Postpartum Motherhood

Motherhood treats one of the most consequential decisions of early adulthood - whether or not to have children - with the intelligence, wit and originality that have won Sheila Heti international acclaim. Having reached an age when most of her peers are asking themselves when they will become mothers, Heti’s narrator considers, with the same urgency, the question of whether she will do so at all. Over the course of several years, under the influence of her partner, her body, her family, mysticism and chance, Heti's narrator struggles to make a wise and meaningful choice.

Is it supposed to be this hard? It's a question all new mothers ask. The moment after birthing your baby, you enter postpartum. It's the blurriest of transitions – there's joy and awe but also intense physical recovery, fluctuating hormones, a brain that can't find the right words, and so much to learn. It's beautiful and it's hard. The Complete Guide to Postpartum is your comforting and enlightening companion to navigating this entirely new life, from the earliest moments post-birth to many years later.

A stunning memoir by a writer and mental health advocate about motherhood, postpartum mental health, and finding ground when you lose all control. When writer and blogger Ayana Lage became pregnant, she prepared as any parent would: voraciously researching, Redditing, preparing for anything. And...

This refreshingly candid resource fills a notable voice by providing real, honest, and raw insights into motherhood. With their nonjudgmental yet humorous tone, Caitlin and Chelsea provide a deep dive into all things #momlife.

A renowned midwife, doula trainer, and Master of Public Health celebrates the lost art of African American postnatal healing practices in this practical, essential guide to maternal health. As a mother, grandmother, and traditional midwife, Shafia M. Monroe intimately knows about childbirth and...

From ancestral healing expert Pānquetzani comes traditional Indigenous wisdom for helping women thrive in, rather than merely survive, the postpartum experience. Though we now have more resources for ancestral birthing and self-care practices than ever, postpartum care is still largely stuck...

Brooke Shields's emotional, heartfelt memoir about her experience with postpartum depression provides readers with inspiration and the knowledge that they're not alone. When Brooke Shields welcomed her newborn daughter, Rowan Francis, into the world, something unexpected followed—a crippling...

A much-needed voice of encouragement for every woman who had a baby and lost her mind Sometimes, motherhood feels never-ending. A child is born, chaos ensues, and it seems like life will never return to normal. In You Are a F*cking Awesome Mom, award-winning journalist and Instagram star Leslie...

A practical, expert-led, straight-talking guide to exercising during pregnancy and post-birth. Staying active during pregnancy and the postpartum period has vast physical and mental health benefits, but it’s also a subject that’s fraught with fear, myths, and misinformation. We’re told by...

Pregnancy isn't just about creating a baby. It's also about the powerful transformation we go through on the journey to becoming "mama". We created The Motherly Guide to Becoming Mama to coach and inspire you each step of the way. This is the pregnancy book we wish we'd had - a mama-centered guide that doesn't just focus on your baby's needs, but honors and coaches you through this profound life change.

A raw, funny, and fiercely honest account of becoming a mother before feeling like a grown up. When Meaghan O'Connell got accidentally pregnant in her twenties and decided to keep the baby, she realized that the book she needed -- a brutally honest, agenda-free reckoning with the emotional and...

A harrowing memoir about a woman's struggle with postpartum depression. Nine days after the birth of her daughter, Amanda was involuntarily admitted to a Toronto psychiatric ward for postpartum depression (PPD). The typical hold-and-release process in Ontario is seventy-two hours. She stayed eighteen days.

Early motherhood is supposed to be joyous, but for Aaisha Alvi those early days were ruined by terrifying thoughts about her baby and family. Her experience was the antithesis of everything she had ever been told about motherhood, far beyond the trials of breastfeeding or putting her baby to sleep. Aaisha did recover and began to enjoy motherhood. She was thrilled when she fell pregnant again. Sadly, that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and the psychosis returned. This time, however, she was blindsided by the unimaginable: voices urged her to stab her daughter and to harm innocent people.

Written from the perspectives of both therapist and busy mom, Self-Care for New Moms features several eye-opening exercises, interviews from a village of experts (who also happen to be moms), and helpful interventions to help you get through the chronic depletion common to the postpartum year.

After the birth of her baby triggers a manic maelstrom, Dyane Harwood struggles to survive the bewildering highs and crippling lows of her brain's turmoil. Birth of a New Brain vividly depicts her postpartum bipolar disorder, an unusual type of bipolar disorder and postpartum mood and anxiety disorder. During her childhood, Harwood grew up close to her father, a brilliant violinist in the Los Angeles Philharmonic who had bipolar disorder. She learned how bipolar disorder could ravage a family, but she never suspected that she'd become mentally ill - until her baby was born.