The nine chapters in this comprehensive guide include resources, networks, information, stories and advice to nurture, validate and empower the new mother, whether she is having her first baby or her third. Drawn from three years of research and the author's own experience, each chapter is filled with the practical suggestions and hands-on solutions provided by doctors, nurses, midwives, other caregivers, and over 100 new mothers.

You don't have to be alone. Share the experiences, successes, and struggles of many other women before and after childbirth in this all-in-one mothercare guide about family, work, the baby (or second or third baby), and you. Includes checklists, plan-ahead suggestions, questionnaires, and much more.

Drawn from three years of research, the author's own experience, and the candid recollections of many mothers--married and single, birth and adoptive, older and younger-- the nine chapters in this comprehensive guide cover all aspects of the postpartum experience, including:

• what the new mom should expect when she goes home
• what postpartum is and how long it lasts
• where to find breastfeeding help
• how to ask for help
• the new mom's home-care options
• realistic going-back-to-work options
• how to relieve the isolation of at-home mothering
• what to say (and not to say) to family members
• and much more