In a winning combination of supportive humor and helpful information, You Got This, Mama! by Elizabeth Swenson is a fantastic addition to the new parent guidebook genre.
Why is my baby's poop green? Are my breasts supposed to feel like this? How will my baby tell me she's hungry? And where the heck did my libido go? Swenson's colorful and spare scrapbook-style guidebook addresses questions new parents may not even know to ask, with perceptive humor and empathy for the experience. It is filled with tongue-in-cheek notes like "Today's Goal: Keep the tiny human alive" and "Being a mom looks less like Pinterest and more like Picasso," alongside flowcharts, simple graphs, inspirational quotes and letters to the reader. Her chosen medium and charming art do not belie the helpful nature of the words inside, which include coverage of sensitive topics such as post-partum depression, post-delivery care (for both vaginal and C-section births) and the guaranteed insecurities that all new parents experience. "Being a mom is an intensely personal thing and everyone is trying their best... YOU know best." With regular notes that parenting is rarely a solo gig, she reminds readers that asking for help--both professional and personal--is not only normal but recommended.
Swenson's guidebook takes the edge off of serious questions without dismissing the difficulties of infant and self-care. While You've Got This, Mama! is not a replacement for the more in-depth medical guides many new parents rely on, its breakdown of important questions with a best friend's humor and accurate, real-world practicality makes it both useful and entertaining supplemental reading, not to mention a great gift for new parents. --Jennifer Oleinik, freelance writer and editor