The Mother's Book of Well-Being: Caring for Yourself So You Can Care for Your Baby (Paperback)

by Lisa Groen Braner (Author) "IN THE BEGINNING, there is light..." (more)
Key Phrases: Mother's Day

Editorial Reviews

Review
"... graceful blend of memoir, contemplative advice, literary references, holistic health tips that track the joys and difficulties of motherhood." -- The Salt Lake Tribune

"In this charming bedside book, Braner gently reminds that [as a mother] you have the opportunity of recreating yourself." -- Berkley's Parents' Press

"This beautiful book is at once empowering, inspiring, and comforting. If motherhood is a journey, consider this the ultimate guidebook." -- Ame Mahler Beanland, co-author of Celebrating Motherhood and It's a Chick Thing

"This is a wonderfully wise book, written with an intimate awareness of new moms' needs." -- Mothering Magazine

Product Description
Motherhood is a powerful and sacred experience. It can be exciting, thrilling, frightening, exhausting and rewarding all at the same time. The Mother’s Book of Well-Being begins and ends with the premise that the better you can take care of yourself during your baby’s first year, the better caregiver and mother you can be. From one mother to another, Lisa Groen Braner offers 52 essays, one per week, about different ways mothers can learn to take time for themselves.

Portraying both the reality and the joys of motherhood, The Mother’s Book of Well-Being offers spiritual sustenance combined with practical tips to assist new mothers in transcending common feelings of isolation, frustration and uncertainty.

From the prologue:

"As most mothers learn sooner or later, perpetual giving leaves you depleted. Recovering a sense of balance often feels impossible after the tumult of giving birth, breastfeeding and late nights. Yet it’s important that we replenish the well from which we regularly dispense unconditional love. Sometimes we need to escape, have lunch with a friend or walk in the woods with our mate. We need to make time for our spouse and our friends, who give us the support and strength to care for our children as we do. Most importantly, we need to take time for our own rest and reflection. As we learn to care more deeply about ourselves, we extend ourselves more intently to our children. Motherhood is a journey into wholeness, and the way is self-care."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573248223
• ISBN-13: 978-1573248228
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #479,040 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very inspirational! Perfect for new mothers!, November 19, 2003

By	MyParenTime.com "myparentimesfamily" (USA) - See all my reviews

The joy of new motherhood is often overshadowed by the need for rest, relaxation and the search for a little private time. Ah, I remember those days as though they were yesterday.

In "The Mother's Book of Well-Being," by Lisa Groen Braner, new mothers will find 52 weeks of inspirational passages, self-giving ideas and suggestions for enriching their role as a mother. Children will benefit not only from the love you give to them, but also from the love you give to yourself.

MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book - mothers will find a wealth of support and helpful suggestions on how to enrich their lives, thus enriching the lives of their children. The short passages allow just enough time for quick reads throughout the day. It's small size is perfect for carrying in your purse or a diaper bag :). New mothers, who often forget to care for themselves, will learn how to stay on the path to well-being.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bran for the Soul, July 27, 2004

By	Christine Louise Hohlbaum "award-winning auth... (near Munich, Germany) - See all my reviews

Lisa Braner provides for her readers a nourishing, cleansing and nurturing book of wisdom, broken down into manageable, bite-size pieces. Her 52 bits of sage advice take the new mother through the phases of motherhood from newborn to toddler. Even the cover evokes images of comfort: three little ducks in a sudsy bath; a baby's foot in a mother's hand; and cozy slippers resting delicately in a basket.

Braner's honest examination of motherhood left me, a two-time mother, feeling understood and, quite frankly, loved! Her thoughtful essays interweave the right amount of personal stories to give the reader the feeling that Braner has been there, too. I will never look at my "skinny jeans" in the same way; nor will I engage in negative self-talk, which so many mothers do. Her book made me want to kick back, take a guilt-free bath, and enjoy my kids as their childhoods enfold before me. Thank you, Ms. Braner, for your contribution to mothers' wellness!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lifeline for New Mothers, January 1, 2003

By	Daphne Stevens (Macon, GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a gem of a book, poetically expressed and filled with practical wisdom that will comfort and companion even the most sleep-deprived young mother. The author manages to articulate the wonder, the bewilderment, the fatigue, and the pure pleasure that come with the first year of motherhood, in a way that encourages the reader to totally immerse herself in the experience--and to meet herself, perhaps for the first time.