Customer Reviews

Momover: The New Mom's Guide to Getting It Back Together (even if you never had it in the first place!)

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As the first-time mom of a four-month-old, I thought this book would cheer me up and possibly give me some fun, helpful tips on how to not lose myself in motherhood...boy, was I wrong!

The whole book seems to be various ways for moms to justify being selfish. Unless you plan to hire baby nurses, nannies and babysitters, along with a personal trainer/Pilates instructor who comes to your home to get you back into shape, and become a member of Harry & David's "Organic Fruit of the Month Club"...I can't imagine what you'd get out of reading it.

The author writes, "I can virtually guarantee that your little bundle of joy doesn't really need fifteen impossibly gorgeous hand-loomed blankies. You, on the other hand, just might be in the market for a cozy new cashmere sweater or shawl." News flash: If your friends wanted to buy something for you instead of the baby, they would have!

One of the "ground rules" listed is, "I will build at least one (and preferably many, many more) mommy time-outs into my day, including reading snippets of a million delicious Edith Wharton novels and steeping in steaming-hot aromatherapy baths." This is fairly unrealistic, especially finding that kind of time more than once a day...most moms I know are grateful to squeeze in a quick shower, if that!

The last straw for me was when the author effectively called women who exclusively breastfeed (ie, no supplementing with formula) "vain and stubborn". She claims her daughter "wouldn't be here today" if she hadn't listened to the hospital nurses and started giving formula. This kind of myth is perpetuated by people who don't do their research, so the vast majority of newborns are given formula when it may not actually be necessary.

The fact is that newborns are born with the ability to survive on very little for the first few days, until the mother's milk comes in...and losing a little weight at first (up to 10% of birthweight) is perfectly acceptable. For the record, I was one of those "vain and stubborn" women who was told by nurses and pediatricians that I should supplement with formula. However, I had done my research...so with the help of my lactation consultant and various other support networks, we were able to exclusively breastfeed and our baby has been thriving.

In short, don't waste your money on this book. What a relief that I checked this out from the library before making the mistake of purchasing it!

This book ruined a perfectly good bubble bath. And we moms know how rare those are.
If you have the ability to go to yoga and exercise classes on a daily basis, meet up with girlfriends on a whim for coffee, and hire out your cooking, cleaning, and childcare, this book is great for you.
If you're like me, and pay as much for childcare as you do to work (a great job that required 6 yrs of college and grad school to get) and deal with deeper issues than what size you wear and what's become saggy/flabby, find another book. I paid $2.99 for this book at Ocean State Job Lot, and I definitely overpaid.

I've never logged on to write a bad review about anything before. But I feel that this book is so potentially poisonous to new mothers that I just had to say something.
To new moms or soon-to-be moms out there: find a different book. Find one that deals with changes that will inevitably occur in your career, marriage, friendships, and perceptions of self. Motherhood will allow you to reinvent yourself over and over again in wonderful ways. Spend time reinventing how you see your strength and value in this world. Not how your boobs look.

Momover," by Dana Wood is a handy guide for any new mom. The book is organized in a logical chronological order, from gearing up for the big day, to winding down again and coming home with the new baby, this book takes the new mom by the hand and offers real tips for getting through the difficult times.

The book also talks about some issues that other books leave out. Information about exercising again, developing a new routine for personal care, reducing stress, and taking time to treat yourself (because you are worth it!) are as important as whatever is done for the new little one. It is true that the needs of the mother are often swept under the rug, since the needs of the baby always come first. It is just as important for the new mother to pamper herself and find ways to jump start a positive inner voice for lasting self love that will lead to greater self confidence as a new mother. Each chapter has call out sections such as "Worked for Me" or "Reserve the right to..." which give the new mother permission to try something new, put herself on the schedule, or even to get help from others without being afraid to ask for it when needed.

There are testimonials available from other moms, tidbits and laughs in this book, and any new mom of one, or more than one, will get something out of reading it again and again. It gives moms the confidence to understand that whatever they are doing to care for their new baby is good enough, and the right thing. It allows new mothers to feel that they are capable of taking on the job of caring for their new baby - a job they have never been better qualified to fill.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is expecting, adopting a young child or just interested in the topic. It is a well written book that I am sure will become a favorite of new moms everywhere.

Dana does a wonderful job of providing an honest account of new motherhood. She makes us laugh and think as she shares personal details of her birth experience and bringing her new little girl home. A must-read and great baby shower gift!!!

Ivanna
Founder, EmpoweredMommies