Emma Barnett Maternity Service : A Love Letter to Mothers from the Front Line

NOW WITH A NEW PROLOGUEThe essential companion for every mother embarking on maternity leaveIn one important sense maternity leave is poorly named, as it involves no actual leave. You are constantly on, even when your offspring is having a nap. There is nothing restful about it. In another sense maternity leave is aptly named, because its a period of leave from all you know taking leave of ones mind, body, job, and relationshipsWhen Emma Barnett began her second maternity leave, she realized that, despite having been there before, as soon as her first leave finished the rosetinted lenses had descended and she immediately forgot what the experience was actually like when youre in it. This collective forgetting, which leads to wellmeaning comments such as enjoy every minute and treasure this special time, is doing a disservice to women, leaving them unprepared for the more complicated reality of what it means to be on maternity service. In this warmly reassuring, refreshingly honest book, Emma sets out to capture this reality, in real time while on her latest tour of duty. She isnt offering advice on sleeptraining or weaning or helping your baby reach milestones. Instead, this book is a celebration and acknowledgement of the work of being on maternity leave, with its soaring highs and challenging lows, and its impact on how women feel about our purpose and ourselves. Kind, funny, smart, soothing and radical ... This book is a hot cup of tea, a steadying hand on an arm, a... | Emma Barnett Maternity Service : A Love Letter to Mothers from the Front Line