Twice Alive also has some great
suggestions for maximizing the experience of birth and motherhood.
For example, Osne recommends starting a birth journal. She suggests
planning a “baby shower” that is actually designed to nurture the
mother. She urges moms to arrange for friends and family to bring
meals after the baby is born. She tells how to creae a prayerful
place. And she shows the importance of joining a mom’s group and
sharing love and resources with other children in the world.
The end of the book has a collection of sources
for information on children’s well-being. Equally important, it
provides ideas on how to be a political activist on behalf of
mothers and children.
If you’ve never given birth to a baby or raised a
child, this book may seem cynical at times. However, if you’ve been
a mother you will find yourself nodding in agreement. Osnes
describes accurately certain aspects of raising children.
“Tonight I feel weary. … the same requests for
apple juice--the eroding whining that beats on my nerves--the drips
of food I watch fall and then soak into my clothing--the same Winnie
the Pooh movie I’ve seen hundreds of times--the weight of her
buttocks on my leg--the accompanying sensations of spider veins
popping out just beneath the surrounding skin. The young, fresh me
is under a heavy net held down by the weight of children’s needs.” ”
Osnes admits having to remind herself, as so many
of us have, that children have not yet developed empathy. They
cannot consider our feelings while making demands.
Overall, this is a great read for anyone looking
to share a common experience with another woman, another mother.
Osnes leaves the impression that we are all somehow unified as women
going through the journey of raising our children.
I
finished the book feeling renewed and assured that I am not alone on
the path through mothering. We can continue to nurture our wee ones
while still maintaining our sanity and independence.
Falon Graf
Milwaukee, WI
Falon is a Doula. and the mom of one-year-old Homer
Spring
2009