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Strong As a Mother: How to Stay Healthy, Happy, and (Most Importantly) Sane from Pregnancy to Parenthood: The Only Guide to Taking Care of YOU! Kindle Edition
Expert, practical advice for complete mental and physical maternal health
Kate Rope's Strong as a Mother is a practical and compassionate guide to preparing for a smooth start to motherhood. Everyone knows the secret to having “the Happiest Baby on the Block.” This is your guide to being the Sanest Mommy on the Block. It will prepare you with humor and grace for what lies ahead, give you the tools you need to take care of yourself, permission to struggle at times, and professional advice on how to move through it when you do. This book will become a dog-eared resource on your nightstand, offering you the same care and support that you are working so hard to provide to your child. It will help you prioritize your emotional health, set boundaries and ask for help, make choices about feeding and childcare that feel good to you, get good sleep, create a strong relationship with your partner, make self care an everyday priority, trust your instincts, and actually enjoy the hardest job you will ever love.
This book is here to take care of you.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSt. Martin's Griffin
- Publication dateMay 1, 2018
- File size4532 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Informative, empowering, and inspiring. I can't think of a single mother who wouldn't benefit from reading this. It's the book equivalent of a long chat with your most honest and experienced mom friend – something we all need more of!" ―Jill Smokler, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Scary Mommy
"Writing in the tone of a friendly, nonjudgmental peer...Rope mixes in solid advice from experts and her personal experiences...[and] offers women commonsense guidance and vigorous reassurances on coping with the tumultuous changes of pregnancy and parenthood." ―Publishers Weekly
"Divided into three parts―pregnancy, surviving the first year, and motherhood beyond―this book recognizes that, as a mother, maintaining mental health should be a top priority. The topics covered are vast (from feeling anxiety in early pregnancy, to being a mom to a fussy baby, to handling doubtful thoughts once the baby has been born), and the book can be read from start to finish or consulted by section for mothers’ most pressing need." ―Booklist
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Strong As a Mother
How to Stay Healthy, Happy, and (Most Importantly) Sane from Pregnancy to Parenthood
By Kate RopeSt. Martin's Press
Copyright © 2018 Kate RopeAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-250-10558-5
Contents
Title Page,Copyright Notice,
Dedication,
Author's Note,
Introduction,
Part I: Expecting Strong: Your Emotional Guide to Pregnancy,
The First Trimester: Nervous Excitement,
You're Pregnant, Now What?,
It's Natural to Worry: Anxiety in Early Pregnancy,
When Should I Spill the Beans?,
What Was That?! The Unexpected Emotions of Pregnancy,
Am I a Terrible Mother If I Have a Cup of Coffee?,
What If This Doesn't Feel Like "The Happiest Time of My Life"?,
The Second Trimester: Taking Care of You,
Making Self-Care Second Nature,
Feeling Good About Your Changing Body,
"You're Huge!" and Other Things People Say and Do,
Why Sleep Matters and How to Get It,
Moving Your Body Will Improve Your Mood,
Sex During Pregnancy,
Managing the Emotions of Pregnancy Complications or a "High-Risk" Pregnancy,
The Third Trimester: Preparing for a Strong Transition to Parenthood,
Planning for Co-Parenting,
Building Your Village,
Preparing to Feed Your Child in a Way That Works for You,
Getting Ready for Birth,
Packing Your Emotional First-Aid Kit,
Part II: Starting Strong: Your Guide to Thriving in the First Year,
If You Are Recovering in the Hospital,
If Your Baby Is in the NICU,
At Home: Rest and Rely on Your Village,
Your Breastfeeding Survival Guide,
If Breastfeeding Is a Struggle,
How to Get Sleep When You Have a Baby,
If Your Delivery Didn't Go as Planned,
Bonding with Babies 101,
Managing the "Baby Blues",
Why Did I Just Think That? Scary Thoughts Made Less Scary,
When It Doesn't Feel Right: Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders,
How to Get Help So You Can Start Feeling Better,
How Can I Tell My Family and Friends That I Am Struggling?,
Taking Care of Your Body Instead of Beating It Up,
Being a Mom to a "Fussy" Baby,
Taking Care of Yourself from the Start,
Surviving Early Parenthood as a Couple,
A Low-Key Guide to Sex in Early Parenthood,
How to Feel Good About Childcare,
Your Game Plan for Returning to Work,
Part III: Staying Strong: The Big Picture of Motherhood,
Who Am I Now?,
The Most Important Person,
Beware the Cult of Perfect Motherhood,
Learning on the Job,
Be Your Best Friend,
Good for Her, but Not for Me,
You Are Good Enough,
Being Strong As a Mother,
Acknowledgments,
Appendix: Super Helpful Resources and Places to Find Support,
Index,
About the Author,
Copyright,
CHAPTER 1
THE FIRST TRIMESTER: NERVOUS EXCITEMENT
You're Pregnant, Now What
Few things are as profound as looking down at a pregnancy test and seeing that second line slowly appear, and any emotional response you have to big news like this is completely acceptable. You might feel shock, glee, fear, deep satisfaction, relief, panic, incredible joy. You might shriek. You might cry. You might shout a joyful expletive. You might cuss in despair. You might just stare mutely in disbelief.
Maybe you've been trying for a long time and are used to seeing a blank space where that faint marker now appears. Maybe you just started trying and didn't expect to hit the jackpot right away. Or maybe you weren't trying at all and the news is not only unexpected but maybe not even welcomed. You may cycle through ten different emotions as your mind works to wrap itself around the news. Allow yourself to feel whatever comes up for you, and don't judge yourself for it. You're human. This is big news. However you respond is okay.
GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO LET THE NEWS — AND FEELINGS — SINK IN
However you feel as you consider what you have ahead of you, take time for yourself to settle into this new experience. Soon enough you will be swept into planning and decision-making. Take this time to celebrate. If the news arrives to mixed emotions, take some time to see what comes up for you. Maybe write down what you are feeling, or find a friend you can say anything to and tell her everything that comes to mind. Put it all out there. Take a look at what you're feeling and sit with those emotions. If this information represents an abrupt change of plans, give yourself the space to grapple with how you feel and how you want to move forward.
The bottom line is that no matter how you came to those two lines, many different experiences and choices will flow from it. Take as long as you need to sit with the news and see how the news sits with you. Learning to take a pause in the face of what may feel like impending chaos is a skill that will serve you throughout motherhood. Take a moment for you.
When you're ready, read on for guidance on managing the unexpected emotions of pregnancy, weathering the anxieties of the first trimester and beyond, strengthening your relationship with your partner, and learning how you can begin to take care of yourself now so you know how to do it well when your world changes.
Been There, Done That: Moms Share the Feelings They Had When They Found Out They Were Pregnant
Panic. Shock. For the first time in my life, I felt like, "I can't control this journey at all. I'm on the roller coaster now, just hold tight."
— Rachel, London, UK
Absolute joy. It was a difficult journey trying to get pregnant.
— Erica, State College, Pennsylvania
I was excited and terrified. Then I realized I'd have to actually give birth and had a panic attack.
— Becky, Decatur, Georgia
I was terrified, and I felt guilty for not wanting to be pregnant. So many of my friends were trying for babies, but we, who had never wanted children of our own, had accidentally gotten pregnant.
— Emily T.
Terrified, elated, and everything in between.
— Alexis, Saint Paul, Minnesota
I was happy, but also pretty confused by it. I felt pretty aware I didn't actually know yet what was happening or how my life was going to change.
— Laurel, Atlanta, Georgia
It's Natural to Worry: Anxiety in Early Pregnancy
Pregnancy launches you into the responsibility of parenthood — caring for another human life, and that is going to be scary at times (okay, maybe a lot of the time). Worrying will come with the territory, and one of the first places you may feel that concern is over miscarriage.
The reality is that as many as one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage. So it makes sense that women in the early weeks of pregnancy often spend some (or a lot of) time worrying about it. In fact, with technology to detect pregnancies before we even miss a period, we are learning we are pregnant earlier than ever and spending a longer period of time in a kind of early pregnancy limbo.
"We are born with millions and millions of eggs, which means that some won't be able to develop into full pregnancy, and our bodies know what to do with them," says Lauren Abrams, CNM, director of midwifery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. "It can be devastating emotionally, but it's not abnormal and, in most cases, does not in any way mean you won't carry a pregnancy to full term." But waiting out those first seven to eight weeks, when the chance of miscarriage is highest, can feel like being on pins and needles.
THE DIMMER SWITCH
My husband was surprised when our first pregnancy didn't feel like an all-or-nothing proposition but rather like a "dimmer switch" that slowly brightened with each passing week and doctor's appointment — until we felt comfortable looking ahead with relative security. The point at which women feel confident in their pregnancies is different for different people.
Some may feel confident and future-focused from the moment they get the news. Others may not count their chicken until twelve weeks. And, for others, it may take longer, especially if they have experienced a pregnancy loss in the past (see "What If I Have Had a Pregnancy Loss Before?" here) or are experiencing confusing symptoms. Wherever you fall on that continuum, know that you are not alone.
"It's totally normal, if uncomfortable," says Sarah Best, LCSW, a psychotherapist in New York City who specializes in reproductive mental health. Each visit to the doctor — for your first ultrasound or to hear the baby's heartbeat — can feel like a hurdle to overcome on the road to feeling confident in your pregnancy. A lot of women "feel a little worried and a little hopeful every time they go," says Best.
If your level of concern is not interfering with your life and you are able to enjoy a little bit of fantasizing about what your life will be like with your new baby, Best recommends "riding that wave of worry" and doing what you can to take care of yourself (see here) in those early weeks. "Think about if a friend were in a similar situation," advises Best. "How would you offer her support?"
Ways to Manage Anxiety During Early Pregnancy
Experts will tell you that trying to wish anxious thoughts away will only make them stick around longer, so one approach is to acknowledge the thought you are having, accept that it is okay, and then move forward with some activities that will help you focus on the present moment you are in, rather than the imagined future in your head.
Best recommends taking a break from anxious thoughts by doing activities that involve coordination of your body and mind, such as:
• Crossword puzzles
• Painting
• Adult coloring books
• Sudoku
• Cooking from a recipe
• Yoga
• Walking with a friend
• Gardening
• Meditation
• Mindfulness exercises
"Anything that helps a woman get out of her own head is going to be a good choice," recommends Best.
What If I Have Had a Pregnancy Loss Before?
If you have experienced a pregnancy loss in the past — miscarriage or stillbirth — then the way you feel during this current pregnancy is likely to be very different from someone who is pregnant for the first time. At the Seleni Institute, where I work as editorial director, there is an amazing grief therapist, Christiane Manzella, PhD, who has a compassionate and honest approach to supporting patients through loss.
"I expect to see anxiety," says Manzella, "because their uncertainty is now heightened and uncertainty is one of the most difficult things for people to tolerate in life." And while part of the recovery from your previous loss can be pregnancy and a live birth, Manzella says that "neither is a fix for anguish and anxiety."
What can help is "talking with somebody who is able to listen to you and be present with you while you describe what you are going through. When you are able to talk and be heard, you are moving through your grief, not moving on. You've changed. You've lost some of your innocence, and this pregnancy may not have the warm fuzzies you may have had with your first." You may have lost the ability to see the birth of a baby as an inevitable end to your pregnancy journey, and that is expected, says Manzella.
Find someone with whom you feel comfortable and talk about what you are feeling and what has helped you in moments of anxiety in the past. Do you want people to just listen to what you are feeling? Do you want suggestions of what could help? If your current pregnancy allows, can you do some consistent mild exercise? Does listening to music help you? Would having a regular lunch with your supportive friend give you something to look forward to and a space where you know all your thoughts and feelings can be safely shared?
The professional support of a therapist, like Manzella, who is trained in grief and perinatal loss or reproductive mental health can be a tremendous support, especially if you find that your distress is intense. See here for places to find one. "Reach out," says Manzella. "There is no reason for you to suffer alone." And you are not alone. Many women have been — and are — where you sit now. See "Been There, Done That."
BEWARE THE GOOGLE TRAP
"You are never going to get straight answers from Google. There is going to be conflicting information even from reliable sources," warns Best. "A lot of the moms I work with will be experiencing some symptom — cramping, spotting, something — and they end up on a five-year-old message board with very extreme personal accounts that don't have happy endings. They might find a lot of stories with happy endings too, but the thing about humans is that we tend to dismiss the positives and assume that the one negative thing we read is the more likely outcome."
In general, information seeking, like repeatedly typing your symptoms into Google, usually heightens anxiety rather than alleviating it. "It's like scratching a mosquito bite," explains Best. "When the results come up, at first you feel some relief, but it's short-lived, and then the stress is there again. There is always the thought, 'If I just get some piece of information, this worry will go away,' but the reality is the information rarely makes it go away; it just reinforces the idea that you should keep looking for information."
DR. GOOGLE IS NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL — YOUR PROVIDER IS
"The best thing a woman can do in that early period is to develop a relationship with her care provider," says Best. "If you don't feel comfortable talking about these concerns with your OB or midwife, the first trimester is an excellent time to transfer to a provider with whom you are more comfortable." Once you feel comfortable with your health-care provider, rely on him or her in times of concern. Only he or she knows your specific situation and can speak to it with authority. "True information from a care provider familiar with your case can be an excellent balm," advises Best.
What If I Lose My Pregnancy While I Am Reading This Book?
If you have a pregnancy loss, first know that I am so, so sorry and wish I could be there to listen to everything you are feeling right now, and I hope you have a good friend or family member who can do that for you.
It's probably time for you to put this book back up on your shelf until it makes sense for you to take it down again, but before you do, let me offer some advice from grief specialist Christiane Manzella, PhD.
"Grief is a process that people move through," says Manzella. "During it, you will feel many feelings and thoughts — unexpected and expected — and sometimes you will have thoughts that seem crazy to you, and you may feel many different things at once. You may also experience physical sensations (and your body might be lactating or bleeding)." Manzella recommends first and foremost "making sure you eat, sleep, and get good support from your friends and loved ones."
It's also important to understand that if you are experiencing grief, it is real. Perinatal loss often goes unrecognized and unsupported. There are no mourning rituals for pregnancy loss — especially miscarriage. There are no culturally developed scripts to help people know what to say or do.
Which means that often even the people in your immediate family won't understand how you are feeling. They may think or say things like "What's wrong with her?" "When will she get over it?" or "You're young; you can have another." But if you are grieving, there is no "getting over" it; there is only moving through it. When you can give voice to what you are experiencing and feeling, says Manzella, "that is how you move through it."
Consider reaching out to a professional who specializes in perinatal loss. "Do it earlier than later," says Manzella, "just to have someone who understands the process of perinatal loss listen to you and help you move through grief in a way that is more adaptive and will help you to keep from getting stuck. Women do move through this."
There are more resources for getting the support you need here. I recommend making use of them, as well as your most understanding friends and family, until you are ready to pick this book up again. It will be here if — or when — you are.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED HELP WITH MY ANXIETY?
If your worry starts to affect your day-to-day life — keeping you from sleeping or eating, functioning as you normally would, or enjoying your life — or if you find it hard to balance your concerns with a little optimism and constantly assume the worst is going to happen, Best recommends checking in with your obstetrician or a mental health professional who specializes in reproductive health (see here for more about anxiety in pregnancy). He or she can help assess whether you are experiencing anxiety that could benefit from treatment (which can be psychotherapy or medication or a combination of the two).
The first nine weeks of my second pregnancy were an anxiety-filled ride. I went to weekly therapy sessions and talked extensively with my obstetrician about the possibility that I might need to return to the antidepressant I had used for postpartum anxiety after my first daughter was born. But at nine weeks, the anxiety dissipated, and I entered a more hopeful, forward-facing stage of pregnancy.
The most important thing is getting the support you need until that happens for you.
Managing Anxiety Around Genetic Testing
One of the amazing parts of modern pregnancy is what we are able to learn about our developing babies. It can be incredibly helpful and comforting. But the amount of information can also be overwhelming and cause unnecessary anxiety. Psychologists will tell you that making decisions is one of the greatest sources of stress we face in life, and you are about to make a lot of them.
Find Out Your Choices
Ask your doctor or midwife what tests are routinely offered by their practice. Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of tests — screening tests and diagnostic tests. Screening tests cannot tell you whether your baby does — or does not — have a particular condition. These tests can only determine whether you have an increased risk of having a baby with a particular condition. Diagnostic tests, which are invasive — meaning that a needle is inserted into your womb to gather genetic information — can confirm whether your baby has a medical condition. Because they are invasive, they carry a small risk of miscarriage.
Ask What Information the Tests Can Provide
Before you say yes to a particular test, it's important to know what you will learn from the test and what you think you will do with the information. One of the reasons this is important is that, especially with screening tests, the results can sound scary even when they are not.
"There is not a 'yes' or 'no' answer in a screening test," explains Katie Stoll, MS, LGC, director of clinical services at the Genetic Support Foundation in Olympia, Washington, "just a higher or lower chance that your baby has a particular condition." And even an increased chance can still be a very remote one. It's also very important to find out how often the screening test can produce a false positive, meaning the test indicates you have a higher risk of having a child with a particular condition when she does not. Most practices have a genetic counselor you can consult if you have an abnormal result or are considering an invasive test.
Find Out Your Baseline Risk
The counselor or your doctor can tell you your risk of having a baby with a condition such as Down syndrome based on the age you will be when your baby is due. "Many women are low risk and will find reassurance by just learning what the probability is to begin with," says Stoll. If your baseline risk feels comfortable to you, you may decide not to screen for the condition.
(Continues...)Excerpted from Strong As a Mother by Kate Rope. Copyright © 2018 Kate Rope. Excerpted by permission of St. Martin's Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Product details
- ASIN : B076B22FQR
- Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin (May 1, 2018)
- Publication date : May 1, 2018
- Language : English
- File size : 4532 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 384 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,029,092 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #630 in Pregnancy & Childbirth (Kindle Store)
- #967 in Motherhood (Kindle Store)
- #2,369 in Pregnancy & Childbirth (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
KATE ROPE is an award-winning freelance journalist and author whose work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, and CNN. She is author of Strong as a Mother: How to Be Happy, Healthy and (Most Importantly) Sane From Pregnancy to Parenthood and coauthor of The Complete Guide to Medications During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. Kate’s newest project is “Soldiers of Science: The Vietnam-era Veterans Who Saved Millions of Lives,” an Audible Original documentary that she produced and co-wrote with Alan Alda. It will be released in December 2020.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book practical and helpful for new or expecting mothers. They describe it as compassionate and informative, helping them plan for the future as parents. The book soothes their fears and reassures them that they are not alone during this challenging time.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book helpful for new and expecting mothers. It provides practical advice on self-care and planning for the future as parents. They find it informative and a quick, easy read.
"...; here -- just really accessible and humanely written and researched advice that continually brings the focus back to your happiness and mental..." Read more
"...And this book is an excellent post partum emotional and mental first aid. It's also hilarious...." Read more
"...Mental health and support systems are so important for new parents, and this book helps to think those things through before you’re in the thick of..." Read more
"Quick, easy and helpful read...." Read more
Customers find the book compassionate and informative. They say it soothes fears and helps them overcome inner demons during postpartum.
"...that continually brings the focus back to your happiness and mental health...." Read more
"...But it shouldn't be. And this book is an excellent post partum emotional and mental first aid. It's also hilarious...." Read more
"...Mental health and support systems are so important for new parents, and this book helps to think those things through before you’re in the thick of..." Read more
"Strong as a Mother is the most compassionate, nonjudgmental and comprehensive new mom book I’ve ever read...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2018I picked up "Strong as a Mother" ten months after my first child was born, and this is the first book I've read that focuses on YOU, the mom. I am so grateful this book came out at the same time I'm experiencing motherhood for the first time! I started at the beginning, Part I (of Parts I, II, and III) with Kate's guidance for the newly pregnant, and although I'd already been through that, I found her approach to self-care relevant to my experience as a new mom, particularly how to deal with anxiety. Mostly, any kind of to-do list for the new mom, even the most well-meaning, makes me feel more exhausted, but not here, and I think it has to do with Kate's tone. She is an enormous cheerleader for YOU making decisions that work for YOU, weaving her personal narrative of having two kids throughout -- but not to shame other moms into taking her path but using herself as a relatable example (I'm recommending this, but I didn't do it! I did this thing that works for a lot of people, and it didn't work for me! I did this, and it worked incredibly well!). She uses short and relatable quotes from other moms (including the hilarious "Jen from Portland, Oregon"). She is clear from the beginning that this book is for *all moms* and acknowledges the different challenges and realities faced by moms from different backgrounds and in different situations. There are no "shoulds" here -- just really accessible and humanely written and researched advice that continually brings the focus back to your happiness and mental health. I'm going to be referring back to this guide again and again and definitely recommending to my new mom friends.
the books sections are succinct, accessible, incredibly well-researched and well-organized
- Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2018Having a baby is so, so hard. And we all talk about it, don't we? We talk about the sleeplessness, the crying (theirs, mostly), the diaper changes, the breastfeeding or bottle feeding woes, all that normal stuff. And of course we talk about the love. But what about the mental health aspect of having a baby? It's so overlooked for "well mine was worse" or "try having two" or even "yeah it sucks, but you'll be okay" reasons. But it shouldn't be. And this book is an excellent post partum emotional and mental first aid. It's also hilarious. It is respectful that not all birthing parents are women.
Let me end with this: if I had read this book before I had my baby, things may have been very different for me. Thankfully, I have a lovely and supportive husband who gently nudged me to get some help. But had I had this book on hand I may not have gotten so bad that I needed a nudge.
We aren't supposed to suffer so deeply. Let this book help you. And as we say in Australia: it does what it says on the box. It makes you strong as a mother.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2023I’ve been recommending this as one of my top 3 books for expecting parents! We read and hear so much about what baby needs, but this is a reality check about what parents need before, during, and after pregnancy. Mental health and support systems are so important for new parents, and this book helps to think those things through before you’re in the thick of it.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2020Quick, easy and helpful read. Talks about all the things that aren’t taught in classes or we aren’t comfortable talking about as a culture.
It is a guide vs a deep dive on any one topic. I’d be curious to see this author write another book on the difficult topics like finding yourself, horomones, sex after pregnancy and PMAD/PTSD/PPD.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2018Strong as a Mother is the most compassionate, nonjudgmental and comprehensive new mom book I’ve ever read. Kate Rope covers every topic you could imagine, from managing pregnancy to how to ask for help, genetic testing, co-parenting, sex, childcare, competitive parenting and setting boundaries. A mix of quotes from experts, real-life moms and her own personal perspective, this book truly has everything. The bite-sized structure of the chapters and sections makes it easy to dip in and out if you don’t want to read it all in one sitting. This book will be especially helpful to any moms who have a history of anxiety, depression, other mood disorders or trauma, but it contains useful information for anyone. It’s like sitting down with a supportive big sister or older friend who walks you through the process and soothes your fears.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2018I am only about 80 pages into this book, but I am loving it so far. I am 7 weeks pregnant with my first and I have been a pretty anxious mess. I was looking for pregnancy books and I found this. I was immediately drawn to it because I struggle with depression and anxiety already and I have been very worried about how pregnancy will affect my mental health. So far, I can tell that this book was written with the concern of mothers in mind. It is full of excellent ways you can take care of yourself and not worry about what others think while also doing what you feel is right for your baby. I am so glad I found it early in my pregnancy. I can’t wait to keep reading it!
- Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2019First off I didn't care for the way it was written. It seemed chuncky and I could never get lost in it.
More importantly, this book was so non-judgemental that it didn't seem to say much and I didn't find it useful at all. Anything you do is good, anything you feel is fine, anything you think is natural, don't worry and seek real help if needed (because this book doesn't actually offer any help). It's more like talking to someone who just wants you to feel good, and so avoids saying anything that might offend. Not bad, but I don't need a book for that, in fact I'm looking for the exact opposite. I want to know what's good, what's bad, what doesn't matter, what is normal and what I ought to be worried about.
The part I liked was the only part not written by the author. Many chapters had a Q&A with mothers sharing their experiences on different topics.
Would not recommend.
Top reviews from other countries
- LacyReviewed in Canada on April 11, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for new moms
I reccomend that every expecting and new mom read this book. Such a wonderful message behind it.
- Manasi DeshpandeReviewed in India on September 3, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars A guide for new mothers
Very helpful for new mothers.
- LilliReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2019
3.0 out of 5 stars If this is not your first pregnancy book, you'll know most of it
The difference mainly is that this is about moms emotional well-being. This was not the first book I bought, so when I came to it, I knew that stuff already and couldn't be bothered to spend time to go over it. If this is the first book about self-care while pregnant, it's probably right on target.
- Allison StewartReviewed in Canada on June 18, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book!
Part way through the book and I've found it tremendously helpful and easy to comprehend.
- BiancaReviewed in Canada on December 8, 2019
3.0 out of 5 stars If you are stressed about motherhood
It’s the type of book a really anxious and stressed mother should read. I am pretty chill about pregnancy and motherhood. Had I known this before, I would not a bought it for myself. It covers a lot of the stress factors related to becoming a mom, especially if you have not been around babies before. It’s not my case.