I admit, this is not my usual sort of book, I just happened to find it lying around at home and felt a need to share this with you.
It is a book for new mums to understand why they feel as they do, and they give wonderful examples of women who thought they should have recovered within a couple of weeks and are finding thirty years on that they are still tired and listless from giving birth. ( I could relate to that!)
As I read on the chapter titled Health after Birth, it spoke of other cultures. Apparently, women in Malay villages are allowed forty days of recuperation before rejoining the village. During these weeks the women are given hot baths infused with hot and fragrant leaves as they believe it restores health and balance to the new mother. New mothers from the Ibo people in Nigeria sleep with their babies by a fire especially made for her and does no domestic work for at least 28 days.
Modern China was a bit of an eye opener, as they expect their new mothers to have a month to recover and the mums are expected to eat at least six times a day. Sounds good to me.
Now, we thought we were a civilised sort of country and yet our mothers are supposed to be up and about and shopping in Safeway's within the week.
Further on in the book the author talks about, a normal task, like travelling, and now the same task with small children. If anyone has tried to get two very small children down the stairs at a busy station, carrying all the baggage that accompanies children, you can appreciate the bravery and fear this entails, and you know that everyone around you watching you struggle is thinking, 'if she can't cope she shouldn't have had them!'
I enjoyed reading the book, skimming over the bit about interfering mother-in-laws and grandmas who know best, because it just didn't apply to me! It brought back memories of being a new mum and I'm sure my daughter-in-law (whose book it is) and son, will find it helpful toward bringing up their new son, but it's probably best read thirty years later.
Happy reading - The Bradworthy Book Reviewer
Happy Reading, the Bradworthy Book Reviewer