Essential Motherhood

Dr Sara Kayat is a GP and mum of two – as a medical professional overwhelmed by the information (and often lack of information!) available to new parents, she wanted to write the book that she wish she’d had when she was starting her family. The chapters cover everything from pre-pregnancy nutrition, early pregnancy symptoms and FAQs, to what all the medical jargon at your scans really means, when to worry and when not to worry, what to expect, what is normal, and when to seek further help – Sara has it all covered.

In the first six weeks after her son was born, Jamila Rizvi felt isolated, exhausted and frustrated - as if the world she knew had disappeared forever. Then her salvation came in the form of a letter. A dear friend - who had been there herself - wrote to tell her that she would get through this. That she was seen and supported. That she was not alone. Now Jamila wants to pay it forward to other new mothers.

It’s 2am but your baby thinks it’s party time; their ‘routine’ seems to change with the wind, and you would do anything to get a good night’s sleep. We know how you feel! You might be prepared and listening to this before baby arrives, or as they snooze beside you in those early new-born days, knowing that forewarned is forearmed. Or your eyebags may tell their own bedtime story. Either way, if your baby is not sleeping, you have not done anything wrong. Your baby is not broken (although you might feel broken from lack of sleep), and you are not a bad parent.

Motherhood treats one of the most consequential decisions of early adulthood - whether or not to have children - with the intelligence, wit and originality that have won Sheila Heti international acclaim. Having reached an age when most of her peers are asking themselves when they will become mothers, Heti’s narrator considers, with the same urgency, the question of whether she will do so at all. Over the course of several years, under the influence of her partner, her body, her family, mysticism and chance, Heti's narrator struggles to make a wise and meaningful choice.

There isn’t a perfect guidebook on how to manage the roller coaster ride of a mother’s stress; however, it is never too late to change your way of thinking. Being a mom isn’t an easy job. Your kids need a healthy, happy mom. So, it is my hope that the habit of intentional thinking becomes a seamless part of your life. Mothers need to worry less and throw the negative mind chatter away.

Brushstrokes in Time, written by Sylvia Vetta, is a memoir of fictional Chinese artist, Little Winter, written for her American daughter. It takes the story of Communist China beyond the death of Mao and for the first time in fiction shows the birth of the radical art movement, The Stars, in 1979. Her haunting love story connects us to this time of hope for freedom of expression in China, and to a man frustrated by "being kept in small shoes".

A glorious antidote to parenting books, this darkly humorous, candid and insightful graphic memoir brings the early years of parenthood to life – in all their chaos, wonder and delirium. Intimate, relatable and very funny, Becky Barnicoat explores everything from the anatomy of the hospital bag to the frantic obsession with putting your baby down drowsy but awake, to the tyranny of gentle parenting. From pregnancy to the feral toddler years, Barnicoat extends a sticky hand to all new parents grappling with the impossible but joyous jigsaw puzzle of their lives.

The essentials and key points you need to know about your newborn baby in the shortest time. As new moms struggle with many issues during pregnancy and delivery, they often don't have enough time to read articles and books to get essential and vital information about newborns. This audiobook is the easiest way to get the required information in the shortest time.