Crawford writes that when she learned she was pregnant with her first child, she and her husband started frantic preparations. "It is understandable to want to grow a healthy baby, but our whole industry is so wrought with anxiety that it can be a bit staggering," she wrote. "Early in my first pregnancy, my husband and I went straight into defense mode: Test the tap water! Test the paint! Remove all plastic serving-ware from the house! Interview nannies! Interview vitamins! Avoid shellfish! Avoid shelves! And on and on. It is not that the French don't make adjustments, but they also don't seem as completely consumed by the miracle within."
