I am a DC based politico who works on racial and gender equity. In my spare time I love experimenting in my kitchen with my fifteen month old son, Desmond, hugging my ankles.

When I first became pregnant with Desmond, I was dismayed to enter what seemed to be a period of neurosis, restrictions and warnings. There were a lot of decisions to be made, for sure, but it seemed like women were not in charge of their own pregnancies. I soon became obsessed with researching the roots of different debates—from insurance restrictions and state regulations that chose obstetricians over midwives, to what sort of deli meats I wasn’t allowed to order at Potbelly’s. If I learned anything while earning my doctorate in political science at a fancy school, it was just how very political everything could be, including pregnancy.

Turns out, pregnancy is one of the most political periods in a woman’s life. Tune in here to see exactly how.