Today's Moms: New Book Features Advice from Notable Parents

on April 24, 2009 at 12:08 PM

Today's Moms This was a special day for me, a break from the usual routine of scraping petrified Cheerios out of bowls and folding laundry. Today I had a real reason to take a shower and even style my hair -- to attend a book launch party hosted by The Today Show producers Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo.

Their new book, Today's Moms: Essentials for Surviving Baby's First Year, is out and they wanted to celebrate with me and a roomful of other mom bloggers, yippee!

It was great to talk to all the great moms out there, and Sarah Ferguson and NBC correspondent and Today Show co-anchor Natalie Morales even popped in for a visit.

In the book, toddler moms Mary Ann and Alicia take a sensible and personal approach to everything first-time and even second-time moms need to know about breastfeeding, formula, sleep, gear, postpartum depression, financial planning, childcare and more.

Sure, we toddler mamas have gone through (and survived) much of the stuff covered in the book already. But it's still a good read if you're planning on Number 2 or 3 or 4, and the information is peppered with lots of personal stories, tips and reflections from notables like Kathie Lee Gifford, Matt Lauer and Al Roker that apply to moms of kids of all ages. Like this one from Meredith Viera, talking about sleep:

"I got into cleaning mode. I was vacuuming some stairs using a canister vacuum cleaner. The canister was on the top landing (there were five steps) and I was down at the bottom vacuuming the last stair. I must have pulled too hard on the hose because the canister came flying down the shtaircase and bonked me on the head. I ended the day with a visit to the hospital. Moral of the story: Don't do anything involving the stove or heavy equipment when you're sleep-deprived."

You can pick up a copy of Today's Moms for $11 at amazon.com.

About the author Cynthia Dermody

is The Stir's Managing Editor who has trophies in her home for her skills at the Irish Jig. She makes cupcakes with as many fattening ingredients as possible, doesn't comb her hair for months at a time, and was probably a faerie in a former life.

Filed Under: child care

Comments (2)

yetti26

on Apr 24, 2009 at 7:21 PM

I don't really dig on books that are written from people that are celebs, or in the media. I realize they are moms like us....but they aren't realllllly like us, and I have a hard time believing any of their "real" stories.

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CuriousSarahM

on Apr 26, 2009 at 9:59 AM

@yetti26 I know what you mean. The Jolie/Pitt family isn't like any other large family on CM, since real mom's are the ones there to clean up the mess when your 9 month old twins take off their poopy diapers and smear it all over the bed, walls, and each other!

That being said, there are a few exceptions. Such as Jenny McCarthy. She's not exactly on the A list anymore, but she paints a true picture of what pregnancy and motherhood are like in Belly Laughs, and Baby Laughs.

I'm interested in reading this book, but unless I pass it on the buy one, get one half off table at Borders, I'll probably be reading way more One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish!