Rating: 
Summary: Great entry point to the 'what have I done?' parenting books
Review: I devoured Mother Shock in the deranged two weeks after my son was born, when all I could do was marvel that continually breastfeeding one largely sleeping small human could be such an exhausting, overwhelming, depressing, sleep depriving and elating state of being. Found it incredibly helpful, in a clumsy, one-handed reading while behind an infant-laden boppy way. The single greatest gift of those early days was getting validation of the ambivalence, boredom, confusion and anger as well as the socially acceptable wonderful emotions.
I'm docking one star because of the way I ran across the book: having my eyes checked for retinopathy caused by undetected diabetes that nearly killed both me and my unborn child. The opthamologist was leant over my 7 month sized belly examining me for permanent damage, when he produced a post-it note and mentioned that I might like to read his wife's wonderful new book, the details of which he just so happened to have on said post-it... Cheeky, cheeky man (but nice to see him so overwhelmingly proud of his spouse).
Rating: 
Summary: It's MY Life: Four Kids and Mother Shock!
Review: I had four children in six years, and I'm STILL dealing with mother shock! Mother Shock is a fabulous read, especially for moms who have been-there-done-that! I find it amazing that we are pampered and protected so much when we are pregnant, and yet, the minute that baby is presented to the world, no one looks at the mom again (in my case, until the next pregnancy came along)! Author Andrea Buchanan put so many feelings and expert guidance down on paper that I found it hard to keep my perspective while reading Mother Shock - many times, it felt like I was the author! Mother Shock is the book to get any mom, especially the first-time mom when the baby is about six month's old. There are no continuous champagne wishes and caviar dreams when you're a mom, unless you can pay someone else to deal with all of the emotional and physical work that is involved - but, of course, if you did that, then you wouldn't really be a MOM! Run out and grab this book, and enjoy the simple pleasures of time to yourself while you work on nurturing your shocked psyche. Make sure you don't overlook the fact that women are never the weaker sex when it comes to birthing and nurturing the next generation! We are, after all, the gender that creates champions!
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for mothers
Review: I once heard a quote about books: "We read to know we're not alone." I didn't really know what it meant until I read this book. If you have children and have ever felt lonely, burned out, exhausted or insecure, you can read this book to know that you're not alone -- and there's nothing wrong with you. It's going into the list of things I will give expectant parents. It's way more useful than yet another bunny bib.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre
Review: I read this book and was somewhat disappointed. I heard so many good things about the book and really felt let down. I had read Ariel Gore's and Francesca Lia Block's latest books and this one just didn't compare in terms of its writing and what I was looking for at the time. Don't get me wrong this is a good book that many will relish given its honesty about motherhood. In fact, this book is more honest and hard hitting than the _Girlfriend_ book series.
Rating:
Summary: I can relate...
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I could relate to everything the author wrote about (except the piano, I have no musical skills). This book would be great for a new mom, or even as a shower gift, just to let that mom know that the feelings she has are normal, and she really isnt alone.
Rating:
Summary: Loved Every Minute
Review: I really loved this book and have passed on to all my new mommy friends. It made it ok to talk about NOT loving motherhood every minute of the day. Very refreshing.
Rating:
Summary: Mostly a good book...
Review: I thought Andrea wrote and eloquent and truthful representation of Motherhood, with one exception. The section on "mother tongue" was disturbing and disappointing because it explains how mothers learn to swear in front of their children...what? How is this the language of motherhood? I expected something different, something more intelligent & appropriate...maybe a discussion of learning to interpret baby-talk and baby cries or adjusting to talking freely about baby bodily functions and daily life with a newborn. Having said that, I did find the other parts of her book enlightening, realistic representations of the struggles, triumphs and span of emotion in the first years of motherhood. I will, and have, recommended this book to my family and friends.
Rating:
Summary: just so-so; better books out there
Review: I wasn't terribly engaged by this book. I was expecting a more "researched" book with statistics and such that shared many women's experiences but instead it's more personal memoir, and not terribly interesting at that (extensive description of her very typical labor, whole paragraphs on how beautiful her daughter is, etc.). Also the author seems to have been shocked by the "ambivalence" she felt as a new mother. However, I think the elaborate daydream she had about abandoning her daughter and taking a bus to a far-off place could be categorized as something stronger than "ambivalence"; it would seem there's a little more going on underneath the surface. And why should she be shocked that she's not 100 percent overjoyed to be a mom 100 percent of the time? Hadn't this woman ever actually talked to a real life mother before? Has she read none of the thousands of books on motherhood published since the women's rights movement that talk about what a drain motherhood can be?
The one chapter I actually liked was the one on the "invisible woman," about how people's eyes glaze over when you tell them you're a stay-at-home mom, how you can see them thinking you must have nothing interesting to say. She really hit the nail on the head with that one. For me it just wasn't worth buying the whole book for that.
Rating:
Summary: So very true
Review: Just what the parent of a two little ones under the age of three needed to know: 1) I'm not insane and 2) if I am, I'm definitely not alone. A wonderful look at life with little ones, warts and all. I've already passed my copy on to several friends, and am buying a few as gifts for pregnant friends.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for new moms!
Review: Mother Shock is a must read for all moms, but especially new ones. It is an honest memoir of the ups & downs that motherhood brings. More mom's need to know that somedays, even sometimes for just a few moments, the thought crosses your mind that you would give your child away if asked! I am a doula & I give this to all my clients at our postpartum visit.
If you are looking for a gift for a new mom, this is it! It reminds women that they are not alone in their feelings. It is also an easy book to read in short shifts, & light enough to even read with one hand while nursing!
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