by Nancy London, M.S.W.

"What a wonderful and sorely needed book. I recommend Hot Flashes, Warm Bottles to every woman approaching midlife with young children in tow. A life saver!”

Christiane Northrup, M.D.
author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause

About the Book

From one of the original authors of Our Bodies, Ourselves comes The first inspiring guidebook for the growing multitudes of first-time mothers over forty. Hot Flashes, Warm Bottles: First-Time Mothers Over Forty by Nancy London, M.S.W., speaks to the physical, emotional and spiritual challenges of raising young children as midlife mothers.

As an older first-time mother of a young daughter, Ms. London combed the bookshelves in search of support and guidance but found that most parenting books were written for younger mothers, while books on midlife assume the children are grown. The next day, she advertised a support group for first-time mothers over forty, and her phone hasn’t stopped ringing since. Today she runs support groups and workshops all across the country, and brings the wisdom and practical advice of her years as a therapist and group leader to her readers, with her new book designed exclusively for the older first-time mother.

Written in a way that speaks to the soul, Hot Flashes, Warm Bottles gathers the insight and emotion of these fortysomething moms as they share their personal trials and triumphs in a new era of motherhood. Their stories are often humorous, sometimes surprising, and always comforting. Reassured and inspired, the reader knows she is not alone. This one-of-a-kind guide provides a wealth of advice and creative solutions to help the older first-time mother:

• Navigate the minefield of our youth-worshipping culture with her self-esteem intact
• Rejuvenate physical and sexual energy with tools to overcome midlife fatigue
• Survive "The Clash of the Titans" when motherhood meets menopause
• Balance a career that may be in mid-bloom with a much-anticipated child
• Care for elderly parents while tending young children – the "Sandwich Generation" dilemma
• Work through the physical and emotional aftermath of infertility treatments
• Build supportive communities with other fortysomething parents who have adopted domestically or internationally.
• Recognize the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause and test for hormone imbalances after childbirth
• Start a support group for mothers over forty using the eight week curriculum provided in the book
• Recognize her personal best and find comfort in knowing her best is good enough
• The book also contains a chapter devoted to women who decided to have second families over forty once the big kids were grown, and a chapter of candid, often hilarious, interviews with the children of older first-time moms

Hot Flashes, Warm Bottles brings a powerful sisterhood to modern motherhood with quotes and stories that read like the voices of many cherished friends. From the great lengths to which many of these women must go to become parents, to the surprises and joys of raising a long-desired child, Ms. London eloquently reveals the heartfelt journey of women embracing motherhood later in life.

$14.95 paper • 192 pages • 6 x 9 inches
ISBN: 0-89087-971-0 • Publication Date: June 2001
Available at amazon.com