WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME? True Stories of New Motherhood [Paperback]

Melanie Bowden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2006

A compilation of true stories about the first year of motherhood. The strategies the women profiled learned, along with advice from experts, will guide readers through the rough patches that every new mother experiences.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Being a first-time mom is hard enough. Books like this make it all that much easier. -- Curled Up With a Good Book, October 2006

If you know an expectant mother, be sure to give her a copy of Bowden's book. -- The Davis Enterprise, November 19, 2006

This book is an honest look at what it's like to be a new mother. -- Community Kids, October 2006

From the Author

Thank you for your interest in Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me? I hope you enjoy the book and find it helpful as you navigate this crazy journey called parenting.

I think the more honest we can be about the realities of motherhood, the more we all will benefit. You are not alone in whatever you are experiencing. Mothers everywhere can relate and understand!

If you'd like more information (along with the occasional rant) about new mom issues, please visit my blog Spit-up On My Shoulder at: motherhood.booklocker.com

Thank you, Melanie Bowden

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Booklocker.com, Inc. (September 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601450265
• ISBN-13: 978-1601450265
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,599,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Debunking the Myths, November 4, 2006

By 

Vicki Landes - See all my reviews

This review is from: WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME? True Stories of New Motherhood (Paperback)

Postpartum Doula Melanie Bowden shares a collection of new mother interviews in her new book "Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?" Aimed at debunking several motherhood myths, her book shows that life after pregnancy isn't all smiling babies and easy times. New moms from all walks of life share their experiences from being single and married, young and old, delivery at a hospital and at home, as well as both uncomplicated and surgical births. Further, each account has its own unique set of problems - mild to severe postpartum depression, breastfeeding issues, sleep deprivation, annoying visitors, post-delivery health problems, and more.

Bowden does well in bringing many problems to light, many of them embarrassing for the new mom to discuss. In each, the mother had never been made aware of the problems that could arise until she was actually experiencing them. Much of the disappointment in the book comes from an unrealistic expectation of delivery or babies and a lack of knowledge obtained during the pregnancy. Bowden notes that new moms can feel so much stress to be a `supermom' - being able to do it all - that they ignore the signs that they need help. Feeling like a bad mother, incompetent, or not worthy can keep problems locked inside and weigh heavily on the mom's mental state and relationships with her husband or family.

Although sometimes feeling like a 143-page commercial for doulas, "Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?" is an informative book on the harsh realities of motherhood. Bowden includes further reading recommendations and urges those mothers that are experiencing similar problems to seek help. Motherhood is much more difficult than most imagine and moms-to-be and new mothers cannot overeducate themselves on the only certainty in child rearing - anything can happen.

--Vicki Landes, author of "Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal"

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it's true!, November 2, 2006

By 

Amethyst (Sidney NE USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME? True Stories of New Motherhood (Paperback)

This book is so helpful because it reveals the UNtruths new mothers - all mothers, really - believe: that they have to be perfect, that it will be an easy and natural transition, that breastfeeding is pure bliss, or at least the finest bonding ever. The reality is, motherhood is a beautiful thing, a wonderful privelege and GIFT from God, but it is HARD! The first months are exhausting, bewildering, frustrating, and just plain hard. Read this book to find out you're not the only one struggling! It's hard for all of us. Melanie did a great job of exposing the myths and therefore validating all of us that we are doing the best we can and that is all we need to worry about.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for Expectant Mothers!, March 2, 2008

By 

Cheryl M. Wenzel "http://newmomcentral.blogsp... (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME? True Stories of New Motherhood (Paperback)

Melanie Bowden details the differences in women's experiences of their first foray into motherhood with detail, insight, and compassion. Every woman's experience as a first-time mother is different, though there are also similarities. This book highlights both the differences and the similarities. Bowden could have written a dry synopsis of these mothers' stories, but she chose to let them speak for themselves, making the book more powerful. I would pass this book on to any new mother I know.