I WROTE A QUICK REVIEW FOR MY BLOG AND MY READERS LOVED IT! HEAR IS WHAT I HAVE TO SAY!!

Okay so we all know I am a super mama disguised as a frenzied, frantic, extremely tired mama. After 2 beautiful girls with 2 completely different personalities I still can't claim to know much about newborns and postpartum mamas!

Survival Guide for the Rookie Mom taught me a LOT (I know, I know, I appear to know it all already;). This book is a fabulous resource for new and experienced moms alike!! With over 6 years between my kids I felt like a rookie both times around!!

Erica Wells & Lorraine Regal tell it like it is in The Survival Guide for the Rookie Mom. There is no beating around the bush, no half truths, and absolutely no holding anything back! There are so many things that make this book awesome but I am going to break it down into my faves.

First-the book breaks tradition (which I love!) and is divided up into body maps instead of age or months postpartum. The body map structure starts right at the top and works its way down to the bottom without missing any details!! The first section of the book is dedicated to helping you understand baby and what they will go through in their first year(s) without putting time limits on anything. I am one of those anal moms that would freak out and bring my weaner to the doctor if she wasn't doing all the milestones on the 6 month chart of the parenting book I was reading. And in reverse, I was also one of those mamas who would brag up if my weaner hit something before the books said they should. This book takes away from that structure and realizes that each baby is different (thank your lucky stars because that means you have a good chance of not getting mineJ). They do however let you know when there is cause for concern which as a new mama, is great reassurance!

Next, let's move onto the nearly 14 pages dedicated to weaning your baby and starting solid foods!! Wooohooo Survival Mom!! In my line of work I have not met anyone that does not have an opinion about starting baby on solids. I hear it all!! My favourite lines from this part of the book, "Two extremely important things to remember before you introduce your baby to solid food are: 1. Cover your entire room in plastic sheeting-the fallout zone is way bigger than you anticipate. 2. Have a camera handy to capture priceless grimaces at the first sampling of veggies". Cracks me up!!

If I was an expecting mama I would leave the baby body map for second and start with the mama's body map!! You don't want to be sleep deprived for this section! I remember when I was visiting one of my awesome besties when she was 7 months pregnant. She was reading a fantastic pregnancy book that I had also read. I told her the one thing I wish someone had laid out in a little bit more detail before I gave birth was the ridiculously large and painful haemorrhoids that can occur from pushing the miracle of life through your loins! The Survival Guide for The Rookie Mom doesn't leave this out! That's right, they talk about it all, the good, the bad, the ugly and the ugliest (my opinion is the rear end pains and crazy sore nipples!). They even go into your bedroom which is about the last place you think of going once you have given birth. Man, I wish I had this book approximately 9 years ago!!

http://weangreen.com/blog/flavor-of-the-week-the-survival-guide-for-rookie-moms-giveaway/

I wish this book had been available when I was a new Mom. Being able to refer to it at any time of day or night and seeing that others have encountered the same problems that you are finding would have been a great comfort. I will be purchasing a copy for my neice who is living in Canada at present and expecting her first baby in the spring.

Being a proud survivor of the first year of motherhood, I fully understand that having a baby can throw even the most professional, together, intelligent woman into physical and mental disarray. A new mom can feel cast adrift when she first encounters the sometimes lonely, confusing and overwhelming 'Baby World'. Quite often, the only way to save your sanity is to share your dilemmas with fellow new moms. This book reassures you, you are not alone in this weird and wonderful new world - there are other battle scarred comrades out there.

In The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms, an easy-to-read, easy-to-reference book, you learn to navigate your way around your postpartum body and your new baby's body. It tackles new moms' issues, shares tips and advice, and most importantly you can have a laugh into the bargain.