When I first got pregnant, I was a little lost. Really. Maybe because I am one of those people who likes to be in control and hates surprises. I like to know way in advance how I should feel, what I should expect, when, why etc.

If my legs feel tired, I want to know why, if my tummy feels uncomfortable, I want to know why, I want to know when the baby begins to kick me, when the baby moves more, when I should expect to pee more often, when I should prepare for what and the list can go on and on.

If you are like me, then this book is for you. I absolutely love the way the book is written. Month by month and it has a question and answer format tackling every imaginable question a pregnant mummy can have.

It even has sections dedicated to breastfeeding (my favourite topic) and the post delivery weeks, on expectant fathers and getting back to shape.

Although it may not look like an interesting book, for sure what goes on between the covers is definitely interesting. I highly recommend this book for all mummies-to-be.

It’s ISBN no. is 0-7434-5028-0, currently retailing at RM44, available at MPH and most other book shops. The authors – Heidi E. Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee E. Hathaway – did a good job with all the research and answers.

If you think this book is for you, then congrats, and have a great pregnancy ahead!

Before I became a mum, I had this expectation of myself to being the perfect mother – loving, caring, someone who is forever patient with the kids, someone who has all the answers, who can cook, juggle the schedules, etc.

When my older boy came along, things went into a chaotic phase. All my ideals were thrown out of the window and I was constantly near tears and always wondered how I became such a dreadful mum … and wife. And I was really stressed too.

Then one day, in one of my rare solo outings, I stumbled on this book – Breaking the Good Mom Myth. It talks about the following myths which many mothers like me think are what is expected of us.

Myth 1 – Self-care is selfish. Apparently it is not … You need this to be happy and healthy and the kids need you to be so.

Myth 2 – My children are a reflection of me. Again, it is not so and it has to do with you wanting to be a slow parenting person or a quick fix parenting person. It made me think about how I handle my kids in a whole new way.

Myth 3 – My marriage can wait. Definitely a big no-no. The kids need to see that mummy and daddy are in a loving relationship. Our marriage serves as a guide book and a pillar of strength for them to grow up healthy and happy.

Myth 4 – Good mothers are all caring and all protecting. Yup, I guess we have all been there where we over do things for our kids to the point of pampering them.

Myth 5 – Good mothers are in control. This will help breed a power hungry child who will then go into a power struggle with you. One of the solution is to have a family meeting to set expectations and lay down rules.

Myth 6 – Good mothers manage sibling conflict. Apparently children fight to get our attention. So maybe the next time they fght, we let them be, unless there is a tendency the fight will escalate to someone being in the hospital!

Myth 7 – Only the best education for my child. Dangers of having the “best’ education and us being too pushy and then causing stress upon our kids!

Myth 8 – Good mothers make life fun and entertaining. Aiyai yai … this is the best one. We have to learn to ensure that our kids are able to self-entertain! This was like music to my ears, really. I am not so bad after all.

Now, after seeing this, isn’t this a great book? Finally, I realised I am not a horrible mum! If you are interested, check out this book by Alyson Schafer. Available in paperback at MPH for RM47.80. It’s ISBN number is 978-0-470-83743-6.

Happy reading!