download directly here or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts here. For folks who are on Spotify, you can take a listen to us here.

Pick up Like a Mother – named Best Book of 2018 by NPR – at your local bookstore and all major book retailers!

PC: Seattle Magazine