MSI Press Blog

Excerpt from  Lessons of Labor INTRODUCTION   Before giving birth for the first time, I was warned that labor would be the most painful physical experience I would ever endure, but no one ever told me I would be entering into battle with my own mind. No one explained that the pain of labor was just as much about facing my inner demons and giving up the pretense of control as it was about physical discomfort. I didn’t know that I would keep learning from the experience for the rest of my life.   This book is not a manual for having a “successful” natural birth or for becoming the ultimate Zen mother. Though you may have been searching for such a guide, I do not think you need one. I offer you the stories of my birth and early motherhood experiences to share the learning I received through this incredible rite of passage. Instead of teaching you how to labor or how to live your life, my reflections are intended to ignite your curiosity about your own labor as an opportunity for self-disc

  From the author of  Lessons of Labor: One Woman's Self-Discovery through Birth , Julia Aziz - Lessons of Labor  was conceived a few hours after my first child was born. Battered, bleeding, and still in shock over what childbirth had really been like, one thing was clear to me: I had to write everything down, and I had better do it soon, before I forgot. My birth experience was not particularly unusual in any way, but my internal process felt like a long meditation retreat I had done some years earlier: every personal demon I had ever struggled with had somehow come to face me in the past twenty-four hours, and I was reeling from the experience.  Of course in the months to come, I came to see that giving birth, which I had given quite a bit of thought and preparation to, was actually easier than postpartum anxiety, insomnia, hormonal changes, and newborn care. As I began to inexpertly stumble along the path of motherhood, I noticed those personal demons were coming along for the r

  I suppose it is hokey associating Labor Day (the day to honor workers) with the labor of childbirth, but, heck, it ain't called "labor" for nothing. Any woman who has gone through it can tell you that it is a lot of work. Ironically, my daughter's birthday is today, Labor Day. Giving birth during the Labor Day weekend meant that her doctor was out of town, but we both survived. Though I tried hard to make it into the regular work week, she was having none of that, and after 12 hours of negotiation on the date, she won. So, happy birthday to my Labor Day (now working) girl. It seems appropriate, then, to share an excerpt today from Lessons of Labor by Julia Aziz, a social worker and three times a mother. She knows something about both kinds of labor.  REMEMBERING THE BEGINNER’S MIND   About a week before my second baby’s due date, I woke up in the middle of the night to the same menstrual-like cramping that began my first labor. Excited at 3 a.m. in the morning, I wo

  Because we had published a number of very good books before starting this blog, books that to this day have a growing fan club, we consider it important to share some "oldies but goodies" with our readers. Today's oldie-but-goodie is a review of Lessons of Labor (Julia Aziz) from Readers' Favorite. Says RF:  The writing style is fluid, descriptive, honest, assertive and simple. All the advice is easy to incorporate and practice. The book is also a nice way of looking at motherhood through someone else's eyes. Apart from expectant mothers and new mothers, this book will be helpful to all birth or postpartum professionals. Read the review here:  Book review of Lessons of Labor - Readers' Favorite: Book Reviews and Award Contest   For more posts by and about Julia and her book, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date)   Foll

  Because we had published a number of very good books before starting this blog, books that to this day have a growing fan club, we consider it important to share some "oldies but goodies" with our readers. Today's oldie-but-goodie is a review of Lessons of Labor (Julia Aziz) from Foreword Reviews. Says FR:  "Aziz conveys the conflicting feelings that parents can hold simultaneously, offering an enlightening read for new parents." Read the whole review here:  Review of Lessons of Labor (9781933455921) — Foreword Reviews . For more posts by and about Julia and her book, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date)   Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC?  We help writers become award-winning published authors. One writer at a time. We are a family, not a factory

This excerpt from Julia Aziz's Lessons of Labor seems quite appropriate for the stresses we deal with during today's pandemic. Fear in any situation has a relative in fear in any other situation. in Facing Fear  Once I was ready to get out of the shower, the doula recommended that we leave for the hospital. She checked my cervix, reassuring me that I was far enough along in the process to warrant a move to the final birthing destination. Before gathering all my belongings, I had a crisis of faith. How would I ever manage the pain of labor while sitting in the car for 30 minutes? At home, I could walk outside and bend over with every contraction, impossible activities for the front seat of a car. I even started to debate just staying home (my doula was a homebirth midwife, after all). Then, reason, or rather my husband’s calm rationality, took over, and we decided to go with the plan already in place. Internally, I said to myself, “I can do this because I have to

The Priority of the Present Finally, I recognized that my will could no longer compete with my body. I put the half-cooked meal in the freezer and the mostly packed bags by the door. I needed to direct my full attention to labor. I moved slowly around the house, resting over the arms of couches and chairs, breathing deeply, and moaning quietly. Without the pressure of tasks to accomplish, I was able to notice that my contractions had progressed from the menstrual-like cramping sensation of before. They were now much stronger and more substantial. Something was really happening here. When necessity pulls me into the present, I know exactly what matters. One of the blessings of labor for me was the inability to attend to everyday minutiae. The sensations of my body became so powerful that my usual multi-tasking mindset started to fade into the distance. Though the mental chatter continued, it wasn’t in command anymore. I was able to access a deeper focus, the same mental focu

Because we had published a number of very good books before starting this blog, books that to this day have a growing fan club, we consider it important to share some "oldies but goodies" with our readers. Today's oldie-but-goodie is a review of Lessons of Labor (Julia Aziz) from Readers' Favorite. Says USR:  Aziz's lessons touch the lives of every woman, no matter their walk in life. Read the review here:  Book Reviews - The US Review of Books: Professional Book Reviews . For more posts by and about Julia and her book, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date)   Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC?  We help writers become award-winning published authors. One writer at a time. We are a family, not a factory. Do you have a future with us? Turned away by other