The Test
A woman gets a disquieting piece of information about her pregnancy, and turns to technology to try to control her future.
Hello and happy Friday!
We’ve got a new one for you.
A woman gets a disquieting piece of information about her pregnancy, and turns to technology to try to control her future.
Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age - Amanda Hess (Amazon / Bookshop)
The newsletter exists to remind people when a new episode is out and to provide a place to make comments. Please be polite, both to each other and us, and try to assume good intentions. If you’ve had experiences with genetic tests, or experiences waiting for health results — positive, negative, strange — please share! And please be especially thoughtful this week about treating each other with respect since stories like that can be pretty vulnerable.
Thanks for listening, wishing you all the tangerines in the world,
PJ
I went through the pregnancy bad news waiting period earlier this year and it was such a unique, lonely, devastating experience. I, too, obsessed about Reddit threads, ChatGPT, stats, etc., grasping at any sort of information that could make me feel like I was more in control. I have talked to many friends, family, and therapists but have never felt seen or fully understood until I listened to this episode. Thank you to you, PJ, and to Amanda Hess for bringing this story to Search Engine. It was something I SO needed to hear.
After experiencing a second miscarriage this year I was hesitant to listen to this episode but am so glad I did. PJ always has a way of brining vulnerability and humanity to an interview and I just adored Amanda’s honesty and self reflection. The mom in me was also relieved to hear that her son is doing alright.
I especially appreciated the conversation on acquiring information and control vs knowledge and experience. This is something I plan to hold onto as we venture into the diagnostic world of infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss.