NOW THAT YOU'VE HAD YOUR BABY: How to Feel Better and Happier Than Ever After Childbirth

An informal manual of postpartum advice, exuding the air of kindly reassurance which is a hallmark of the genre. If Panter and Linde's well-meant handholding doesn't try your patience, there's a lot of sound and practical information--explanations of the physiological changes that follow parturition, lists of things to have on hand when you bring the baby home, exercise and diet suggestions. The authors emphasize that the new mother's attitudes toward herself and the baby will not fall effortlessly into storybook patterns; the best way to cope with feelings of inadequacy and guilty resentment is to plan safety valves--make compromises with the housework, line up help, leave time for rest, ""go out once in a while without the baby."" Also: advice on breastfeeding difficulties, when to resume sex, insurance problems, further family planning. Pleasant and useful for those who have not heard it before. Cf. Banet and Rozdilsky, What Now? (p. 1149).