Description
Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts (and It's Okay)
Book Summary
This book is a practical and compassionate guide for mothers experiencing intrusive and scary thoughts during motherhood. The author, Karen Kleiman, an expert in perinatal mental health, offers tools, exercises, and illustrative vignettes to help new mothers normalize these experiences, reduce shame, and manage anxiety. More than just a theoretical manual, it is a resource for emotional support that validates mothers' feelings and provides them with a path toward well-being, demonstrating that having these thoughts does not make them bad mothers.
What is it about?
The book tackles head-on the fears and disturbing thoughts that most new mothers experience in secret, such as the fear of hurting the baby or the feeling of not wanting to go through motherhood again. Kleiman explains that these thoughts, far from being a flaw, are a common part of the postpartum period. Through a combination of clear explanations, practical exercises, and the support of nearly 50 vignettes from the viral "speakthesecret" campaign, the work guides the reader to recognize these thoughts without judgment, share them without shame, and learn to manage them to prevent them from developing into postpartum anxiety or depression. The focus is on hope and recovery, offering a path to feeling better.
Main Topics
- Intrusive and scary thoughts in motherhood.
- Management of postpartum anxiety and depression.
- Elimination of shame and stigma in maternal mental health.
- Validation of the emotions and experiences of new mothers.
- Practical exercises for self-care and personal affirmation.
Who is it recommended for?
It is aimed at new mothers or those with young children who experience fears, doubts, or disturbing thoughts about their baby or themselves. It is also a valuable resource for partners, family members, and health professionals who seek to understand and support mothers during the postpartum period, offering an empathetic and evidence-based approach.
What this book provides
- Normalizes scary thoughts, reducing associated guilt and shame.
- Provides practical tools and exercises to manage anxiety and fears.
- Offers a hopeful and compassionate approach, based on the author's clinical experience.
- Helps identify when these thoughts may be a sign of a larger problem requiring professional attention.
- Includes illustrative vignettes that facilitate the identification and validation of one's own emotions.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Kleiman, Karen
- Publisher: Editorial Ob Stare
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Parenting advice, child care and upbringing
- Collection: Parenting
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: September 2023
- Number of pages: 162
- Weight: 381 g
Editorial Review
This book is presented as an essential resource for any mother who has felt fear or guilt over her thoughts during the postpartum period. Its primary value lies in destigmatizing a universal experience, offering a practical and deeply human approach. The combination of Karen Kleiman's clinical authority with a warm and accessible tone makes it a useful and comforting read, both for the mother and her support circle. It is a work that fulfills its promise to help mothers feel better and understand that they are not alone.