It Gets Easier! . . . And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers: A Fun, Practical Guide to Becoming a Mom

There is no question that being a mother is challenging, but this fun, frank, and prescriptive guide tries to do the impossible and make new motherhood easier. Featuring interviews with hundreds of moms and candid stories from author Claudine Wolk’s own experiences as a mother, It Gets Easier!...and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers mixes humor, honesty, and insider strategies that will give new moms a “leg-up.” This upbeat and entertaining book drives home the point that new moms are not alone and that there are things they can do to make motherhood a little more controllable and lot more enjoyable. It addresses such issues as: • “The Talk” you need to have with your husband before you give birth • what you really need to know about labor and delivery • the importance of a baby schedule (no matter what anyone else says) • the 6 Baby Commandments that can foster good eating and sleeping habits • 5 new mom mantras that will help keep you sane • body image after giving birth • how to keep housework to a minimum Complete with resources for further exploration and a helpful glossary, this funny, irreverent book will help ease every new mother’s frustration. MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Table of Contents 8 Foreword 10 Preface 12 Acknowledgments 14 Chapter One: Insider Secrets! 16 Chapter Two: Getting Ready, Getting Real! 21 Chapter Three: Uncensored Tips for Labor and Beyond 33 Chapter Four: Breast Is Best 42 Chapter Five: You Won't See It on TV 50 Chapter Six: Body Image––The New Normal 61 Chapter Seven: The Baby Commandments 69 Chapter Eight: The Schedule 81 Chapter Nine: Heading Back to Work 91 Chapter Ten: How Did I Get into This Mess?! 102 Chapter Eleven: What Is a Housewife and How Did I Become One? 119 Chapter Twelve: The Most Frustrating Job on the Planet 135 Chapter Thirteen: You Complete Me? 150 Chapter Fourteen: The Best Mother 157 New Mom Glossary 172 A 172 B 172 C 173 D 173 F 174 G 174 H 174 I 174 L 174 M 174 N 175 R 175 S 175 T 176 Resources 177 Notes 183 Index 186 A 186 B 186 C 187 D 187 F 188 G 188 H 189 I 189 K 190 L 190 M 190 N 190 O 190 P 191 Q 191 R 191 S 191 T 192 U 192 V 192 W 192 There is no question that being a mother is challenging, but this fun, frank, and prescriptive guide tries to do the impossible and make new motherhood easier. This upbeat and entertaining book drives home the point that new moms are not alone and that there are things they can do to make motherhood a little more controllable and lot more enjoyable. Featuring interviews with hundreds of moms and candid stories from author Claudine Wolk's own experiences as a mother, It Gets Easier! ... and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers mixes humor, honesty, and insider strategies that will give new moms a "leg-up." This upbeat and entertaining book drives home the point that new moms are not alone and that there are things they can do to make motherhood a little more controllable and lot more enjoyable. It addresses such issues as: "The Talk" you need to have with your husband before you give birth what you really need to know about labor and delivery the importance of a baby schedule (no matter what anyone else says) the 6 Baby Commandments that can foster good eating and sleeping habits 5 new mom mantras that will help keep you sane body image after giving birth how to keep housework to a minimum Complete with resources for further exploration and a helpful glossary, this funny, irreverent book will help ease every new mother's frustration Featuring interviews with hundreds of moms and candid stories from author Claudine Wolk’s own experiences as a mother, It Gets Easier! . . . and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers employs a healthy mix of humor, honesty, and insider strategies to give new and expecting moms a “leg up” on the challenging task of first-time motherhood. This fun, frank, and prescriptive guide strives to make motherhood easier by addressing issues such as: “The Talk” you need to have with your husband before you give birth; what you really need to know about labor and delivery; the importance of a baby schedule (no matter what anyone else says); the 6 Baby Commandments that can foster good eating and sleeping habits; 5 new mom mantras that will help keep you sane; body image after giving birth; and how to keep housework to a minimum. Complete with resources for further exploration and a helpful glossary, this funny, irreverent book will help ease every new mothers’ frustrations by reminding them that they are not alone and providing tangible, easy-to-follow tips for parenting success. "This book is helpful and a hoot!"--Dr. Laura Schlessinger, author of "In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms," and internationally syndicated radio talk show host You've just become a new mother, and you're excited, blissful, anxious, and complete-ly exhausted Being a new mother is challenging. But it can also be incredibly fun. This upbeat and entertaining book provides new moms and moms-to-be with straightforward tips to make motherhood a little more controllable--and lot more enjoyable. Nobody tells the truth-- motherhood is hard! Wolk gives every new mom reality-based suggestions, with a lot of humor