For All Maternity : What They Didn't Tell Me about Marriage, Motherhood, and Having a Baby

Was that a tugging sensation near my right ovary? Was it more of a tugging or a sharper, jabbing pain? Could that be ovulation? Did I miss the window or calculate incorrectly this month? Or is it implantation? Is the embryo trying to attach itself right at this very moment? Is that even something you can feel? Am I the first woman ever to be able to feel that because I love this baby more than any person has ever loved a baby before? When should I start a family? Why do I want to become a mother? How will my life change after having a baby? It's easy for questions like these to plague the mind of an already multi-tasking woman who just wants to shop for cute onesies. In For All Maternity, Emily Pardy encourages readers to ask the hard questions while humorously sharing her own tumultuous journey into motherhood. From sitting awkwardly in marriage counseling to learning how to breast-pump in the middle of the workday, this bumpy road to motherhood encounters lessons about body image, boundaries, and belief in a God who is more trustworthy than any baby manual around. Includes practical and witty advice on subjects like: Are we ready to start a family? The value of creating a Value System for our household To tell or not to tell Boy, oh boy, is that body a'changin'! Choosing a birth plan Expecting the unexpected The Unicorn Effect-the celebrity status of a pregnant woman Determining which postpartum feelings are normal To work or not to work How friendships change and mom-friends become a lifeline Never neglect your spiritual growth Making friends with your new body: a Jesus view The Selfish Scale How real is social media? Parenthood-the ultimate voyage! Remembering What's-His-Name: Dating Again! Pardy will have you laughing and crying as she makes crystal clear from her own experience that when you have a baby you give birth to a new marriage, a new home design, a new schedule-and last but not least-new friendships.