Do I Want to Be a Mom?: A Woman's Guide to the Decision of a Lifetime - Paperback

by Diana Dell (Author), Suzan Erem (Author)

An informative, compassionate guide to the motherhood decision

"...give(s) a sense of what's ahead for new parents." --Baltimore Sun

Many women aren't sure how to best time motherhood in their lives. Others think they may want a child but aren't sure they really want to take on the responsibility. Still others want to be child-free, but they are afraid they will regret the decision later on when it's too late. Do I Want to Be a Mom? offers expert information, insights, and tools necessary for each woman to make her own best choice.

Dr. Diana Dell, an expert who is board certified in both obstetrics/gynecology and psychiatry, draws on her expertise to cover the emotional, physical, sexual, social, and financial aspects of this decision. Along with award-winning writer Suzan Erem, she also provides powerful anecdotes from women who speak openly of the fears, joys, regrets, and triumphs of motherhood or being child-free.

Back Jacket

Women who have been there share their stories to help you decide: Do I Want to Be a Mom?

Today, the question of motherhood is no longer just a matter of when but also if. And with the question of if comes a barrage of even more daunting questions: How will having a baby affect my career? My body? My health? My marriage? Do I Want to Be a Mom? shares the illuminating, candid voices of women from all walks of life who have grappled with these same difficult questions to help you come to a decision about motherhood that's right for you.

Do I Want to Be a Mom? is for any woman who has ever wondered:

• Am I selfish if I don't want to have children?
• Can I afford children?
• What if my marriage breaks up?
• Can I take time off from work to have children?
• Can I have kids after forty if I change my mind?
• Will I be sorry when I'm older if I don't have kids?

From new moms to those who have never heard even the slightest chime from their biological clock, the reflective stories found in this book provide a framework to help you examine your motivations and make your own guilt-free decision. These stories convey the same concerns and fears you may have raised with yourself or your closest friends, as well as the uplifting reasons you may consider motherhood--the love, fun, and fulfillment that many women gain as mothers.

Author Biography

Diana L. Dell, M.D., FACOG, is board certified in obstetrics/gynecology and psychiatry and is a women's health expert at Duke University Medical Center. She is coauthor of The PMDD Phenomenon. A Durham, North Carolina, resident, she is past president of the American Medical Women's Association.

Suzan Erem is an award-winning author and journalist with fifteen years of experience writing for magazines and newspapers. She lives in State College, Pennsylvania, and has one child.