The Secret Diary of a New Mum (aged 43 1/4)

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Pub Date 11 Mar 2021 | Archive Date 22 Mar 2021

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Description

The touching, honest and laugh-out-loud account of what it’s like to become a first-time mum after 40

Whatever your age, becoming a mum for the first time brings excitement, anxiety and numerous challenges. But how do you cope when, to top it all off, you discover you are almost old enough to be the mother of everyone else in your birth prep group? As one in five babies is born to a mum over 35, and the number of women over 40 giving birth has doubled, The Secret Diary of a New Mum (Aged 43 ¼) is Cari Rosen’s timely and hilarious account of becoming a first-time mother in her 40s.

Whether it's deftly side-stepping questions about your age and baby number two, weeping as younger counterparts ping back into their size ten jeans within thirty seconds of giving birth, or your doctor suddenly referring to you as ‘geriatric’ – Cari approaches the shared experiences of many mothers with insight, humour and honesty.

The touching, honest and laugh-out-loud account of what it’s like to become a first-time mum after 40

Whatever your age, becoming a mum for the first time brings excitement, anxiety and numerous...


Advance Praise

'Hilariously candid.'  Daily Mail

'Brilliantly observed... funny, embarrassing and yet cruelly honest. It feels good to laugh about it, now the stitches are out.'  Fay Ripley

'Warm, witty and very, very wise the perfect antidote to all those po-faced pregnancy books. As a fellow ''Geriatric Mother'' I found myself constantly laughing and nodding along in agreement.'  Imogen Edwards-Jones

'Hilariously candid.'  Daily Mail

'Brilliantly observed... funny, embarrassing and yet cruelly honest. It feels good to laugh about it, now the stitches are out.'  Fay Ripley

'Warm, witty and very...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9780715653609
PRICE £8.99 (GBP)

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)

Average rating from 93 members


Featured Reviews

I love this new edition with all that pretty pink new cover design.

I find the writing fun and quite hilarious at times (because it's not happening to the rest of us while reading the book!) and I really appreciate how accurately and honestly this book describes what the author had to go through during her pregnancy and the first few two years of the first childbirth which happened in her early 40s.

I felt like I was as helpless as her while reading the subsequent chapters but yes, I got to learn a lot of stuffs about how things get in reality when it happens to you, both the good and the ugly, as opposed to what everyone else says to make you extra careful and extra.... about anything else when it comes to child upbringing!

It's a good, fun entertaining read. I almost forgot it's a non-fiction and I felt like I have known the author close to my heart when the book ended.

Dear author, thanks for sharing this precious book.

Thank you Publisher for the advanced reader copy. An eye opener!

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My thanks to Netgalley and Duckworth Publishers for a copy of “ The Secret Diary Of A New Mom ...”for an honest review.
I found this to be a really entertaining and enjoyable read. Even though I had my children in my 20s could really empathise with the author .Some of the situations described brought back memories , of not really knowing what I was doing , and thinking everyone else did
A recommended read for mother’s of any age.

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An absolutely delightful book depicting the shenanigans of a 40 something woman who surprisingly becomes pregnant, despite her allegedly advanced age. I loved it!

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The Secret Diary of a New Mum (aged 43 1/4) by Cari Rosen is a deeply personal, honest, and humorous account of becoming a mother for the first time later in life. While I am not a mother myself, I could certainly empathize with Ms Rosen's chatty musings and observations. Reading this diary is almost like having a conversation with a friend, one who is completely candid and unfiltered. I suspect that mothers of any age will be well able to relate.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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Funny and honest look at how it is to be a mother and more specifically how it is when you find out that you are a geriatric mother. I had the exact same experience and this book is very close to the truth,, with a good dose of humor as you go.

I did find that the pace was a little slow, especially at the beginning where it drags, but I am happy that I persisted.

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I found this a thoroughly enjoyable book with a great deal of humour. around a subject I can identify with. It is an honest account of the trials and tribulations of pregnancy and subsequent motherhood at a later age than what is considered the norm. However, it should also resonate with women of all ages as I'm sure there are several scenarios that anyone can identify with who has been involved in babies and the early years.. Hidden amongst the humour is a wealth of common sense of just going with the flow whatever one's age. Interestingly, in my day, the elderly primigravida category kicked in at 30, a range that I certainly fitted into. as did my own mother and grandmothers before me.

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The author takes us on a humorous, entertaining journey full of the highs and lows of her first two years as a new mother in her 40s. I enjoyed reading it and would consider giving it as a present to new mum friends!

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This book will have you howling with laughter and possible tears. So desperately honest and hits you right in the heart

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Lighthearted funny take on late motherhood! A quick easy read that will make you laugh, remind you of the baby days and refresh so many memories! Although I had my children in my twenties I had friends that didn’t have children until their forties snd the experience was very different for them!
Totally agree with the author as long as the child is happy loved and content the mothers age is immaterial, I just feel for all the new mums during this pandemic who have so much to contend with, far greater worries than the mothers age!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

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Super honest and relatable! I’m pregnant right now and a lot of what Cari Rosen described, I could completely relate with! Funny, witty and honest - a great book all around! Would definitely recommend to any mum or mum-to-be!

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I LOVED THIS BOOK!

This was really fun and adorable to read. Even though it is a memoir, it read like a chick-flick piece and I really enjoyed it. If you are a fan of Sophie Kinsella, for some reason, this author really reminded me of her! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, laughed out loud, and just generally loved it!

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This lady has a wonderful sense of humour. It was a very light read, but sweet, entertaining and heart-warming at the same time.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

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I like the journey we are lead on by the author. It’s the first two years of her having a baby and it’s got some highs and lows too. A really good read

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I loved this book! It was heartwarming and strong. It was exactly what I needed with everything going on in the world! A happy little escape!

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I really enjoyed this, I even had a few laugh out loud moments with the book, which I have to say I didn’t expect. Whilst I don’t have children, this is exactly what I would expect from them!

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

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Gosh it was funny, brilliant and too ture in parts. I could not put it down. You could give it to so many people. My NCT group are empty nesters and they just roar with laughter.. We have all been there with breast feeding . Fantastic

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Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy. In return for an honest review! #Thesecretdiaryofanewmum(aged431/4) #netgalley

Cari, a editor and author, writes a memoir about the first 2 years of life with your first baby when everywhere around you the "lows* of being a parent over 35 is surrounding you.

The red striking background and large title, so perfectly named, drew me straight into this book.

This book is a page turner. You want to follow Cari through the highs, lows alongside the best, the worst and the ugly of life with a newborn.

This book does exactly what it says on the tin. A lovely read which will have you laughing out loud, reading out loud and then crying out loud and sometimes all at once.

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The touching, honest, and laugh-out-loud account of what it's like to become a first-time mum after 40. Whatever your age, becoming a mum for the first time brings excitement, anxiety, and numerous challenges. But how do you cope when, to top it all off, you discover you are almost old enough to be the mother of everyone else in your birth prep group?

Laugh out loud type of book, brought a smile to my face, light-hearted and very funny with the current climate of homeschooling, etc. I would recommend to others, definitely the type of book to sit and read with a glass of wine, in the bath, around the pool, or on the beach. Very enjoyable, the cover is eyecatching and appealing.

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#netgalley thankyou so much for the privilege of reading this fantastic book
I have laughed out loud with tears streaming down my face and snot coming out my nose totally unpleasant to see but I was alone with box of tissues. That’s how funny this book is!
It captured me from the start when it said elderly primigravida - I was that at 26 - so knew sort of how she felt except times have changed and she is 43!!
Still this girl wasn’t going to be labelled and set on a journey detailing her pregnancy all in multicolour detail and onto the birth again in full detail
Then the first two years of her gorgeous girls life and the joys all parents go through from shopping with screaming toddlers to going through airport security where everyone treats you like you are carrying the devil
How will you as an older decrepit mother survive these tough times well the answer is with grace and serenity
A wonderful book all new mums to be should read regardless of age

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There are lot of books along these lines and I’ve read a fair few of them, but this one had the extra quirkiness of being about an older mum to boot so I thought what’s the worst that could happen and ooh, I really enjoyed it. It’s written with a gritty, no holds barred honesty and a fabulous ability to laugh at your own expense that you partly develop with the lack of dignity involved in being pregnant / giving birth / having a newborn anyway but this writer goes the extra mile.
All of the conceivable (pun intended) topics covering having a baby are fully covered here, it’s been a decade since I had my youngest but this definitely brought back some brilliant memories and snortles of laugh out loud agreement and empathy. Also, as I’m in my forties now, I appreciated the honestly and laughs about being this age so double thumbs up. A genuinely funny, honest and excellent read. Thank you!

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I received this book in exchange for a review! This funny take on motherhood from the point of view of an older mom is hilarious. It’s so real world, even for those not in that age bracket. It was well articulated even with the difficult life experiences. Happy, healthy kid are all that matters in life!

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I adored this book, absolutely brilliantly funny, I chuckled happily through it on the sofa on Mothers Day and thoroughly loved every page.
Not only is the author very wry, dry and a similar age to myself (all her cultural references rang loud bells!) her child clearly inherited her fantastic humour and turns out to be just as funny!
Although I had my children at a younger age than the writer, I found much of the book took me right back to those early days, a really great book I truly enjoyed.

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If you like Bridget Jones, you'll like this book.

This book is laugh out loud funny without trying too hard. It hits on some harder aspects of parenting such as judgment and difficulties with work but maintains the light tone throughout which makes it such a great read.

I like that it was focused on an older mother as well. It was definitely interesting to read from that perspective.

I'm not a mam, but I imagine if you are, you will find this book so relatable. This book is then Cari's memoir of motherhood in her forties but this story will resonate with so many people.

If you're not generally a fan of non fiction or memoirs but want to read more then this book is such a great place to start!

I gave this 4 stars!

Thank you Duckworth Books, NetGalley and Cari Rosen for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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The Secret Diary of a New Mum is a laugh-out-loud account of a first time mum's account of her first two years with her daughter.

No one wants to be considered old, especially not at the age of 43 and 1/4. It's even worse when you're 43 and expecting your first baby. The medical staff refers to you as geriatric or elderly. Newspaper and magazine articles tell you what a huge mistake you're making; however, you can't exactly send baby back.

This is the story of a sophisticated career woman reinventing herself to become a first time, stay at home mom.

I would highly recommend this title to anyone looking for humorous essays about parenting.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#SecretDiaryofaNewMum#NetGalley

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I laughed out loud so many times while reading this. It is a brutally honest book but one which is so relatable especially if you are an older mum. I definitely would recommend to new parents to lighten the difficult days a bit.

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As many women are having their children into their 40s, this memoir is very relevant to current events. I enjoyed the humorous take the author had on some of her experiences with being an older mom for the first time.

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My thanks to NetGalley and Duckworth publishing for the opportunity of reviewing this book. I was hooked from the first paragraph. What a really funny book absolutely loved it, especially as I could visualise every situation she found herself in.
I can highly recommend this to every mother regardless of their age at conception.

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Absolutely brilliant, i laughed all the way through. how a "geriatric" mum copes with pregnancy, birth and bringing up a baby. So true to life for all mums not only the older ones.

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I enjoyed reading this book especially the comments about food and TV programmes from the eighties . While I wish the author every success I can’t help feeling that the market is rather full of ‘baby blog’ type books.

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Thank you to Netgalley for my arc!
After reading and loving The Unmumsy Mum and books like the Why Mummy? Series I knew I had to read this.
This is about being a mum over 40 and even though that doesn't apply to me, as pointed out in the book, being a mum means being a mum, no matter what age!
Having babies and children is still hard work no matter what age you are and this book highlights this!
It made me laugh out loud and was so relatable.
A charming read that had me zooming through it!

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I loved this book from the very first page. It is quite rare that you read the first page and realise that your cheeks are going to be hurting as you smile, grin and chortle through each chapter. Although a decade younger when I had my first child, I could totally relate to the emotions and experiences so funnily recounted by the author. An amusing account of the experiences of a mother (at most ages), but most tellingly as a Cocoon Mum. Really enjoyed it, and wish I'd have been able to sit and read in one sitting...

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This book was brilliant!
A wonderful laugh out loud read ~ so real and so enjoyable.
A must-read for anyone!

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A funny uplifting book that is definitely needed in the current climate. Most mums would recognise lots of the scenarios within the story and can picture themselves in that situation. Lots of giggles throughout

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Using her fantastic sense of humour, Cari Rosen has written an insightful, detailed journey of becoming a mother, later in life. Honest, often self-deprecating, Cari shares with us what it is like to face the world as an older, first-time mom. It brings to light, society’s built-in biases and assumptions, and opens the door to much-needed conversations. A perfect read for moms and moms-to-be everywhere.

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A hilarious but honest recount of being a 'geriatric' mum. I honestly could not put it down until the last page.
The best part of this book was when Ms Rosen highlighted how society hardly bats an eyelid when a man becomes a father in his 60's or 70's but has a full on meltdown when a woman falls pregnant in her 50's or 40's. It is something that bothers me immensely too.
Many scenarios had me giggling as they are so familiar to me as a mom. I kept thinking to myself it was good Ms Rosen was blessed with a daughter as I daresay the comebacks and chirps from sons are more brutal than from daughters - living the reality of that with a pigeon pair.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.

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An entertaining take off a woman deemed ancient in the child bearing world. Her story takes us through the pregnancy and first couple of years raising her child. Honest, full of emotion and with great humour, you don't have to have children to appreciate it

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This was a easy, fun and uplifting read. As a new mum, the book was relatable and made me think of the things that have already happened and what I have to look forward to! Good read.

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Funny insight into childbirth & motherhood from an older mum's perspective. Obviously some things are the same no matter what your age but I enjoyed the funny quirks of the older mum

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I enjoyed this book and being an older Mum myself find this relatable. Some funny moments that made me laugh. Oh the joys of having a small baby. Any Mum would appreciate where the author is coming from. Being a Mum at any age is hard work.

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This was such a fun and funny read I really enjoyed it. I think I was expecting it to be a little bit tacky but it was actually really relatable.

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