Product Description

Have you ever spent all day looking after your baby or young child - and ended up feeling that you have 'done nothing all day'? Do you sometimes find it hard to feel pleased with what you are doing, and tell yourself you should achieve more with your time? Maybe it's because you can't see how much you are doing already. In this unique and perceptive look at mothering, Naomi Stadlen draws on many years' work with hundreds of other mothers of a wide variety of ages and backgrounds. She explores mothers' experiences to reveal what they - and you - are doing when it may look, to everyone else, like nothing. If you are a mother, and have ever felt: that nobody understands what you do all day; overwhelmed by your feelings for your baby; tired all the time; that nothing prepared you for motherhood; uncertain what your baby seems to want; short-tempered with your partner - you will find this the most reassuring book you have ever picked up.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21860 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .39" h x .39" w x .39" l, .88 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 287 pages

Review
The best book on parenting brilliantly insightful.' Guardian 'I wish I'd had this book years ago - to show to bosses who didn't understand, to friends who couldn't grasp why I was permanently tired, and even to myself - to know that I wasn't the only one who wished for an extra eight hours in the day.' Anne Diamond, television presenter, mother 'THE BEST PARENTING BOOK YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF' - Anne Karpf, The Guardian 'Naomi Stadlen writes with understanding, deep insight and humour. This is truly woman-to woman.' Sheila Kitzinger, childbirth educator, motherThe best book on parenting brilliantly insightful.' Guardian

From the Author
I am very grateful for these reviews of What Mothers Do. I'm collecting reviews from mothers, from fathers, from grandparents and from non-parents. I'm sorry that I haven't yet got my own website. However, you can contact me through my publishers on info@piatkus.co.uk and title it: For Naomi Stadlen, What Mothers Do. I'm very keen to hear from each of you.

About the Author
Naomi Stadlen is a mother of three and a qualified psychotherapist who has worked for many years as an existential counsellor, specialising in seeing parents of young children, and she has been a breastfeeding counsellor for more than twenty years.

Customer Reviews

What a find...
My husband bought me this book before our baby was born and I started to read it and didn't find it relevant (as I hadn't had the baby yet!)
But when the baby came....so did the book and it was such a good help and confidence booster in the mad hazy first weeks of having a new baby at home with you. I wish I had read it before.

The book, unlike other advice books, is a no nonsense, straight from the hip advice from other mothers. I loved it because it was just so honest....a relief in times that you start to doubt your abilities as a mother. It help me to realise something that I suspected from the start - to trust myself and my intuition. I really think that this book should be read by every mother.

From one very happy Mam and a very healthly baby - enjoy!

What an esteem-boosting read!
I have four month old twins and little time to read, but I saw 'What Mothers Do' reviewed on Amazon and bought myself a copy. I have been reading a few pages every evening, after the babies have gone to bed and I have a few hours to myself.

This book has at times brought a tear to my eye because it so accurately describes the enormity of motherhood and the complex array of emotions and thoughts that we, as mothers, go through.

It is a wonderfully heart-lifting book. On days when you really think you've been useless (and I have plenty of them!) and things have got on top of you, this book just makes it all make sense again and helps you believe in yourself as a 'good' mother.

It's very esteem-boosting and reassuring, for all mothers, but particularly new mums. I've read loads of practical reference books for parents, all giving contradictory advice. This doesn't give any prescriptive advice, but simply describes what a brilliant job us mums do for our babies and society as a whole!

Great book - even my husband is reading it and agrees with me!

Cheers me up
I have two really small children and a very tiring, chaotic life. Reading this (which I did in two days, despite aforementioned children) really cheered me up and helped me feel validated in the work I am doing. I will be buying it for all my new mother friends and I highly recommend it for everyone who is trying to mother their new children and feels overwhelmed, distressed, fearful and/ or exhausted. This will make you feel better and put some of it into perspective. I've never encountered another book which explains my current life better.