Annie Murphy Paul’s Origins

A summary of the recommendations to pregnant woman from Annie Murphy
Paul’s book, Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the rest
of our Lives.

I’ve yet to read the book, but admit that anything that puts more
responsibility onto pregnant women makes me nervous. Yet her
recommendations in this piece sound reasonable – eat fish, exercise,
avoid toxins, don’t worry too much about moderate stress, and seek
help for depression.

Perhaps the larger lessons are societal. Not so much blaming women
for not eating enough fish, not exercising enough, or being around too
many toxins, but changing policies, incentives and urban planning so
that woman are able to do the things that research advises.