Beginning my book tour

I leave Boston in three days, boarding a plane for Cleveland, where my 14-city book tour begins. And it seems like I'm in my ninth month of pregnancy: My bags are packed, the house is clean, there are prepared meals in the freezer (or at least there will be before I depart) and my husband is incredibly anxious. ("What's your mother's cell phone number again?") I also feel like I'm about to explode. With anticipation. I've been waiting for so long to talk about my book with people all over the country. I feel like it's been a generation since we've discussed childbirth in the context of our culture. What does birth mean for women today? Are we doing it right? Are other countries doing it better? Do we feel more empowered than ever as women or has the act of birth become just another item on our to-do list? Judging by the radio interviews I've been doing for the past three days, I will probably be spending most of my time talking about why birth is difficult, why so many women are having cesareans, and whether it's a good thing to have men present in the delivery room. But I hope the discussion goes even deeper as I touch down in St. Paul, Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver and New York. (Seattle, Miami and Fort Lauderdale to come a little later.) Anyway, if we don't meet on the road, perhaps we can talk here.