Product Description

There are few sensations more wonderful than a cuddle with your new baby. But what happens if you burst into tears every time you re-live your baby's birth? If you spend your day staring at the wall instead of enjoying outings together? If you find yourself crying with exhaustion when faced with a screaming baby at 4 am?For some women, becoming a parent can be unexpectedly hard. With today's high expectations of motherhood, there is still a taboo about not loving your baby at birth, or finding some aspects of motherhood boring and miserable. Postnatal depression (PND) affects around one in six new mothers, while it's estimated that up to 200,000 women each year may feel traumatised by childbirth, with feelings of fear, guilt, anxiety, and symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares and persistent memories of birth.This book explores how to cope with such feelings, and how to make a successful and happy adjustment to motherhood even when it doesn't come naturally at first. The topics include: defining birth trauma and postnatal depression; when bonding doesn't happen - learning to love your baby; family relationships and how they may change; you and your partner - how your relationship changes once you have a baby; body image - how a baby changes your body; social pressures on your body; coming to terms with your new identity; and, Moving forward.You can't change society and its often unrealistic expectations and stereotypes of motherhood, but one day everything will fall into place and you will come to love your new baby and feel confident in your new role.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81570 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

About the Author
Lucy Jolin is a freelance writer specialising in health and parenting issues

Customer Reviews

The ultimate handbook for sufferers of PND or birth trauma
Lucy Jolin has written an informative, yet sensitive,book that is helpful not only to parents affected by these issues but to health care professionals wanting to learn more about ways to help.
I have suffered PND twice and birth trauma once, its hard to talk about it when you in such an awful place and this is compounded by the stigma that still hangs around us. Hopefully Lucy has just taken a huge step in helping this stigma to be broken down.
Thanks Lucy from all of us at Mothersvoice.org.uk!!

Very helpful - all pregnant women should read this
This book is really helpful in ensuring women who suffer from this know they are not alone and in helping to inform friends and family what it is they are going through. Well written, to the point and sympathetic, this book should be a must read for all pregnant women so they are prepared for what could happen, and for all women's partners post birth.

You have to read this book!
This is a must-read for anyone who is struggling with depression or birth trauma. I know because I'm struggling with it at the moment. It's a scary place to be but reading Lucy Jolin's book makes me feel like someone is holding my hand. Not only has this book made me realise the extent of my problem but it's also helping me to understand it and get to grips with it. Even better it's made me realise that I'm not alone in feeling the way I do.

It's shocking that so many of the parenting books on the market fail to tackle these issues. But the conspiracy of silence has been broken thanks to this book. I'm looking forward to enjoying my baby as I recover from my experiences and Lucy Jolin's book is already helping me do that. Thank you!