The Motherhood Club: Help, Hope and Inspiration for New Mothers from New Mothers (Sally Jessy Raphael's Red Eyeglass Series) (Paperback)

~ Shirley Washington (Author), (Author) "When you announced you were expecting, you were likely told some version of the myth of the "mothering instinct..." (more)
Key Phrases: Date of Birth, Time of Birth, Maria Elena (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A candid look at what new motherhood is really like.

From the sheer exhaustion of multiple middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes to the exasperation of a colicky baby, most women are completely unprepared for the reality of life as a new parent. No matter how hard they labored in the delivery room, the real work begins when they take their babies home. In today's mobile society, many women live far from their families and often have no help past the first week or two postpartum. Until now, books read by mothers-to-be focus on the infant not the mother. In this fascinating book, new mothers share their most intimate thoughts on the joys and challenges of the most important job a parent will ever have.

The Motherhood Club contains candid, reassuring stories by first-time moms from all walks of life as they adjust to motherhood. Their accounts will inspire, uplift and support new mothers as they learn to find their own way. Included are essays about loneliness, fear of putting baby into daycare, the trials and tribulations of breastfeeding, a changing body image, and the many moods of postpartum depression. At the end of each chapter, coauthors Shirley Washington and Ann Dunnewold, a licensed psychologist specializing in women's reproductive issues, dispel many myths of new motherhood with Dunnewold offering solid clinical analysis and advice.

New mothers, veteran parents and mothers-to-be will find reassurance as the members of The Motherhood Club embrace and validate their feelings and help overcome anxieties enabling them to enjoy a most precious and rewarding role.

About the Author

Shirley Washington is an Emmy award-winning television news anchor and reporter with KDFW-TV in Dallas, Texas. She is married and the mother of a beautiful boy. She and her family live in a Dallas suburb.

Ann L. Dunnewold, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist specializing in guiding women through the emotional turmoil of reproductive function including: postpartum depression, premenstrual syndrome, infertility, pregnancy loss and menopause. She has written two books on postpartum depression including Postpartum Survival Guide and has appeared in several videos on the subject.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: HCI (March 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757300022
• ISBN-13: 978-0757300028
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #710,815 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad, September 1, 2002

By	Cafreen "Cafreen" (Temecula, CA) - See all my reviews

As a newly minted mother, I chose this book for a much needed peptalk about this "club" of motherhood. Each chapter begins with a common motherhood myth, followed by stories from numerous new moms, their trials of exhaustion, anxiety, and uncertainty in caring for themselves and for baby. Which is then followed by an analysis and suggestions by psychologist Anne Dunnewold. The format can become rather dry after awhile (myth - personal story - analysis - myth - personal story - analysis), but overall the book does serve well in offering reassurance and support to frazzled new moms. It helps you realize, that you aren't the only one going through the changes, and no, you are not crazy for feeling so inept, guilty, angry, etc...

Some of the myths covered are:
The Mothering Instinct
Baby Bliss
The Good Mother Myth
The I Can Control My Body Myth
The Breastfeeding Myth
The Super Mom Myth
The Bonding Myth
And so on...

There tends to be a repeat of myths that are just worded differently. You will find some stories that you can relate to, and others that you don't really have any connection to, but isn't that just what motherhood is all about? Everyone has a different experience, a different view of things, but the one thing in common is "club membership". Overall, an average read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Grandfather Says: This is for All Mothers!, November 26, 2002

By	Dick Brasie (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

As a grandfather of eight girls and boys, I have learned how challenging it is to be a Mother in the 21st Century.

The Motherhood Club with its true to life profiles of Mothers and children is the support group that carries Mothers through the bumpy times from baby birth on into childhood.

Buy this for your daughter, your grand daughter, your neices.

Dick Brasie
Boston, Massachusetts

5.0 out of 5 stars Mother's Love, October 16, 2002

By	David Washington (St. Louis, Mo.) - See all my reviews

I felt that the author did a great job unveiling the truth about motherhood and all of it's expectations. People only emphasize the good times after becoming a parent. However, new mothers need to know that there will be trying times and that they're not alone. This book hits on these points and offers helpful solutions. These solutions are not from non-mothers but from mothers who have been there and have all the expertise to past on to new mothers.