The post-pregnancy handbook The only book that tells what the first year after childbirth is really all about- physically, emotionally, sexually

Brown started writing The Post-Pregnancy Handbook after becoming disillusioned with life after her baby was born. No one told her how ravaged her body, or how topsy-turvy her emotions, would be. With nurse and clinical teacher Struck's aid, she aims to put all the unpleasantness out there, so that new mothers can be better informed. Her advice is practical and descriptive, dealing with such mundane but necessary matters as stretch marks, hair care, diet, and bodily functions during the first few weeks after giving birth; she and Struck suggest traditional and alternative remedies for those and other concerns. They briefly address the psychological ramifications of parenthood, too, with helpful tips on understanding what a new father might be feeling and on regaining intimacy with one's partner. Particularly insightful is the chapter "The Mother in You," which helps a woman manage her expectations of herself as a mother, given the practicalities of everyday life. Mary Frances Wilkens.

Broader in scope than similar consumer works, this book includes discussion of the physical, emotional, and social issues commonly associated with the first year of life after delivery. Englishwoman Brown, who writes with the help of Struck, a registered nurse and clinical teaching associate in obstetrics and gynecology at Brown University Medical School, spearheaded this work after she got frustrated with the dearth of materials on her subject. Unfortunately, in attempting to cover every postpartum issue, the authors preclude comprehensive treatment of individual topics. Presented is a mix of helpful and problematic information. Although interesting in themselves, health statistics are presented without source citations or adequate descriptions of conditions and populations; statements of opinion, some highly arguable, are presented as facts. The authors also fail to provide comprehensive treatment by addressing the reader throughout most of the text as a partnered parent with a healthy infant. Those issues aside, the work's major drawback is its liberal recommendations regarding herbal and mineral remedies, which are provided without warnings of contraindications or potential side effects. For instance, comfrey is recommended for lactation support, but according to the second edition of PDR for Herbal Medicines, it is contraindicated for breast-feeding and pregnancy. Oral ingestion of silver, which has not been shown to be efficacious and has potentially harmful side effects, is recommended to lift postpartum spirits. Not recommended. Noemie Maxwell, King Cty. Lib. Syst., Seattle (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.