Jennifer Block

Jennifer Block is an independent journalist and author who specializes in women's health, reproductive rights, and maternity care. Her work has appeared in publications including The Washington Post Magazine, Time, The Cut, Newsweek, and Scientific American. Block's 2007 book "Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care" examined the medicalization of childbirth in America and became an influential text in maternal health advocacy. Her 2019 book "Everything Below the Waist: Why Health Care Needs a Feminist Revolution" investigated women's healthcare in America, focusing on issues like hysterectomies, birth control, and abortion access. She has served as a senior editor at Ms. Magazine and editor of the quarterly journal The Scholar & Feminist Online. Block's investigative reporting has received recognition including an Alicia Patterson Fellowship and a Business News Visionary Award. Block frequently speaks at conferences and academic institutions about maternal health, reproductive justice, and feminist approaches to healthcare. Her research and writing continues to contribute to public discourse around women's health reform and evidence-based maternity care.

Readers appreciate Block's investigative depth and research into women's healthcare issues. Her work resonates with those who have experienced challenging medical encounters, with many citing personal connections to the topics she covers. Readers note her ability to balance medical evidence with patient narratives. Readers criticize Block's writing style as sometimes dense and academic. Some find her tone overly critical of the medical establishment and note that certain sections read like advocacy pieces rather than objective journalism. A few readers mention difficulty following complex medical terminology. On Goodreads: "Pushed" - 4.2/5 from 2,800+ ratings - "Eye-opening research but heavy reading" - common sentiment - "Changed how I viewed my own birth experience" - repeated in reviews "Everything Below the Waist" - 4.1/5 from 1,200+ ratings - "Important content but occasionally gets lost in details" - "Made me angry about healthcare in a productive way" Amazon ratings align with Goodreads, with "Pushed" at 4.3/5 and "Everything Below the Waist" at 4.2/5.

Pushed Out: The Hidden Forces Behind the National Breastfeeding Crisis (2023) An examination of societal and institutional barriers to breastfeeding in America, including workplace policies, medical practices, and cultural attitudes.

Everything Below the Waist: Why Health Care Needs a Feminist Revolution (2019) A critical analysis of women's healthcare in America, covering topics from childbirth to gynecological procedures and reproductive rights.

How to Become a Parent: A Revolutionary Guide to Building Your Family (2021) A comprehensive overview of various paths to parenthood, including adoption, assisted reproduction, and traditional conception.

US: Americans Talk About Love (2010) A collection of first-person accounts from Americans discussing their experiences with love, relationships, and marriage.

Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care (2007) An investigation into contemporary American maternity care practices and their impact on mothers and babies.

Ricki Lake writes about birth practices, medical institutions, and women's health advocacy. Her work "Your Best Birth" examines similar themes to Block's writing about the medicalization of childbirth.

Barbara Ehrenreich investigates social issues and healthcare inequities through investigative journalism. Her books examine systemic problems in medicine and women's health with a research-based approach that mirrors Block's methods.

Naomi Wolf focuses on feminist critique of medical and social institutions affecting women's bodies and choices. Her work "Misconceptions" deals with pregnancy, birth, and motherhood through a critical lens comparable to Block's perspective.

Ina May Gaskin writes about natural childbirth and challenges to the standard medical model of birth care. Her books examine birth practices and women's health care with attention to historical context and institutional power dynamics that Block also explores.

Tina Cassidy researches historical and contemporary practices around birth and women's healthcare. Her book "Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born" covers territory that intersects with Block's examination of birth culture and medical practices.