Let the Baby Drive: Navigating the Road of New Motherhood

by Lu Hanessian

Overview

For more than a decade, Lu Hanessian had been living on the go, traveling the globe as a successful television host and journalist. But nothing could have prepared her for her biggest assignment: motherhood. Her baby redefined her world, turning her precious beliefs and perceptions on their head. He threatened her defenses and whipped up her fears like a cyclone. Like most new mothers, Lu wanted answers. Going by the book didn't seem to work and Popular Opinion was not at all popular with her baby. So she did the only thing she could under the circumstances: she let the baby drive. Along that uncharted road, Lu unearthed her intuition, discovered the power of a baby's voice, the changing dynamic of marriage, and the unexpected merits of self-doubt. In following a journey from chaos to conviction, her voice will inspire mothers everywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312326982
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Publication date:	07/01/2005
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

LU HANESSIAN is the host of Discovery Health Channel's Make Room for Baby and her articles have been published in The New York Times, Redbook and Parenting. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two boys.

Table of Contents

	Year One
1	Frontier
1	Free-falling	3
2	Breathe	11
3	Blessed and Bound	20
2	Voices
4	Mother Me	27
5	Strolleritis	36
6	Grandstanding at the Shallow End	42
7	Let the Baby Drive	50
8	Rising Son	57
3	Identity
9	Just Call Me Daddy	66
10	The Pact	73
11	The Thirty-Nine-Hour Errand	86
12	Water	94
13	Bath	97
14	Labor After Delivery	106
	Year Two
4	Reflection
15	Fear Not (Eventually)	121
16	Thank You, Beach	129
5	Rites
17	The Terribly Polite Twos	134
18	The Son Also Rises	146
19	Sandbox Politics	153
6	Home
20	Rocking My Baby Back Home	164
21	The Closet	169
22	Homeward Bound	176
	Years Three and Four
7	World
23	Going-Away Day	193
24	The Buck-Twenty-Five Stops Here	206
25	Keeping the Light On	218
26	Imaginary Places	237
	Acknowledgments	257

Editorial Reviews

Do we dare Let the Baby Drive? Lu Hanessian humorously and sensitively makes it clear why the answer can only be 'yes' if we are to become the kind of mother our precious child needs. It's about focusing on the baby for guidance, and then having the courage to trust and act on what we have learned. An important book.” —Marian Tompson, co-founder, La Leche League International

“This is the book Henry David Thoreau would have written if he had been a mother. It is absolutely revolutionary!” —E. Jean Carroll, author, advice columnist, Elle

“Lu Hanessian is extraordinarily attuned to her child's needs and her own, in a way that promotes truly wonderful developmental growth. Her book Let the Baby Drive captures the essence of good parenting with a true blend of Baby Knows Best in tandem with Mother Knows Best. It's a winning combination reflecting the heart of child developmental theory, and guarantees raising a happy, healthy child with a solid identity.” —Dr. Jane Greer, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, marital and family therapist and author of Gridlock: Finding the Courage to Move On in Love, Work and Life

“This book is written with the excitement of the first time mom who stands in awe at the wisdom she received from her baby by listening to him. Lu proves that mothers and babies are a lot smarter than they are usually given credit. What a joy to share with other mothers and help them be happier, more fulfilled, stronger to follow their conviction!” —Tine Thevenin, bestselling author of The Family Bed and Mothering and Fathering

“Finally, the book I have been looking for to recommend to my clients. Lu Hanessian has put into words what I have strived to teach for thirty years. There are many books out there that try to give a 'cook book' approach to making your children more independent, sleep through the night, be happy and healthy. This book gives you the confidence to find your own approach-your own way with your child.” —Ann Anderson, RN, AAHCC, IBCLC, childbirth/parent educator

From the Publisher