The Mother's Book of Well-Being was named one of eight "Must-Read Books About Motherhood" by City Parent, Canada's largest parenting magazine.
"In The Mother's Book of Well-Being, Lisa Groen Braner's
reassuring voice offers overwhelmed nurturers ways to bring
themselves back to physical, emotional, and spiritual balance. This
is a wonderfully wise book, written with an intimate awareness of new
moms' needs."
"Journalist Lisa Groen Braner takes a week-by-week
format in this charming bedside book.... She gently reminds and reiterates
that not only have you helped create a new life, you also have the
opportunity of recreating yourself...." "The Mother's Book of Well-Being is a graceful blend
of memoir, contemplative advice, literary references and holistic health
tips that track the joys and difficulties of motherhood...." |
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Book Excerpts
Introduction:
Motherhood begins at the moment of conception. In that moment, everything shifts. Life makes way for life. As a woman’s belly swells, a slow but steady understanding dawns. Her maiden time on this Earth has passed. A more mysterious time beckons. She endures queasy mornings, rife with uncertainty. And as her baby grows, she begins to understand the meaning of giving herself over to a child. Her body houses two souls. Her life is flooded with a sense of wonder and purpose.
During this time of inward change and sacred recognition, a woman’s outer world changes also. The identifying phrase “with baby” says it all. While pregnant, I felt as if a veil shrouded my physical self and the only part of me that people recognized was my abdomen, the baby. I had never felt unseen before pregnancy. Suddenly I was merely a “mother-to-be.” This external label affirmed yet contradicted who I was. I was thrilled to become a mother, yet perplexed about losing my own identity. While my identity seemed to narrow to others, it amplified to me.
Being pregnant was my first introduction to the realm of expectation that surrounds motherhood. If I were to write a résumé of the world’s perfect mother, it might read like this: responsible, giving, selfless, sacrificing, tireless, strong, moral, wise, kind, forgiving, nurturing, supportive, and so on. No one said it would be easy but I’m not sure that I want to become someone else’s version of the perfect mother. I’d also like to be free-spirited, adventurous, artistic, funny, sensual, and romantic. Rather than blurring one’s true self, motherhood can magnify and honor all aspects of who you are. I am a more sensitive writer, a better listener for my friends, a more caring lover.
The first year of motherhood is a time of great change and insight. You will be tested physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. You’ll be pulled to notice the ways in which you care for and neglect yourself. As we walk through these weeks together, I’d like you to open your heart and continue to ask yourself one important question:
What if I were a mother of my own design?
