Smart Mothering Book Review

Dr Natalie Flynn’s book “Smart Mothering” is a resource for new parents battling the BS – or as she describes it, Bombardment Stress – the negative psychological impact that information overload, or the relentless ‘rain down’ of information, often conflicting, from the internet, other parents, friends, experts and others, can have on new parents. 

Many of us have experienced the sometimes heavy weight of just not knowing what the right thing to do is when navigating the challenges of caring for a new baby, and the worry about getting it wrong. This book has been written to help lighten that load and, sort the fact from fiction, bust some myths, and help parents to make the decision that’s best for them and their baby.

Smart Mothering covers a broad range of subjects including looking after yourself, mental and emotional health, motherhood and identity, parenting styles, relationships and sex, birthing and birth trauma, the parent-child relationship, crying, sleep, feeding, immunisation, technology, childcare and more. Flynn tackles the tough questions too – breast or bottle, sleep training, and the impact of daycare.

This book is a helpful and easy-to-read resource for any new parent experiencing BS and looking for reliable information, based on actual science and a depth of clinical experience supporting parents’ emotional wellbeing. RRP $39.99.

Dr Natalie Flynn is a registered clinical psychologist and mother of three working in private practice in Auckland.