In “How to Baby” New Yorker Cartoonist Liana Finck Offers Un-Advice for New Moms and Moms-to-Be (Exclusive)
The cartoonist and memoirist drew PEOPLE a selection of exclusive pieces of advice in preparation for Mother's Day
Anyone who's ever had a baby, thought about having a baby or (let's be honest) looks to the casual observer like they might be biologically capable of having a baby has gotten questions about it or worse, well-intentioned advice that makes the recipient feel the opposite of advised.
Cartoonist and author Liana Finck gets it, and she's coming out with a new book that might be able to help. Or at least, help make readers with similar experiences feel seen. As a new mom, Finck began illustrating her early years of motherhood, expressing her insecurities, frustrations and joys in language and images.
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In her new book How to Baby: A No-Advice-Given Guide to Motherhood, With Drawings, Finck uses her witty and lacerating cartoons (“Hobbies for Pregnant Women: Waiting on Hold with the Insurance Company”) and weaves them together with comic essays (“You Married a Brute. Worse. You’re a Nag: Go Ahead and Argue with Each Other”), tongue-in-cheek lists (“Nesting. The Comprehensive List of What to Buy and Why Getting Things Used Is Dangerous and Unamerican”), and observations that will make readers go "huh, I never thought about it that way."
Below, Finck offered PEOPLE a taste of what we can expect in How to Baby, out April 30.
Ten Unsolicited Tips for New Moms
First piece of advice: Listen to no one, especially not the people whose advice is already living rent-free in your brain and especially not lists you find on the Internet.
Get Your Sleep Now
Go ahead and hit snooze because once the baby's here, forget it. And if you're already a parent, you may recognize the posture above as basically inevitable.
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Even If You Weren't a Yoga Person Before, You'll Love Prenatal Yoga
Hey, parenting changes a person. This is the time to stop thinking about those people who have said things like "have you ever tried yoga?"
Congratulations! You're Pregnant! Now Go Buy All the Stuff!
You thought shopping for yourself was fun? Try shopping for baby. A whole new family member means a whole new level of justification. Go forth and capitalize.
Get Your Baby on a Schedule
Even if they come out of the womb a tiny anarchist.
Don't Listen to the Breastfeeding Zealots
In fact, "don't listen to zealots" is good advice, in general.
Don't Listen to the Anti-Breastfeeding Zealots
So many people, so many opinions, so little actual science. The best person to tell you whether you're feeding your baby properly is your pediatrician.
Your Parental Instinct Will Guide You
Don't worry if you're confused. You're supposed to be, especially if you've never done this before.
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You Can—and Should—Stop Caring About Anything Else in Your Life
Perfect eyeliner? Forget it. Real pants? Thing of the past. Not having schmutz on your shirt? Not a chance. Welcome to your new standards.
Don't Let Anyone See You've Changed—Or You'll Lose Everything You've Worked So Hard For
You know, just in case you need something to spiral about while trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in tonight.
Remember to Savor Every Moment. Are You Savoring?
If you dare to zone out for one, single second, you'll miss your baby's entire childhood and they'll grow up to write a book about their terrible childhood. Hey, you've been warned.
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