MATERNITY SERVICE

The essential companion for every mother embarking on maternity leave In one important sense maternity leave is poorly named as it involves no actual leave You are constantly on even when your offspring is having a nap There is nothing restful about it In another sense maternity leave is aptly named because it s a period of leave from all you know taking leave of one s mind body job and relationships When Emma Barnett began her second maternity leave she realized that despite having been there before as soon as her first leave finished the rose tinted lenses had descended and she immediately forgot what the experience was actually like when you re in it This collective forgetting which leads to well meaning comments such as enjoy every minute and treasure this special time is doing a disservice to women leaving them unprepared for the more complicated reality of what it means to be on maternity service In this warmly reassuring refreshingly honest book Emma sets out to capture this reality in real time while on her latest tour of duty She isn t offering advice on sleep training or weaning or helping your baby reach milestones Instead this book is a celebration and acknowledgement of the work of being on maternity leave with its soaring