The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom’s Guide to Style, Sanity, and Big Success After Baby

Veteran women’s magazine editor Brody writes nimbly and wisely about a subject she is well versed in: the conflicts, struggles, and triumphs of returning to work after having a baby. Brody was an editor at Glamour when the first of her two children was born, and, like many working mothers in the U.S., she returned to her office at the end of her 12-week leave, just when “baby wakes up to the world.” The timing, argues Brody, is unfortunate, but working women must nevertheless find ways to cope with the transitional period that she calls the fifth trimester. In 12 solution-packed chapters, Brody covers (among many other topics) childcare, sleep deprivation, wardrobe, breast-pumping, and dad’s involvement, basing her advice not only on her own experiences but on input from more than 700 survey respondents. In addition to discussing solemn subjects such as postpartum depression, Brody makes her readers laugh with commentary on subjects such as preparing for the inevitability that “your baby will puke on you.” The meatiest chapter is the last, in which Brody provides tips for communicating with employers. Working moms will find a wealth of ideas to help navigate the challenging transition period in this friendly and practical guide. (Apr.)