Book Review: Diary of a First-time Mum by Nicole Hall

Rating:

No matter how long you’ve thought about having a baby, how many books you’ve read, and despite nine months of knowing that there is an imminent arrival, nothing – I repeat, nothing – can prepare you for becoming a mother.

This is exactly what Nicole Hall discovered after the birth of her first son. Like all new mothers, she battled with the emotions, the weight of responsibility and the constant challenges of having a baby. She was overwhelmed by the depth of the love she felt, the amazingly happy times and the pure joy of being a mother.

There is one thing that makes this book worth a read: it’s the same as any new mother feels.

Mums will read, nodding and transported back to those early days.

There are particular sentences in Diary of a First-time Mum that took me straight back in time. Like this: “I caught sight of myself in the mirror – my first sight of us together. That was me and I was holding a tiny baby up against my chest. Who is that baby? Why am I holding it? It was a vivid picture of my new identity and it stopped me in my tracks.”

And this: “It seems I spent the whole morning preparing for an outing to make sure I was there on time, and I was still late.”

And, of course, this: “When did 7.00 a.m. become a sleep-in??” (Okay, so that one isn’t a trip back in time for me!)

This is an honest account of the early days of motherhood, from the exhaustion and crying and vomit, the never-ending nappies, routines and feeding. Hall shares all the advice she was given from various professionals; some inspiring, others just downright wrong (as tends to happen to us all) and the changes in her relationship with her husband.

It is as her little baby grows and becomes a toddler that Hall’s experience begins to become glaringly different, just as any mother will feel when talking to another. Health and behaviour concerns begin to take hold for Hall and we watch her plight unfold as she pushes for answers.

But the majority of the book is focused on the first twelve months; an interesting time to read about as for many mothers, the first year is somewhat of a blur.

Diary of a First-time Mum is an honest, poignant and funny account of motherhood and the ins and outs of having a baby, an interesting read for any mother.

Title: Diary of a First-time Mum
Author: Nicole Hall
Category: Non-fiction
Publisher: Finch Publishing
ISBN: 9781921462122
RRP: A$26.95RRP
Publication Date: March 2010