Book Review: How To Be a Good Mommy When You're Sick


"I now know what going from 100 to nothing and working back up again slowly actually feels like. A rollercoaster? Yes, but taking it one day at a time with family support and some tips from someone who has always insisted on learning the hard way just might make your ride a bit smoother."

Suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, a progressive autoimmune disease, college teacher Dr. Emily Graves was told the disease would go into remission while she was pregnant. That was the good news; the bad news was, it wasn't true. In fact, she suffered kidney failure, and her son William was delivered by C-section when she was only 28 weeks pregnant. The better news is that she slowly recovered and now, with a typical toddler and a supportive spouse, she offers this guide for others. She makes practical suggestions: how a sick mother can rest, prepare meals, manage a healthy regimen for everyone in the family, make schedules, deal with taking multiple medications—while being a mommy, too. Without being specific about creed, she advises prayer (or meditation) for its calming, centering effect. One of the repeated themes in the book is "Don’t apologize!" A mommy with chronic illness has no reason to be ashamed of being sick, needing time out occasionally, and not constantly living up to others' expectations. She should accept help when appropriate, but never accept pity.

Read the rest of Barbara Bamberger Scott's review Dr. Graves' book at US Review of Books.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In Memoriam: Carl Don Leaver

Image
  1948-2021 It is with great sadness that MSI Press notes the death of Carl Leaver, CEO of the Press and typesetter and graphic designer par excellence . Many authors have expressed not only condolences but also a sense of legacy from covers he designed that they love.  Here is his obituary: On August 16, 2021, Carl Don Leaver of San Juan Bautista passed into eternal rest. A forester with the US Forest Service in Idaho and Montana, he turned to nature photography while working in the Bitterroot National Forest. His photographs graced national magazine covers and on a weekly basis the local paper of Hamilton, MT, the Ravalli Republican. He later worked on photography projects for the US Army (AFEES) and taught photography at the New York Institute of Technology in Amman, Jordan. His final career change led him to computer graphics and publishing as co-owner of MSI Press LLC; his many typeset books and book covers have helped MSI Press authors win a large number of awards over the years,
Read more

A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Book Marketing vs Book Promotion

Image
It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.  Today's post looks at the difference between book marketing and book promotion, two terms that are frequently confused. Leading to the confusion is that some of the same activities are needed for both. In fact, good marketing is dependent upon good promotion. Perhaps the essential difference is that marketing focuses on sales, and promotion focuses on awareness --  noting that without awareness, sales generally do not happen. Book Marketing Book marketing includes promotion, sales, and increasing awareness of the availability of the book. It generally starts with a marketing plan that identifies the target audiences and selects marketing t
Read more

Author in the news: Gregg Bagdade participates in podcast, "Chicago FireWives: Married to the Job

Image
  Gregg Bagdade, author of Mental Health Mayday , recently participated in a podcast called "Chicago FireWives: Married to the Job." Listen to it HERE . For more posts about Gregg and his book, click HERE . Award Literary Titan Gold Award Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com. 
Read more