New Book Covers the Care & Keeping of Mom During the First Year of Motherhood

When you think back on your first year of motherhood, it’s likely a blur of feedings and diaper changes and figuring out how to keep a human alive. It’s so easy to forget about taking care of yourself during that scary, tumultuous time.

That’s where new book, Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year comes in. Author Maria Lianos-Carbone (also the founder of amotherworld.com) focuses on the self-care of mom during that first year of motherhood. It’s about the physical and emotional changes you experience after baby, managing various expectations from family and friends, dealing with baby blues and postpartum depression, as well as rekindling intimacy with your partner. You know, all the important, meaty stuff.

When we asked Maria why she wrote it, she explained, “I found many of the books available were either focused solely on baby, or humorous personal accounts from moms. I wanted to provide a book that offers helpful research-backed tips for moms, along with covering some serious topics that new moms face.”

There’s no denying that nothing quite prepares you for motherhood. Just when you think you have all the bases covered about your new baby’s arrival, you get the rug pulled out from under you and you realize that you might not be as mentally and emotionally prepared for the changes you’ll experience.

“I hope that my book will help new moms feel more prepared for some of the challenges they may face that first year. I hope they will walk away with some practical solutions, and ultimately feel like they are not alone in their motherhood journey,” Maria said.

We love the idea of giving this gift to an expecting mom at a baby shower—or even just to give yourself. You deserve it, right? (I mean, you’re either about to have or just had a baby!)

The best thing you can do? Be gentle on yourself. One of the biggest traps moms fall into is focusing so much time and energy on your baby that you forget that you have needs, too. Sleep is a priority, as is your physical, emotional and mental health. Bottom line: Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Maria Lianos-Carbone is publisher of www.amotherworld.com, a lifestyle blog for women, and author of “Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year: Because Moms Need a Little TLC, Too!” available at Chapters-Indigo and Amazon.ca.