Book Review

Book Review : The period immediately following the birth of a newborn can be a tumultuous time of uncertainty, exhaustion, and discomfort for a new mother and family. In Maternity Leave: A New Mother’s Guide to the First Six Weeks Postpartum, author Cheryl Zauderer helps new mothers navigate challenging times throughout this transition and answers many of the questions new families are confronted with. Zauderer tackles several main topics, including post-baby body, breastfeeding, love and sex, bonding, and most significantly in my opinion, mood disorders. Maternity Leave speaks to the spectrum of readers post-birth; whether it’s your first baby or fifth, whether you have an abundance or lack of financial resources, and whether you have a large or limited support system, this book is for you. Zauderer speaks to the challenges of postpartum without pathologizing the experience, but rather allows for a normalization of many fears new mothers face. Overall, I was impressed with the content of Zauderer’s work. However, there were some sections that lacked clarity, organization, inclusivity, and a personal element, which failed to consistently maintain this reader’s attention.