The Girlfriends' Guide to Surviving the 1st Year of Motherhood

September 29, 1997
Following the formula that made The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy a funny, honest and reassuring resource, Iovine has provided a sequel for new mothers. Women who do not have a close circle of experienced female friends to turn to for advice will find this a happy substitute, filled as it is with forthright woman talk on everything from why one's best nightie isn't right for the hospital to hiring the first nanny and going back to work. While this guide offers some pertinent child-care tips, the focus here is not on the new baby but on the new mother--her body, her moods, fears and worries, her relationships. Iovine and her candid, chatty friends share their wisdom about postpartum depression, surviving on very little sleep, getting one's old body back, and resuming a sex life. Especially valuable are the discussions of breastfeeding, for Iovine takes no sides but carefully and clearly helps women sort out the pros and cons of this emotion-packed issue, and the no-nonsense advice on getting the most out of one's pediatrician. Even experienced mothers can benefit from this candid, supportive guide.

September 1, 1997
Iovine follows up her successful The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy (Pocket, 1995) with this breezy, irreverent guide to the first year of motherhood. She covers everything from labor (when you feel "like you've swallowed a bucking bronco") to "poo-poo that smells like roses" to nursing, sleeping (or not), postpartum depression, and more. The idea here is to provide insider information (girlfriends share and share alike, right?), but the tone is more often flippant than confidential. There's not much new material that is not already found in classics like Arlene Eisenberg's What To Expect the First Year (Workman, 1988), and nervous first-timers may not respond well to Iovine's approach. Not a priority purchase.--Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal