Author:Marie Louise
‘Marie Louise is a dream come true for any parent with her uncanny ability to simplify the most important and complicated questions’
Emma Bunton, co-founder of Kit and Kin
Whether you are planning for a baby, just found out you are pregnant or well into your third trimester, this book will help you to feel confident, informed and inspired about your exciting journey ahead.
Through years of work with families, Senior Midwife Marie Louise reveals the key things that will make the biggest, most positive difference to you and your baby as you navigate these life-changing months.
As well as this, Marie Louise is renowned for bringing complex science to life. You’ll discover fascinating facts that underpin everything you and your baby will go through, including -
- How your nervous system is synced with your baby and why baby already knows a lot about you when they are born
- The unique process your baby goes through to pass through the birth canal and how you work together in labour
- Incredible facts about breast milk
Packed with the most up-to-date findings and expert insights, you'll find everything you need to prepare for motherhood and, most importantly, understand and appreciate just how amazing you and your baby both are!
Dazzling, addictive, tremendous. A writer at the height of his powers with a hell of a story to tell
—— GuardianBeautifully conceived and exquisitely executed
—— Sunday TimesThe new voice of a changing continent. A writer at the top of his game
—— MetroNo story could be more of our time than this one. Conceptually brilliant and truly empathic
—— Nell Freudenberger , MetroAn ultra-intelligent and knowing account of life in the developing world. Simply brilliant
—— Daily MailIsn't this the definition of great fiction, that even when it begins with a character . . . who's nothing like you, by the end you are convinced that it really is about you? That's a kind of miracle
—— SalonEven more intriguing, compelling and moving than The Reluctant Fundamentalist. A marvellous book
—— Philip PullmanA dazzling stylistic tour de force; a love story disguised as a self help parody freighted with sly social satire. As timely and timeless a novel as I've read in years
—— Jay McInerneyForget apples. A walk a day really will keep the doctor away
[In Praise of Walking] it provides an antidote to the many miseries that can accumulate because of our modern, sedentary lifestyle
—— Simple ThingsWhether you’re an avid hiker or simply like to get out and do the school run on foot, this book will make you appreciate the physical, mental and societal benefits of getting outdoors on two feet.
—— Liz Connor , UK Press SyndicationAn informative yet witty book on the importance of walking for our health and wellbeing, and for societies in general
—— Liz Nice , Eastern Daily PressCompelling… A new angle on our favourite pastime
—— Walk MagazineA fascinating read… This informative book…will rouse you from the sofa and make you want to get moving
—— Eastern Daily Press, *Book of the Week*Ebullient, playful and creative... By turns caustic, astute and very, very funny.
—— Tanya Sweeney , Irish IndependentThis is the first time I've read anything about motherhood that didn't bore me... It's all really unconventional but laugh-out-loud funny.
—— Sara Pascoe , ObserverFrank and fearless... a glorious validation to all parents doing it solo.
—— Sarra Manning , RedHits that sweet spot between laugh-out-loud funny, with its accounts of first dates, LA wackiness and personal mishaps, and a lyrical lament for a life of paternity tests, an absent father and the absence of raves.
—— Eithne Farry , Sunday ExpressJoyfully crude and hilarious... Heawood is refreshingly unapologetic.
—— Eleanor Halls , Daily TelegraphAchingly tender and snort-inducingly funny.
—— Sarah Hughes , i, *Summer Reads 2020*Thought-provoking and insightful.
—— MetroUnflinchingly honest, emotionally raw, and surprisingly sweet.
—— SheerLuxeRaw and funny, Heawood’s memoir celebrates the messiness of life and motherhood with boldness, panache, and unexpected moments of real poignancy. An uncensored and eccentric delight.
—— BooklistHeawood writes with warmth and wit about life as a single mother.
—— Rachel Cooke , Observer, *Books to Look Out For in 2020*Rejoice! One of our favourite journalists Sophie Heawood – known for her hilarity and honesty – publishes her first book this year. It's a memoir about being a single mother when you haven't quite worked out how to look after yourself.
—— Arielle Tchiprout , Red *The best books we can't wait to read in 2020*[Heawood] shares her story with huge wit and sharp observation.
—— Hannah Stephenson , Irish Examiner, *12 of the best new reads for summer*A tender and hilarious account of her life as a single mother.
—— Sophie Morris , iThis [is an] incredibly candid and often LOLs memoir about how it feels to raise a baby on your own when you're more into negronis than nappies.
—— CosmopolitanReading Heawood's often outrageous and occasionally undignified anecdotes was the perfect tonic during the second national lockdown. Though hilariously funny, her story of accidental pregnancy is also tender and poignant, with her accounts of motherhood feeling far less common through a single-parent lens.
—— IndependentA tender and funny account of single parenthood
—— GuardianPacked with humour and honesty, it's also tender, moving and relatable, detailing Heawood's own evolution and growth alongside her young daughter's, and the highs and lows of solo parenting.
—— Harpers Bazaar