Refreshingly honest, openly frank and candidly blunt, this book has been written by a mother for other mothers. It oozes with warm fuzzies, it reeks of mumsy terms, it exudes realism in every paragraph and it is refreshing in its guiltless honesty. Modern first-time mothers are often alone - devoid of once traditional motherhood knowledge and practical support. Often previously self-confident women find themselves inconceivably isolated, hopelessly fumbling over everyday mothering tasks, enduring torturous levels of sleep deprivation, feeling desperately despondent and physiologically aching and leaking everywhere. This book provides supportive, caring advice - one Mum to another - while at the same time serving as an encyclopaedic medical reference regarding the mother and baby. Checked thoroughly by medical professionals, this book is a unique blend, like having access to a kind and gentle GP as well as to all the gems of wisdom of years of mothers' coffee groups. This new title clearly and compassionately explains the ups as well as the downs which are perfectly normal aspects of giving birth and mothering in today's society.
About the Author
After three children and two decades involved in sales and marketing within the travel industry, Kathy discovered a personal passion for the topics of childbirth, newborns and motherhood. Co-creator of the infant cot product Secure-A-SleepTM, Kathy is now also the infant sleep advisor for Parent's Centre Birth Story , and she is currently completing a degree in midwifery.
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Reviews
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I am a first time mum and find this book a god sent. I was given it when I was pregnant and my initial thought of it was, I wasn't going to read it as it looks too wordy for my liking. Boy, was I ever wrong. This book gives you information on the different stages of pregnancy, labour and right through to after your baby is born. My son is nearly eight months now and I still find myself referring to it. Highly recommended!
This book was recommended to me by friends with babies - I read it throughout my pregnancy and while my son was small.
I'm hesitant to recommend it to others though for the following reasons: The advice is contradictory at times (eg 'must set a routine' vs 'keep your babies as flexible as possible'), Old fashioned and somewhat condescending (eg must do pelvic floor exercises which will please your husband), and clearly biased towards the author's views when giving medical/health type advice (eg must eat organic food wherever possible, use homeopathy, etc).
The author also constantly commiserates with her readers as though they have embarked on a harrowing, traumatising journey from which they will never be the same and struggle to reclaim themselves. Many of us actually enjoy motherhood and don't need to be told over and over that we have lost ourselves and our careers forever.
I would suggest that you read it, but bear heavily in mind that the author over-dramatises fairly ordinary situations and that the information presented as factual must be taken with a grain of salt. Take from it what you need/enjoy - but don't treat it as gospel.
I have read many many pregnancy and birth books, and this is the best one I have read. It covers everything from birth to getting your child to sleep in a routine so you can get a better sleep. It is a must have for any person considering pregnancy or who is struggling to get your child to sleep through the night. I can't recommend this book enough!!!!
Alright, this isn't something I'd normally do, but this book deserves a review.
I first encountered Kathy Fray on a parenting website where her advice about babies and sleep proved to be just what I needed to read at just the right time. Which might well have been at 3am through a blur of sleep deprivation and slight hysteria :) In a frenzy of gratitude, I tracked her down and purchased her book, half because I thought this was a good chance to put my money where my mouth was, and also in the hope that her book might just contain more gems.
I wasn't disappointed. Kathy's book reads like a conversation, she is so very down-to-earth and understanding about pregnancy, babies and motherhood that you feel the acceptance from the first page. This book is half encyclopaedia of everything a new mother might require, and half filled with advice and anecdotes. Kathy is incredibly impartial with all the messy subjects that seem to divide mothers, providing information without bias - a very rare gift.
Her chapters on Sleep are invaluable, if you have a baby that isn't sleeping through the night then this is definately the book for you. The author manages to explain a babies need to self-sooth in a way that makes complete sense, mixing science and fact with common sense. But while these chapters were all critically important, this book has so much more to offer. In these days where every anxious new mother will spend hours on the internet investigating every rash, and every whimper that their baby may make at night and getting hundreds of different "expert" opinions, it's so easy to get bogged down with surplus information and lose sight of the issue.
Kathy Fray's book gives you pretty much everything you'll need in one book.
What it also does is to explain so much of the guilt associated with Motherhood, this book delves into the history of mothering, the PR & propaganda, and you'll close these chapters with a much greater understanding of both the sacrifice & self sabotage of parenting.
Read it, enjoy it, recommend it to all new mothers - this book truely tells it like it is.
Really useful book - to be honest probably too much information at times! It is a really honest and pretty well balanced look at birth and motherhood (though you can tell what the author's actual opinion is too) Its a bit harsh on the man in your life sometimes :) but full of useful tips. rEcommend you read it in digestable chunks, and when someone you can talk to is around (I found bits of it overwhelming at first - but better forewarned I guess)
This is an excellent cover-everything book. The author is really good at putting forward the pros and cons of all the options you've got (though you can tell what her personal preferences are). I've found parts of it a bit overwhelming (but that is partly just the whole - oh my gosh! factor) Recommend you read it in digestable chunks and when you'll be able to talk through things with a close friend/partner.
Oh Baby provides practical and reassuring information, tips and advice from pregnancy, through the birth and on into looking after your baby, helping him/her sleep well and some guidelines and all the other little things that babies get (spots, cradle cap...). I've found the chapter on sleep invaluable and the development guide in the back is great for seeing what our little girl will be up to next! The advice is always useful and candid. Highly recommend this book.
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