What No One Tells You

Your guide to the emotions of pregnancy and early motherhood, from top reproductive psychiatrists Dr Alexandra Sacks and Dr Catherine Birndorf.

With a combined thirty years of counselling new and expectant mothers, Drs Sacks and Birndorf have seen firsthand how the pressure to be perfect, and perfectly happy, leaves women feeling confused and even ashamed of the conflicting emotions that can bubble up during pregnancy. In What No One Tells You, the two psychiatrists show why it's natural for 'matrescence' – the birth of a mother – to be as stressful and transformative a period as adolescence.

From the swirl of trepidation and joy of seeing that plus sign, to the complexities of bonding with a tiny yet mighty newborn human, the authors provide a roadmap for mothers-to-be, exploring the emotions (both positive and negative) that can develop, explaining the psychological backstory as to why, and offering women a practical guide for managing the ups and downs of this exciting and exhausting time.

After years of hearing their patients say, 'But how come no one told me?' Drs Birndorf and Sacks are ready to share their secrets with the world.