Motherhood is the ultimate transformation, a powerful and thrilling metamorphosis. Yet the vast majority of parenting books focus on the how-tos of baby and child care, not on the care or development of mothers. Ann Pleshette Murphy--the former editor of Parents magazine, current parenting contributor to Good Morning America, and herself the mother of two--looks at the emotional lives of mothers, at how we change and grow from the moment we get pregnant to the day we watch our kids graduate from high school.<BR>"<BR>The 7 Stages of Motherhood urges women to reflect on the seismic shifts they undergo at each stage of their children's lives and to focus on their own evolution. Only by doing so, says Murphy, can we give children the best of ourselves. Many new moms assume that once things "get back to normal," they'll jump right back on their pre-baby path. But there's no going back, according to Murphy, and that's actually good news. Each stage of motherhood has its own challenges and opportunities. Motherhood forces us to hone muscles we never knew we had; to question our choices and goals; to reshape our relationships with family, friends, our spouses; and, most important, to rethink who we are and where we're going. There's as much circling, sliding, falling back as there is surg-ing ahead--and Murphy provides exactly the encouragement women need to overcome obstacles and celebrate their strengths. Writing with wit, warmth, and unfailing empathy about the challenges mothers face at each stage, Murphy offers insightful advice and gentle reassurance, showing moms how to make the most of their lives as they raise their children. <BR>Drawing on hundreds of interviews with leaders in thefield, a wealth of personal experience, a decade at the helm of Parents magazine, and, of course, countless conversations with other mothers, Murphy offers women invaluable advice about how to cope and how to thrive along with their children. She identifies periods of particu

“Refreshingly honest, often hilarious.” —The New York Sun

“An emotional lifeline to mothers everywhere.” —William Pollack, author of Real Boys

“Ann Pleshette Murphy is one of my heroes.”

T. Berry Brazelton, M.D.

“Annie Murphy has told us rare and liberating truths about parenting. A skilled journalist, she is incredibly observant of herself and her children without being self-serving or narcissistic in the rendering. Her respect for her kids, and ours, sets a standard for parenting books.”

Kyle Pruett, M.D., author of Fatherneed: Why Father Care is as Essential as Mother Care for Your Child

“Ann Pleshette Murphy is every Mom’s–and Dad’s–best friend. She has captured the complexities, joys, and sorrows of parenting and presented them in ways that help us manage the usual and unusual crises of caring for children in the midst of a busy life. She is like a good parent to her readers: she lends a helping hand, she is a supportive voice in your ear, but her greatest joy is seeing you go off on your own, confident and competent.”

Samuel J. Meisels, President, Erikson Institute, author of Winning Ways to Learn

“Ann Pleshette Murphy knows what to expect after you’re expecting. Her stories and insights about mothering do more than teach the facts of children’s development. This is a book about adult development–about how running the emotional gauntlet of parenting changes us forever.”

Justin Richardson, M.D., co-author of Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They’d Ask)

This refreshingly candid parenting book puts mothers—not children—center stage. Ann Pleshette Murphy provides a reassuring, wise, and often wildly funny mix of anecdotes and advice as she describes the seismic shifts in women’s lives and identities from pregnancy through a child’s graduation. She draws on countless conversations with mothers and with child development experts she has met as the parenting contributor to Good Morning America and as the former editor-in-chief of Parents magazine. The mother of two, Murphy freely shares her own trials and errors in stories that will have readers laughing in relief and recognition. Written with wit, warmth, and unfailing empathy, The 7 Stages of Motherhood is an exuberant and indispensable guide to making the most of motherhood.

Words of Wisdom for Every Stage of Motherhood

_ Forget  the “mothering comes naturally” myth:

And don’t be afraid to ask for help

_ Avoid keeping up with the Joneses:

Give your kids what they need, not everything they want.

_ Know when you’re in the wrong movie:

Don’t try to cast your kids in a remake of your childhood.

_ Give yourself credit for finding Lego Man’s hair:

Little acts of caring matter more to your kids than getting through your to-do list

_ Be a mother, not Mother Teresa:   

When you neglect your own needs, you shortchange your kids

The former editor of Parents magazine and current parenting contributor for Good Morning America brings the voices of the experts, a decade of cumulative knowledge, and unforgettable stories from her own life to bear on her exuberant book about the many stages of motherhood. Dozens of parenting books address child development. Ann Pleshette Murphy addresses the development of mothers, who are transformed right alongside their children. The mother separating from her nursery-school-age child is vastly different from the mother caring for her newborn baby, and she in turn is vastly different from the mother of a teenage son or daughter. A mother's internal world is constantly shifting--as are her friendships, her professional expectations, her marriage, and her deepest desires. In tandem with a child's development, a mother experiences primal changes on a scale and with an intensity for which she is often completely unprepared. No longer. Murphy, who reaches legions of women through her bimonthly television appearances and her column in Family Circle, draws on years of research and a reservoir of material from her own life--by turns poignant and hilarious--to illuminate the changes taking place in a mother as her child develops, and to offer coping strategies for every challenge along the way. In this singularly insightful and engrossing book, destined to become a classic, readers will experience Murphy as an authority, as a fellow mom, and as a trusted friend.

Ann Pleshette Murphy has been Good Morning America’s on-air parenting expert since 1998. A highly sought-after speaker, she was for ten years the editor-in-chief of Parents magazine. She writes a parenting column for USA Weekend and serves on the board of Zero to Three, the leading national organization dedicated to the well-being of infants and toddlers. She resides in New York City with her husband and two children.