Teacher Annie has just given birth to her first child, Sam, and is now on maternity leave. Divided into journal-like entries according to the baby’s age (perfect chunks for any sleep-deprived, time-strapped mums out there), it details her getting to grips with breastfeeding, sleepless nights and surviving when her husband, Zach, returns to work and seeks some bedroom action. With plenty of humour, Annie reveals all about the daily drudgery and moments of joy faced by a new parent. Halpern has a great voice for this type of story, which mothers all over will relate to. But just like real maternity leave, you get to the end and wonder what was really achieved.
Maternity Leave, by Julie Halpern, focuses on a mother adjusting to the first three months of her child's life. The summary says: "Thirty-six-year-old Annie Schwartz-Jensen is a middle school teacher on maternity leave - a time she imagined as uninterrupted, blissful bonding with her baby. Instead she is dealing with her body leaking from every possible orifice, a baby who won't sleep, a husband who still wants to have sex with her (is he nuts??), single friends who are clueless, and a mother who picked now to take a vacation. The only people who REALLY understand Annie are the wonderful people she spends sleepless nights with on QVC: Keep those velveteen table runners and non-jiggle stretch pants coming! As Annie navigates life with her new baby, she realises that not all mommies are created equal. But she is determined to find her way, love her baby, her husband, herself - even if she has to wear nipple protectors for the rest of her child-bearing life." Maternity Leave is out in September 2015.