I am reading 'The Family Way' by Tony Parsons. Its lite fiction, but with a strong mission to make the reader aware of everything that could go wrong when people plan to have a baby!
Physical problems, relationship problems and of course the affect a pregnancy and baby has on work, career, your social life and relationships with other family. Its quite depressing actually...
A quote that stuck in my mind- " Your parents ruin the first half of your life, and your children ruin the second half. " Hmm... well the first hasn't happened to me yet :-) So there is still some hope.
The story is about 3 sisters, mum left the family when they were kids, she couldn't handle motherhood, neither could Dad by the way. Anyway, they are all grown up now, and over the course of the book, each contemplates and attempts having a baby- some more successful than others. The book is full of diverse characters, of both sexes, and I guess Tony's intention was for each reader to be able to identify with a character. The book deals with IVF, miscarraiges, pre-eclampsia, morning sickness (which is not confined to mornings at all), vasectomies, reverse vasectomies, infidelity, adoption, Caesareans (when they open you up like a can of beans), premature babies in oversized woollen hats....
One man muses why women used to have a baby with the first man they met, now they have a baby with the last man they meet.
One pregnant woman realises that during the day as she walks about and carries on with work, her baby is rocked to sleep in her stomach. And they moment she lies down to get some sleep, the baby, no longer rocked, wakes up and kicks around.. great.
Lots to look forward too :-)
I haven't finished the book yet, but tonight is a long wait at the District office for 'Vremdelingen Zaken' i.e. Foreigners' Affairs- to get a new residence permit. So more on the book and concluding remarks tomorrow.
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