Surprise Motherhood: A Guide to Unexpected Adult Pregnancy
Product Description
At twenty-seven, Ophelia was working full-time & pursuing her doctorate when she found she was pregnant, despite using two forms of birth control. She was dismayed to find pregnancy books assumed either she planned this baby & was thrilled to be pregnant, or she was fifteen & had gotten knocked up in the backseat of a Chevy. Nowhere could she find a book geared towards women like herself- successful, independent adults, facing a surprise pregnancy in their later twe… More >>
Surprise Motherhood: A Guide to Unexpected Adult Pregnancy
Tagged with: Adult • Guide • Motherhood • Pregnancy • Surprise • Unexpected
Filed under: Pregnancy Depression
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I just ordered this book (but I haven’t gotten it yet) and I went back to simply look at the online/sample version to remind myself as to why I ordered it. At the time I was seriously contemplating my options to carry or not etc. Looking back, the information in the sample version seemed perfectly fitting. However, I realize now it only focuses on abortion options. I really hope that the rest of the book is (more) balanced but would like to suggest that even for the sample version…they choose some additional pages so it doesn’t look like they are advocating only that option. I realize they aren’t and it probably has more to do with the number of pages you can scan and etc. but there are some fanatics out there that miss out on what I look forward to being a very helpful book.
Rating: 1 / 5
I am a twenty-something woman, hoping to be a parent someday but with no kids on the horizon just yet. I knew Ophelia in passing in college, and when she became pregnant with her first child, I read her website eagerly, squirreling away her insights on pregnancy for the future. She told the truth about pregnancy, even when it wasn’t pretty (no more taking bladder control for granted!). When I found out she was writing a whole book about pregnancy, I was eager to read it.
This book was just what I was hoping for. It’s written informally, with humorous anecdotes and useful information about pregnancy and motherhood. I appreciate Ophelia’s honesty; she isn’t afraid to talk about things that many pregnancy-related publications gloss over, like postpartum depression. The book touches on a range of topics (including alarming and unexpected physical changes that occur during pregnancy, how to deal with your employer during and after pregnancy, and which baby products are essential) with references provided for more in-depth information.
Should I ever become pregnant, in addition to reading the traditional baby tomes, I’ll keep this book on hand for a frank and informative look at pregnancy and motherhood.
Rating: 4 / 5
I’m a mom of two kids in my mid-thirties. I picked up this book during my second pregnancy, which was a surprise. I thought I had a pretty good handle on stuff, since I’d already had a child, but Surprise Motherhood had a *lot* of great information that I wished I’d had the first time around.
The section on the FMLA and maternity leave really helped. Every other book gives you the same standard stuff- contact HR, tell your boss, be flexible, etc. Surprise Motherhood told me about the laws in my state, how to keep good boundaries while I was off work, and how to tactfully and professionally deal with my pushy boss. It was great knowing exactly what I was entitled to, and how to get it without seeming rude.
The postpartum depression part was also really helpful for me. I’d struggled after my older child was born and had been worried about having issues again. This book taught me the difference between normal mood swings and actual postpartum depression, and gave me a lot of info about postpartum OCD, which I’d never heard of before. I passed it on to my husband, which helped him understand.
The other great section was the birth control, which you wouldn’t expect from a pregnancy book. My God, I never knew I had so many options. It was a great help because I was sick of the pill but wasn’t sure about alternatives beyond condoms. Now I know about a huge number of choices, and I eventually went with the cervical cap (which I like).
Overall, this book is really helpful, both in regards to a sudden pregnancy and general girly issues like sex and birth control. Even if your pregnancy was planned, this is probably still a good book for those reasons alone.
Rating: 5 / 5
I read this book cover to cover in almost one sitting and loved it. I’m a brand new dad but I connected with the “mommy” in this book over and over again.
The author dispenses with needless formatting of concepts and expectations and simply gives the nitty-gritty facts and details that one needs to expect and be weary of while pregnant and during the first months/years of parenthood. Ophelia Austin-Small incorporates her own life experiences and those of others into a feel-good storytelling format that allows the reader to lower their guard and feel okay about themselves while also being given insight and tactics to be empowered to deal with life-bearing and life-altering decisions.
Although language and topic can be coarse at points in the book, it helps emphasize that the author is not trying to sell a false, “PC” image but focuses on the often overlooked low-points and uncomfortable topics of motherhood, and parenthood in general.
I picked this book up 10 months after my first child was born, and I’m the father, yet it still held useful information for me and gave me solace knowing others have had similar experiences. Had this book been available two years ago, I would have worn the pages thin by now.
Kudos to this first time author and two time mother in being able to take her own daunting life-bearing experiences and produce a piece of literature that can help others make it through their own experiences with a bit more hope and self-respect.
Rating: 5 / 5
I really enjoyed reading this book. As the author points out, it is hard to find books for adult women who are not so thrilled about their pregnancy. Every book I found at the bookstore was about the joys of pregnancy and motherhood. Well, my pregnancy was unexpected and not quite a joy at first. I felt very alone, so it was nice to find reading material that pertained to the way I feel. Ophelia added a humerous touch to my circumstance, and it was nice to be able to laugh out loud a few times.
Rating: 4 / 5