One Mom S Journey To Motherhood

A lawyer with a well-stamped passport and a passion for human rights, Lisa-Jo Baker never wanted to be a mom. And then she had kids. Having lost her own mother to cancer as a teenager, Lisa-Jo felt lost on her journey to womanhood and wholly unprepared to raise children. Surprised by Motherhood is Lisa-Jos story of becoming and being a mom, and in the process, discovering that all the what to expect and how to books in the world can never truly prepare you for the sheer exhilaration, joy, and terrifying love that accompanies motherhood. Set partly in South Africa and partly in the US (with a slight detour to Ukraine along the way), Surprised by Motherhood is a poignant memoir of one womans dawning realization that being a mom isnt about being perfectits about being present.

At the age of thirty-nine, Sarah Kowalski heard her biological clock ticking, loudly. A single woman harboring a deep ambivalence about motherhood, Kowalski needed to decide once and for all: Did she want a baby or not? More importantly, with no partner on the horizon, did she want to have a baby alone? Once she revised her idea of motherhood—from an experience she would share with a partner to a journey she would embark upon alone—the answer came up a resounding Yes. After exploring her options, Kowalski chose to conceive using a sperm donor, but her plan stopped short when a doctor declared her infertile. How far would she go to make motherhood a reality? Kowalski catapulted herself into a diligent regimen of herbs, Qigong, meditation, acupuncture, and more, in a quest to improve her chances of conception. Along the way, she delved deep into spiritual healing practices, facing down demons of self-doubt and self-hatred, ultimately discovering an unconventional path to parenthood. In the end, to become a mother, Kowalski did everything she said she would never do. And she wouldn't change a thing. A story of personal triumph and unconditional love, Motherhood Reimagined reveals what happens when we release what's expected and embrace what's possible.

** Hardback includes 20 bonus pages of additional poetry!** "I want to tell you everything I know carry you and guide you yet somehow, as your tiny finger points to things in wonder and your eyes meet mine the paradigm shifts I once thought I was to show you the world when all along you came to show me." Poignant, raw and beautifully honest pieces on motherhood. This book comprises 55 poems and prose including viral pieces, 'Dear Mama' & 'I Would Tell Her'. Jessica Urlichs shares her truths from a vulnerable place of becoming a new Mother. Written from the heart, Jessica's words are inspirational and relatable. 'From One Mom to a Mother' is written in a refreshingly honest tone that will touch the soul of so many on this same beautiful, yet challenging journey. Whether you laugh or cry you will put it down feeling less alone and having made a friend in a book . Jessica shares her passion and love for her children on this tale of self discovery, that two people were born that day. "Your writing can bring a tear to my eyes or a smile to my face, it really helps me feel less alone". "You put words to feelings I didn't know I had". "I've never read such incredible words like you write to describe becoming a mother and being a mother" "Your book and words have saved me over and over again" 'From One Mom to a Mother' is the first book in Jess's collection of poetry with 'All I See is You' being her second and her third and final in the series, 'My After All'. Combined, Jess's poetry books have sold tens of thousands worldwide. Jessica is also a best selling author of 'The Rainbow In My Heart', a children's picture book on emotions. Jess's poems can also be found on Etsy! www.jessicaurlichs.com

Author Ivy Shih Leung shares her not-so-perfect road to motherhood in this book that is part memoir and part self-help guide, reflecting lessons learned in the form of helpful tips and information to empower readers on the biological and sociological roots behind postpartum depression (PPD). She also seeks to raise awareness of the myths of motherhood and the stigma of PPD that contribute to the silent suffering of many mothers, as well as the importance of adequate social support in the early postpartum weeks. A culmination of Ivys frightening PPD journey and her emergence from it with a passion to learn more about perinatal mood disorders, this book is fueled with passion to help other women and their families, anger from the unnecessary suffering Ivy went through from the lack of information available to the public about PPD, her doctors ignorance and lack of sensitivity, and public remarks like, There is no such thing as a chemical imbalanceall of which shows theres still a long way to go in terms of educating the public about an illness that is suffered by one in eight new mothers. With side effects that include shame, helplessness, and despair at a time that is supposed to be one of the happiest in a womans life, Ivy wants to help fellow PPD advocates get the message out that PPD is not a mind-over-matter thing, as those who dont know any better tend to believe. PPD is an illness that must be taken seriously. We must all remember that the health of the family unit depends on the mothers well-being. Ivy Shih Leungs voice as a storyteller is strong, loud, and clear. Ivy is a survivor of postpartum depression, and through the written words on each page you can hear her roar. Jane Honikman, Founder of Postpartum Support International

I don't know how she does it! is an oft-heard refrain about mothers today. Funnily enough, most moms agree they have no idea how they get it done, or whether they even want the job. Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile spoke to mothers of every stripe--working, stay-at-home, part-time--and found a surprisingly similar trend in their interviews. After enthusing about her lucky life for twenty minutes, a mother would then break down and admit that her child's first word was "Shrek." As one mom put it, "Am I happy? The word that describes me best is challenged." Fresh from the front lines of modern motherhood comes a book that uncovers the guilty secrets of moms today . . . in their own words. I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids diagnoses the craziness and offers real solutions, so that mothers can step out of the madness and learn to love motherhood as much as they love their kids.

Who was your mother before she was a mother? Essays and photos from Brit Bennett, Jennifer Egan, Danzy Senna, Laura Lippman, Jia Tolentino, and many more. In this remarkable collection, New York Times–bestselling novelist Edan Lepucki gathers more than sixty original essays and favorite photographs to explore this question. The daughters in Mothers Before are writers and poets, artists and teachers, and the images and stories they share reveal the lives of women in ways that are vulnerable and true, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always moving. Contributors include: Brit Bennett * Jennine Capó Crucet * Jennifer Egan * Angela Garbes * Annabeth Gish * Alison Roman * Lisa See * Danzy Senna * Dana Spiotta * Lan Samantha Chang * Laura Lippman * Jia Tolentino * Tiffany Nguyen * Charmaine Craig * Maya Ramakrishnan * Eirene Donohue * and many others

This is not only a raw and honest love letter to your sweet baby, but a "Children's Book" for you; the ever changing, evolving, and new-born mother. This book was written with prayer and intention to not only help mothers explain with gentle honesty how hard motherhood can be to their little one(s), but to encourage mothers with resources and information regarding postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders. Because awareness begins in the home, through this book, may you find the grace and tools to healing. May this open up dialogue amongst all generations of women to be vulnerable about their joys and their sorrows in mothering, and may you courageously learn to say, "mommy is learning" and "mommy cries too.

How to bring peace to your home. Create your own Mother's Rule of Life, a pattern for living that combines the spiritual wisdom of the monastery with the practical wisdom of motherhood. With the help of your own rule, you can get control of your own household, grow closer to God, come to love your husband more, and raise up good Christian children.