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Vicky Iovine Publisher - Bloomsbury Press |
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It in no way intends to inform from a medical viewpoint but merely expresses the views of the 'friends' over some of the issues and stages you go through. The sections on hormonal changes and the 'husband effect' had me crying with laughter. So much so that I'm sure that the people in the canteen at work, where I was reading this book, thought I was having a breakdown! Some of the descriptions are so accurate you just know that they are real. In fact, I read it cover to cover despite being only 20 weeks. My biggest joy was the fact that it tells you things that no-one else will. I'm sure that first time pregnant people will read it and think that she and the 'friends' are exaggerating, perhaps having done it once, I appreciated it that much more. The other books in the series are:
"I have to say that all Vicki Iovine's books are fantastic. She really tells it how it is, and they make me laugh out loud. I buy the 'Pregnancy' one for all my friends as soon as they announce they are pregnant. I think I keep Ms. Iovine in business in the UK! There are four books now, and the latest one, 'Best Friends Guide to...Getting Your Groove Back', is aimed at mothers like me who are trying to rediscover that woman that we used to be (and forgotten all about). Highly recommended!" Click here to buy this book from Amazon.
Clare Byam-Cook Publisher - Vermilion (Random House) |
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I feel that Clare has a very balanced approach. She manages to promote breastfeeding whilst also taking away the guilt and feelings of inadequancy from mums who find breastfeeding not quite as 'natural' as they've been led to believe! I wish I had read it when I was a new mum! It might have saved me many days of worry, torment and guilt! Click here to buy this book from Amazon. |
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Babyshock! Elizabeth Martyn, Relate Publisher - Vermillion (Random House) |
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| The best part
of the book is the honest feedback and comments from the
parents themselves. The book admits that some parents
failed to address issues that they were trying to tackle,
which is also strangely an encouragement. It just reinforces
the view, that there is no such thing as a perfect parent
and no such thing as a perfect partner. Trying to be both
is a complete non starter!
Click here to buy this book from Amazon. |
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I feel that both the authors have successfully taken a personal view on a what can be said the most hectic time in a woman's life and turned it into magnificant and compulsive read. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a sense of humour and is looking for a different and slightly unbalanced view on first time motherhood or equally to a nervous prospective mother to be, as this book will shatter all the myths and urban legends associated with the spawning of ones first offspring. I have been a professional, fully trained and suitably qualified nanny for over 14 years and a first time mother since January of this year and I managed to find plenty of tit-bits to keep me amused and I even heard myself mutter " I didn't know that" on the odd occasion and I most certainly will be keeping hold of this book for any future children I may have.............husband willing of course. I would recommend this book to any of my friends but if they asked to borrow mine I am afraid I would have to say "go and buy your own your not getting my copy!"" Ruth, first time mother to a bundle of joy named Jack Edward. For more information click here to visit the Bloomsbury bookshop. |
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It would also make you realise that a lot of well meaning advice can be safely ignored. Because as soon as you are comfortable with you're own instincts, you as a mother know what is best for your baby. Bringing up babies/children has changed over a number of years and despite what was thought of as good practise according to Great Grandmothers, Grandmothers, Mothers and Mothers-in-laws, they are not always right, despite their vast experiences. I think the funniest example given by Kate Konopicky is what a friend of hers was told by her Mother-in-law. "On no account give your baby son a massage, because it would turn him into a homosexual". I can empathise with receiving this kind of advice as follows. A Great Aunt of mine told me when my oldest son was a baby and suffered quite badly with wind. "It's your own fault, if you'd listen to me and put half a teaspoon of brandy in his bottle, he'd be fine". Well despite not listening and my obviously haphazard methods of parenting, (according to my Great Aunt). I'm pleased to report that he has survived and is now a strapping 21 year old. Kate's friends Mother-in-law and my Great Aunt must have come from the same planet, certainly not earth. As you turn the pages of this book there is so much that you can relate to, various situations make you think of similar things that have happened to you. We follow Kate from the birth of her daughter up to when she is six. She looks at child rearing, changes in relationships, society’s views on mothers, teaching your children and many more issues. All of which have been done numerous times, in "How to be good parents books". However none has achieved the humour that Kate has and despite or should I say because of the use of humour to illustrate these points, I feel a lot can be learned regarding parenting from this book. Helen |
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