When did I get like this?

I really enjoyed this book. It was eerily like she was reading my mind. I got sucked in on page 4 when I read the following paragraph:

"With every step we mothers take these days, we are aware that there is only one right way and true path that we should follow, a "better" way to feed our baby, a "best" birth. But a birth isn't best unless it's vaginal and drug-free. Breastfeeding isn't really successful unless we do it exclusively and for a full year. (Not for one day more than a year, though; then you're a hippie freak.) Jarred baby food is unacceptable entirely - the mother who wants what's best for her children will mill it herself from local organic produce..."

Yep, that's sums it up nicely. The big issues of the first year of life. 

Birth, Breastfeeding, Solid Food. 

I have gotten over my sense of failure from A's birth. I tried to go unmedicated. Back labor made that impossible for me. The epidural was awesome. But guilt lingers, a bit.

Breastfeeding. The pressure (both societal and self-inflicted) to breastfeed is also high. I am close to the magical one year goal. It is odd though, on his birthday, do I then just stop? Shouldn't it be more about what works for you and your child? Formula/breastfeeding, how long? Yet, I am still dragging my pump to work each day so that my child can be EBF (exclusively breast fed) for one year. 

Solid food. I tried to make his food myself. It is so damn time consuming. At first, he wouldn't even eat my food, he much preferred jarred food. What a failure! Now he'll eat both - but I rarely have time. 

Anyway, as you can see, the book spoke to me. The first half of the book was spot on.

Now, the scary part - the second half of the book. If the first few chapters were so right...will the second half be right too? Do I really have these things to look forward to? Can I handle that? If you are a new parent like me, this book could be incredibly interesting and also a bit scary! :)