‘In one important sense maternity leave is poorly named, as it involves no actual leave. You are constantly on, even when your offspring is having a nap. There is nothing restful about it. In another sense maternity leave is aptly named, because it’s a period of leave from all you know: taking leave of one’s mind, body, job, and relationships’

When Emma Barnett began her second maternity leave, she realized that, despite having been there before, as soon as her first leave finished the rose-tinted lenses had descended and she immediately forgot what the experience was actually like when you’re in it. This collective forgetting, which leads to well-meaning comments such as ‘enjoy every minute’ and ‘treasure this special time’, is doing a disservice to women, leaving them unprepared for the more complicated reality of what it means to be on maternity service.

In this warmly reassuring, refreshingly honest book, Emma sets out to capture this reality, in real time while on her latest tour of duty. She isn’t offering advice on sleep-training or weaning or helping your baby reach milestones. Instead, this book is a celebration and acknowledgement of the work of being on maternity leave, with its soaring highs and challenging lows, and its impact on how women feel about our purpose and ourselves.

‘Kind, funny, smart, soothing and radical … This book is a hot cup of tea, a steadying hand on an arm, a baton passed with care and compassion … A true gift for mothers, and an act of service in itself. This book will change lives’ LUCY JONES, author of Matrescence

‘Stories that will make you cringe, weep and laugh out loud’Scarlett Curtis

‘Brilliant, informative and funny.’Jennifer Saunders

‘Passionate, informed and thought-provoking.’ Jane Garvey

‘Clever, useful and wise. Read it. Pass it on to your daughters. And then to your sons.’ Fi Glover

‘Cuts right through all the myths and embarrassment with searing facts, honesty and, perhaps more importantly, humour. A bleeding good read.’Yomi Adegoke

Revised and updated with a new chapter

In this frank, funny rallying cry, Emma Barnett shares her story, as well as those of others, to ask why we’ve clammed up about menstruation. She’ll make you laugh, weep, and maybe squirm, about the natural process that nobody talks about, and smash this taboo once and for all.
 
Because it’s about bloody time.

Period.