Customer Reviews

Navel-Gazing: The Days and Nights of a Mother in the Making

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Having a work life takes confidence." I think this quote that Jen wrote about her mom, sums up her adventure into motherhood. Having a life with a baby takes lots of confidence, and Navel Gazing truly depicts how one woman grows into honoring herself throughout the pregnancy process. It shares the raw ups and downs of being pregnant. I am very excited that she had the courage and perservance to tell us her story.

Jennifer Matesa bravely bares herself -- body and soul -- in this honest account of her pregnancy. This is a book for every woman (or man) who hesitates, even slightly, on the threshold of parenthood. It is also a book for those of us who are already parents because it reminds us to look, really look, at our children and our own evolution. I've read the book twice, the first time in a big gulp, the second time in bits and pieces. I keep it in my car so I can pick it up every time I have a spare moment. A lovely book that feels like a wonderful companion.

This 'diary' seems contrived -- written for publication, rather than an honest chronicle of an unplanned, later-in-life pregnancy. The photos are excellent -- thoughtful and interesting. The self-indulgent whining that accompanies them is not.

Jennifer Matesa's book, Naval Gazing, is an honest portrayal of a woman's typical pregnancy and the emotional trials she faces. The book travels from conception through birth, focusing on her childhood, past and present relationships, and personal idiosyncrocies. Her honest account of pregnancy help the reader to understand both the positive and negative aspects of the physical and emotional sides of this becoming. It is definitly a "must-read" for any person that was born into this world through the arms of a woman...everyone can relate.

I enjoyed this book. An easy pregnancy read, nothing on how to, just a refreshing comfort in knowing that someone else has thought some of the things you are thinking, felt some of the feelings you have, and writes about it with grace. The pictures are beautiful, and you find yourself viewing your own pregnant shape a bit more positively. I found it in my library during my third pregnancy, loved it and sent it to a friend through amazon. This is her first pregnancy, she enjoyed it as well.

Jennifer's honest and accurate account of the range of emotions and body changes associated with pregnancy is something many women will relate to. Whether you're pregnant with your first child or are done with childbearing, you'll enjoy reading her story, a story you won't read in any of the popular birth books today. She examines the doubts, shares her triumphs and describes the day-to-day ennui of pregnancy. This is truly a book I didn't want to finish reading.

I didn't want to put down "Navel gazing". Although Jennifer shared her own personal experience I kept finding myself in the thoughts, fears, joys and the suspended question mark that characterizes pregnancy. I especially enjoyed Jennifer's genuineness and forthrightness in discussing the myths, social expectations, use of language and strange behavior surrounding pregnant women. The photographs were thought provoking and beautiful. Their very existence in a world where, as Jennifer points out, we don't see many visuals of pregnant women, was refreshing and engaging. As a mom of a two year old considering having another child, it was an important book in making me feel not so alone with some feelings about pregnancy that don't often get verbalized. It is about time women started having conversations about the tough stuff (and the joyful stuff) that constitutes the journey to motherhood. We, and our life circumstances, are not all "Polly Perfect" as is implied by some other books on pregnancy. I thank Jennifer for engaging us in this much-needed dialogue. While this is an insightful work for those of us in the child-bearing process, I did end up losing the book for a period of time to my mother who is going through menopause. It probably is not a book that she would have thought had anything to offer her, but she read it almost cover to cover and said afterward that she found the issues that Jennifer brought up to be very relevant for her as well. My husband is on deck to read it next! I highly recommend this book to other readers and commend Jennifer for her willingness to share the extremely personal vulnerabilities and strengths that can be discovered along the journey of motherhood.

I purchased this book when my husband and I decided we would "allow nature to take it's course". I am a professional woman in my 30's, and my husband and I haven't been married very long, so it was a very frightening decision to make. I haven't enjoyed any book I've ever read as much as I did this one. I closed the book feeling better about our decision, and unlike other books I've read, I couldn't bear to give it away or throw it out.

We just found out that we are expecting a child in October, and I've started re-reading it. It's written by a smart, talented, independent woman - and I highly recommend it.

I was so impressed with the author's courage to write from her own pregnancy experience and challenge the cultural stereotypes that pregnant women face. The book is alarmingly intimate, candid, dark, and funny. Ms. Matesa doesn't intellectualize but reports, and her story is a beautiful balance of character and events in this nine-month period. The photographs are art.

This is a great book, especially for pregnant women. I read the entire thing in one night.

Ms. Matesa welcomes readers into her intimate world, yet leaves enough room for us to bring our own experiences with us. Her interactions with her sister and her friend affirm both the individuality and the interconnectedness of pregnant women.