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

~ (Author) "The realization that I was totally and completely pregnant came on like a summer storm..." (more)
Key Phrases: parenting zine, birth partner, reasonable visitation, Hip Mama, United States, Erma Bombeck (more...)

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 Description

"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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (April 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786882328
• ISBN-13: 978-0786882328
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 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 (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #480,682 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 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

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for me, November 5, 2007

By	tiduj (Hungary) - See all my reviews

I'm sure this book's very useful for mamas living in dire financial conditions, but as for me, most of the advice the book has to offer was irrelevant. I hope I'll never get to a situation when returning an old used sweater to the store will seem like the only way to get some cash. (Not to mention the fact that where I live, you will never ever get money back for a returned item from a store. :) )
As for the style of writing, I found the book mildly entertaining at first, refreshing even - but then it just went on and on and I soon found myself bored.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

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!