My mama self

A Partial Reading List

I seem to be coping with new motherhood by reading everything I can get my hands on about the subject.  I've been interested in how women feel about the transition to motherhood. 

Some good books thus far:

Inconsolable: How I Threw My Mental Health out With the Diapers by Marrit Ingman.  This is a very funny book about a mom who had a really really hard time with post-partum depression.  It is part of the genius of the book that she can be tackling such a difficult subject and having you bent over double with laughter. 

Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Love, Kids, and Life in a Half-Changed World by Peggy Orenstein. 

Life After Birth: What Even Your Friends Won't Tell You About Motherhood by Kate Figes.

In the Shelter of Each Other by Mary Pipher. 

Great mama resouces #1

Here's some interesting stuff I've found recently:

A zine called Mad Lovin Mama.  My good friend Hannah is a mother and midwife in Madison, Wisconsin and she sent me a subscription.  Their latest edition featured a "Bad Mama Bingo" which had me hooting.  Each issues typically has some recipes, something crafty to do with the kids (long winters spent inside in Madison), some poetry, something funny, and some prose.
http://www.madlovinmama.com/  There's not much on their website except how to subscribe and I really recommend doing so!

To find out about the safety of your's and your baby's skin care products visit: http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep
You type in the product and it tells about the ingredients.  Eye opening.  Keeps you shopping at your health food store skin care aisle with renewed appreciation. 

http://www.hipmama.com/node/15529
This is a REALLY funny interview of Marrit Ingman the author of the book "Inconsolable: How I Threw My Mental Health Out with the Diapers."

http://www.mamaphonic.com
"Mamaphonic.com is a web zine offering monthly content from emerging writers and poets. Designed for and by artists who are also mothers, Mamaphonic provides an active discussion board community with practical advice, resources, and opportunities to interact with writers, visual artists, zinesters, musicians, actors, and filmmakers."

Vaccinations......

Vaccinations.

I had no idea it was so hard to make decisions around what, when, and if to give your child vaccinations before I became a parent.  The first of many difficult decisions I imagine.

The vaccine book I like is called "Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide.  How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives" by Aviva Jill Romm.  The author is a midwife, herbalist, mother of four, and I believe she's now going to med school.  She is clear and thorough.  She doesn't offer any across the board suggestions for all kids, she emphasizes making choices appropriate for each child's needs and circumstances. 

I can do this

I am just beginning to feel like parenting is getting easier.  Phew.  It is wonderful but the first twelve weeks were so exhausting.  Someone at yoga said the newborn period is like a combination of "torture and euphoria."  Well put.  I am still sleep deprived, but I am managing....

Lucia is blossoming into a little person and it feels like a privlege to witness this.

Mamahood begins

I was standing in the bathroom holding a hair dryer, blowing at nothing, and doing a bounce-bounce dance to no music.  It all came to me in that moment - I am a parent. A parent who is doing what it takes to calm her child.  The white noise of a blow dryer works wonders  for the evening fussy hour.  (Check out the Happiest Baby on the Block for further info.)

Lucia Satya Peterson was born on December 25, 2005 shortly after midnight.  She has been a source of amazement ever since her arrival.   Motherhood has been a source of amazement, frustration, pure joy, laughter, confusion, SO MUCH fun, annoyance, beauty, happiness, anxiety, guilt, and joy, joy, and more joy.  And all the other emotions that exist that I didn't mention. 

Lucia and Rich and I are seven weeks in familyhood and now I'm starting out this blog to tell the tales of live as my MAMA SELF.