The Hip Mama Survival Guide: Advice From the Trenches On: Pregnancy,Childbirth,Cool Names,Clueless Doctors,Potty Training,Toddler [Paperback]

Ariel Gore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 1998

"The Gen-X Dr. Spock" and the founder of "Hip Mama: The Parenting 'Zine" gives readers advice from the trenches on pregnancy, childbirth, cool names, clueless doctors, potty training, domestic mayhem, right-wing losers, the evil patriarchy, nervous breakdowns, and way more. Line drawings.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Can a mother nurse after nipple piercing? Is it okay to name a child after a beverage? What's the best music to divorce by? Ariel Gore answers these and other tough questions in her hilarious and highly informative guide to pregnancy and early parenting, The Hip Mama Survival Guide. Gore gave birth to her daughter, Maia, at age 19, raised her on welfare while getting a college degree, and went on to create her own zine and Web site (and now, a parenting guide) devoted to non-nuclear-family moms everywhere. Gore's book uses straight-from-the-trenches experience, friendly encouragement, and a hearty dose of humor while covering the basics for mamas who may not have the comforts or privileges (like generous health insurance or state-of-the-art strollers) many traditional baby-care manuals presume to be accessible. Chapters include "Childbirth Sucks," "Beauty and the Gender Beast," "Poverty Without Despair," and "Guerrilla Mothering," and cover topics as diverse as nutrition, trimester development, circumcision, custody battles, domestic violence, co-parenting, political activism, working moms, and nervous breakdowns. Gore does not hide her feisty, liberal political bent, and she devotes a whole section to skewering the conservative right's vision of "family values." Each chapter ends with interview answers and advice from "rebel moms," ranging from Gore's friends to famous feminists like Mary Kay Blakely and Susie Bright. While Gore's advice may ring especially true for young single moms, her funny, realistic approach to mothering will show mamas of all races, ages, and means that hipness is well within their reach. --Brangien Davis

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; First Edition first Printing edition (April 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786882328
• ISBN-13: 978-0786882328
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Hip & Thigh Workouts

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Important and relevant for single and/or alternative mamas, February 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Hip Mama Survival Guide: Advice From the Trenches On: Pregnancy,Childbirth,Cool Names,Clueless Doctors,Potty Training,Toddler (Paperback)

After reading several pregnancy books that assumed I was living in the comfortable middle class with an eager & helpful dad-to-be and a desire to be the most Western mother on the planet, I found it really refreshing to read Ms Gore's survival guide. Her advice ranges from the Basic Layette (and I mean basic, for those of us on limited income) to How to Make a Quick $20 (garage sales, palm reading...). I knew, by the end of the book, that the author's trenches were not unlike my own.

Still, it left me hanging in a few areas--but that's where other books can help, as no pregnancy/childbirth book can cover it all. Her disclaimer in the introduction mentions just that: not wanting to duplicate what your everyday pregnancy book can cover, she addresses issues that the other books don't touch.

As part of a small pregnancy/childbirth library, this book is essential for single moms or those with alternative arrangements. On its own, it's great for support, and is somewhat practical. It made me want to subscribe to Ms Gore's Hip Mama magazine, just for the community of it.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "real life" parenting, March 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Hip Mama Survival Guide: Advice From the Trenches On: Pregnancy,Childbirth,Cool Names,Clueless Doctors,Potty Training,Toddler (Paperback)

I'm not a parent yet but working on it. Although my current situation is pretty mainstream (married and middle class) I have no intention of parenting traditionally. I really appreciated this book because I grew up in a non-traditional family, and it is nice to see other configurations of "family" acknowledged. Also the book was just plain fun!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ariel, Thank You for writing this book!, April 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Hip Mama Survival Guide: Advice From the Trenches On: Pregnancy,Childbirth,Cool Names,Clueless Doctors,Potty Training,Toddler (Paperback)

If traditional pregnancy and parenting books make you feel inferior and inadequate, get this book! This book deals straight up with the reality of pregnancy and newfound motherhood for those of us who were not exactly waiting anxiously for the stick to have two lines. This book will assure you that you can do it and offers many wonderful and practical ideas for parenting solo, going back to school, and dealing with issues that no one ever talks about, like having a nervous breakdown, or how to keep the baby's dangerous father away.

I wish this book had been written 6 years ago when I was pregnant with my first, but I estatic that it's here for my second.