Erin MacPherson

As a Mom of four I have definitely spent a lot of time pregnant and reading through pregnancy books as if they were my daily instructions on how to simply survive pregnancy. First time Moms search frantically for the perfect book spending hundreds of dollars and often times left with a heaping pile of unasnwered questions and tattered pages.

The Christian Mama’s Guide to Having A Baby by Erin MacPherson was a breath of fresh air. The book is filled with real life advice by an experienced real life Mom! The author, Erin, states in her forward that this book lacks medical jargon, and she holds true to that. When you are reading through the pages you get the feeling that you are at your Sunday fellowship potluck chatting around a table with your friends and pregnancy pro Erin MacPherson.

Each chapter is filled with tips, secrets and advice you will need in order to survive your pregnancy. Topics covered range from diet and exercise while pregnant, your body during the different weeks and trimesters, preparing for nursery and baby and even what to expect during your OB visits and the delivery room, all from a friendly view.

One of my favorite things about this book was the personal connection. The mounds of pregnancy books I have read in the past are all very technical and medically fact based, reading almost like a pre-med text book. While all of that medical information is great, it really would have been nice to have some advice from an unbiased woman that has experience in the pregnancy department.

I highly recommend for all expectant Moms, first timers or not this book gives you a whole new perspective on pregnancy and reading materials. This would also make an amazing congratulatory gift for friends and family that have just shared the amazing news!… (mais)

Expecting that first bundle of joy? Wondering what this who pregnancy thing is really going to be like? Maybe you are feeling a little overwhelmed, anxious even terrified from all the horror stories of 36 hour labors and emergency c-sections. This is the book that needs to find its way into your hands. Light-hearted and conversational, Erin has written a book that will be an easy read as you prop your tired feet up.

I wish this had been in my pile of "must-reads" when I became pregnant with my first child over 12 years ago. Instead, I found myself pouring over "What to Expect While Your Expecting" (the clinical and practical book of pregnancy - which I still find myself reading everytime I get pregnant - and I am on child 6 now) and a pile of "how to parent" books that left me feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed.

I really appreciated that Erin offered unbiased advice and information on every topic. So this book is not to preachy on breastfeeding or bottle-feeding or any other topic. That is what makes this book a universal fit. I also like how she references several opinions (with book titles and authors - if you want to purchase the additional books) without showing a preference to one or the other, but rather she points out the positives and negatives in each.

This is the first of four in the 'Christian Mama's Guide' series, this author has tackled mothering all the way to grade school years. As a mom I have found that this journey of motherhood can sometimes feel a little isolated. This book brings this season into perspective and allows a tired mom to laugh a little. A mother will find that she is not alone and will be able to giggle as she relates to the topic or laugh out loud at some of the things she has not yet gone through. Life is better with a little laughter and this will add just that to your life.

I do want to close with the fact that Erin has put in tons of practical advice as well and suggestions. Absolutely a must for the next shower you attend - just tuck it into the diaper cake your making or tape it to that package of diapers you bought. You will bring smiles to the new mother-to be.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and Erin Macpherson for this review copy. I appreciate it so much and cannot wait to recommend it to others.… (mais)

The second in the series of 'Christian Mama's Guide' series and it is also a great book! Again, Erin chronicles her own experiences and those of friends and family. This first year of motherhood - hmmmmm.....no quite what we all expected - just be honest. Each new mother envisions motherhood through rose colored glasses with high expectations of a perfectly behaved baby, easy nursing (or bottle-feeding), no diaper rashes or sleepless nights.

I have been there (more than once) and have been ever grateful to the break in the day to day tasks for a laugh at this season. This author has a way of bringing the sun to rainy days of motherhood, of bringing the sound of laughter in the middle of the storms of motherhood. All mothers at some point feel inadequate to the task, overwhelmed by the tasks of running a household on a very limited amount of sleep.

In this book Erin explores the topic of baby sleep - yep that ever tiring struggle of getting that bundle of joy to sleep through the night (you know when you reach this point you are one Awesome mom!), breast feeding and bottle feeding, weight loss and neat ideas to burn those extra calories, and time management. And yes, she does it in an unbiased totally sweet way. In fact reading this made me smile more than once as I reflected those moments of first time motherhood when I sat deflated on the floor in the middle of a pile of unfolded laundry with a cranky baby on my lap and spit up on my clothes. Oh, and what about those sleepless nights of floor-walking, baby bouncing and trying to mix a bottle in the middle of the night because nursing did not work out. I would have greatly appreciated this book in that first year - just so I could have had a "girl-friend" that understood this totally un-done time of my life. So I laughed on these reflections, and made a mental note to buy this book along with the others for the next baby shower I attended.

Thanks again to the publisher - Thomas Nelson and the author for this review book.… (mais)

So your cuddly bundle of joy is now an ambulatory machine of energy. No longer crawling and easily contained you can now relate totally to the book "Love You Forever" with the little toddler sitting on the floor covered in a roll of toilet paper with smiles and giggling as he holds it up in proud display. So now you find yourself feeling stretched for time and energy, laundry seems a daunting never ending task, dishes are piling up, and the little one needs a ton of attention. This book will be a blessing for you to read.

This is the third book in the Christian Mama's Guide by Erin MacPherson. Again she chronicles her own journey during this season and also shares the stories of close friends and relatives. In her friendly writing style she makes the reader feel like they are having a conversation with a close girlfriend. This season is one of joys and struggles as you learn to meet the needs of your spouse and your kids. This book is filled with practical advice and references.

Again I enjoyed this book as much as the previous too and would recommend it to any who is a mother. During this time it is important to have books that provide inspiration and encouragement as well as some much needed laughs. I think that learning to laugh as mom will make life more enjoyable and motherhood more memorable. So take a little time to read and enjoy this Christian Mama's take on parenting a toddler.

Thank you to the publisher and author for this free review copy.… (mais)