Modern Athenas

Expecting Adam is the journey of Martha Beck and the pregnancy and birth of her son, Adam, who has Down Syndrome. The book opens with Martha taking the reader back to the start of her pregnancy, when she was a PhD student at Harvard. The story winds its way through the triumphs and travails of her pregnancy, including when she received the news of Adam’s condition, and concludes with Adam’s birth. Throughout the book, Martha weaves in stories about Adam, painting an intimate portrait of her son and the way he sees the world. Martha also brings to light the issues of family, hope, destiny, and expectations.INDEX0:00:00-0:01:52 Intro and Background of the Book0:01:53-0:14:10 Surviving Harvard: Imposter Syndrome0:14:11-0:20:21 Sibyl: The Value of Friendship0:20:22-0:26:40 Coping with Unexpected Life Changes0:26:41-0:30:51 Balancing Work-Life Expectations0:30:52-0:33:27 Asking for Help0:33:28-0:38:04 The Decision to Keep Adam0:38:05-0:39:53 Mothering0:39:54-0:41:50 Being the Parent Your