An unintended pregnancy, followed by an unhelpful doctor's appointment leads to a Christmas Eve abortion and one woman's reckoning with the practical and existential considerations wrapped up in the life-changing question: to be, or not to be a parent. Hypothetical Baby is a circuitous exploration that grapples with the practical and existential factors that shape our reproductive lives and the intricate relationship between choice, change, and loss. From the creator of the award-winning Aborsh podcast, Rachel Cairns mixes data and drama in this autobiographical work to publicly talk about abortion the way we do privately -- with neurotic vulnerability, unflinching honesty, and frank irreverence. A searingly honest, laugh-out-loud, and provocatively nuanced excavation that asks what it means to bring children into the world today.