Becoming Mum

Becoming a mother is one of the greatest transitions of a woman’s life. For many women it is a joyous adventure, but one that involves physical and emotional challenges and enormous personal adjustment. How are you going to rise to the challenge that motherhood brings? How are you going to enjoy your life while trying to conceive, throughout pregnancy and as a new mum? How are you going to become a good mum—and just what is a good mum anyway? What kind of mother do you want to be? In Becoming Mum, Dr Koa Whittingham, a clinical and developmental psychologist, parenting researcher and mother, draws on the latest research, her clinical experience and her own experiences as a mother. In each chapter you will find suggestions on how to apply the concepts presented in Becoming Mum to your unique situation, including coping with challenges such as miscarriage, postnatal depression and preterm birth. Discover:• your unique parenting values, and how to harness these to become a confident and happy mother • how to use mindfulness and acceptance to create a loving bond with your baby and support your baby’s emotional development• techniques for coping with criticism, unhelpful advice, distressing emotions and physical pain• how to keep your romantic relationship healthy and your support network strong• flexible, step by step strategies for facing major challenges that can be adapted to your personal circumstancesBecoming Mum is written for all mothers, regardless of the specific challenges that you are facing, to support your unique journey from first trying to conceive, throughout pregnancy and into your new life as a mother. Become the mum that you want to be!