Enough About the Baby: A Brutally Honest Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood

In this intimate manual, Vieira (PR You!), who reflects on motherhood as WittyOtter on Instagram, dispenses guidance for surviving the first year after childbirth. Recounting the difficulties she faced after having her son, including postpartum depression and fights with her husband, Vieira shares with expecting and recent mothers “everything I wish I had known,” such as what to expect at the hospital, what to do after taking one’s baby home, and how to find childcare. Insights from obstetricians, lactation consultants, and other experts are peppered throughout, including recommendations to get infants on a sleep schedule by developing a bedtime routine and that breastfeeding doesn’t have “to be all or nothing.” The most revelatory material deals with the negative aspects of motherhood, as when Vieira recounts the guilt she felt about not immediately loving her newborn until she learned that this is normal because the “brain is set to first feel an obligation to take care of and protect our baby, and by doing that we bond with them.” Vieira’s candor about her struggles as a new mother and the input from experts results in a volume that’s at once practical and deeply personal. This is a must for new and mothers-to-be. (Mar.)