Do new moms need this book?

I think new mums need a lot of support, primarily I guess, from their partner, family and friends. Books should come second. Having said that, there's certainly a huge market out there for this type of book, but there's also more books about this out there than you can shake a stick at. So if you want to go ahead, I would suggest that you need to offer a new slant on the whole issue; a new perspective of some sort. (I don't know what)

I know what you mean. My youngest is 3 years old and I'm still having an identity crisis!

Anyway, good luck if you go ahead with it.

I think if it's something you wished were available and can't find then there's a market for it. Like Mandy said, check the books available and see how yours is different. There's a book on the market now (it's been out a while, I think they edited it this year for some recent changes), that's about what a woman goes through when she's pregnant. The authors were on one of those morning news shows not too long ago (of course, that could mean 6 months to me) and they said the reason they wrote the book was because it had stuff in it they wished they could find when they were pregnant. Long winded way to say maybe?

I know that we talk alot about the changes in identity in my mommie group so there does seem to be a market for it. I think its more about becoming a mom and not losing who you are. Women do need support but one of those places is from other women, new moms often feel they are a lone even when they're not. Its nice to be able to turn to something and say, "Hey, there's somebody else out there like me!" and they can't always get that from friends, partners or even other new moms.

I think you should take the advice of the first poster and look into the bookstore and see if there are other books that tackle that same issue. I hadn't notice any but I wasn't looking for it. And besides it will give you an excuse to leave the house, you are after all working

Becoming a mom totally redefined who I was, but it wasn't an identity crisis for me.

And there really wasn't anything that prepared me for it, and I read a lot of material before Piper arrived. After she revolutionized my life, I found that I was pretty much a different person. My priorities have changed, the focus of my life has changed. All sorts of things are different, and I've discovered that I'm happy with it all. A lady at church told my mother that I seem so contented and happy since I had my daughter. And it's true.

But this type of book would be an interesting read for me, I guess is what I'm trying to say.

You might want to focus it a little broader than new moms?

YES!!!!!!!! And then again, YES!!!!! Postpartum is IGNORED by society, the medical establishment, medical research, and so on. Everyone oohs and aahhs over pregnancy and birth and then...kaput! You are on your own. People don't talk much about the personal, physical and emotional changes postpartum. Postpartum depression is HUGE and totally ties into how some women have difficulty with self-image after birth. The physical component alone! So many women ask me "Why do I look like that down there and how long will it stay that way?" A broad-scope book about post-partum adjustment is needed.

I do know. Congrats on the bambino. Sounds like your perspective will provide valuable info for many women in your shoes.

There are a few books out there--something close to The Girlfriend's Guide to Babyhood or something like that.

It isn't just about post-partum depression, it's about the fact that your whole life and, in some ways, your identity gets turned on its ear. It's not just about hormones, it's also about trying to adjust to your new (and the rest of your) life.

We as women sometimes concentrate so much on the ending of the pregnancy will be like, but not enough on the beginning of having the baby and raising it.

There's always room for another book, I say. Your voice might be the one that reaches more people in a better way.

If you want to ask other moms about your idea and get feedback about what they're going through I suggest getting a myspace. I meet a lot of other mommies in thier groups and they are for the most part very sharing and supportive.

There are lots of books out there about women whose lives completely change after they have children. You are going to need to be very aware of every title out there, and position your book so it's different. Parenting books are one of the largest (and most competitive) categories in books. I'm not trying to dissuade you, but you really should do a careful competitive analysis when presenting your concept to publishers.The other thing you need to think about (and I think veinglory was alluding to this) is that your market is actually quite small as you are presenting your idea right now: you are focusing on women who are new (first-time) mothers and are just adjusting to a new role. When does that adjustment end? Will someone who isn't a new mother want to buy this book? Will the mother of a one-year old want to? While you can definitely expand the readership if you include content on how a mother's role changes with each pregnancy, you are still cutting off your market pretty quickly. So think about how you can reach the largest possible audiene while still keeping your topic as targeted as you can. It's a balancing act, true; but it's how to break into the parenting market. Good luck! Keep us posted.

I think women need this book! Thankfully, I had my mother (how ironic), so I knew the downside, as well as the upside to motherhood.

A friend of mine just had a baby and I kept all of her emails and text messages during the first three months. she said things like, "Girl. I feel like a machine. All my baby does is breastfeed, wet her diaper and start all over again. I don't feel like me anymore. No one every told me this!" Then she said, "Think about being a mother long and hard before you get into it. This is too much work for one person. Your husband will not be enough."

My mother also told me, "Make sure you have a STEADY relationship before you bring children into the mix, because kids change everything!" Thanks mom, I guess.

But, yeah, women need this book.

I think that you could consider covering a period of some years after birth. It is a very busy time in terms of a woman's identity with a lot of shifts beyond the 'becoming' a mother. It would be nice to se something that covers the early years of the child but actually focusses on what it is like for the mother.

I am a woman who did it alone. It was (still is!) just me and him. My mother wasn't involoved, she barely spoke to me while I was pregnant and speaks to me much less now. My grandmother is old and crazy, my aunts are useless. I don't have any close female friends becuase they bailed on me when I told them I was expecting. Which by the way is a topic you should think about covering. Just a suggestion since it happens to a lot of people.

I would have loved a book that would say hey, this is normal. And just some advice, keep it short. New moms don't have a whole lot of time to read. Brevity will be your friend

nunchuckgirl said:

Mandy Jane,

What kind of approach would you suggest. I am open to exploring all ideas right now. I don't want to be self-help-ee because I'm not a psychiatrist nor psychologist. I also don't want to write a memoir of any kind. In need a concept that is more solid, something that all new moms can relate to. Let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks!

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Sorry for the delay in replying nunchuckgirl. I understand your concerns about not wanting to do a self-help book or a medical type book, I guess. I remember when I was pregnant with my first baby, I got a library book that was called something like "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy". It was written from the perspective of a best friend, with bits and pieces of information about the whole process, but no real medical advice. I loved it because it was different and offered an unusual perspective. So I would be thinking about something along those lines.