Table of Contents
Letter to the Reader 1
1 Everyone Lied 7
2 The Birth of a Mother 17
3 You Were Not Prepared for This: The Postpartum Rite of Passage 31
4 But It Looks So Easy on Instagram 55
5 Things Might Suck for a While 67
6 Birds of a Feather Pee Their Pants Together: Finding Your Mom Tribe 85
7 You Won't Actually Get a Divorce (Probably) 97
8 There Is No / in Motherhood: Surrendering to Your Postpartum Identity Crisis 113
9 How You Feed Your Baby Is Not Up for Public Debate. Period. 125
10 When a Good Cry Becomes a Tsunami 143
11 Not Sleeping is the Enemy: Tools for Saving Your Sanity 159
12 "Lean In" to High-Waisted Denim: Learning to Love Your Mom Bod 177
13 Shame Over: Turning Off the Outside Noise 189
14 No, You Cannot Do It All: Rewiring How You Value Success 199
15 You're Not Causing Permanent Damage: The Daily Struggle with Mom Guilt 211
16 A Selfish Mom Is an Awesome Mom 223
17 Motherhood Doesn't Come with an Epidural 233