ONE YEAR TO AN ORGANIZED LIFE WITH BABY
By Regina Leeds with Meagan Francis
Publisher: Da Capo Press

Having completed One Year to an Organized Life With Baby in well under a year, I can easily say it had become a companion to me – so much so that when I came to the end of the book, I actually felt a void where it had been on hand to read.

I imagine that sensation would be far greater for those who actually do consult it, week by week, throughout their pregnancy and early postpartum period.

The book has most of the things you would look for in a companion; it is written with knowledge, wisdom, good taste, simplicity, and above all, empathy. Humour may not be the author’s strong point, but then again, this is a book on how to get (and stay) organised after all, so that is secondary.

If you’ve heard horror stories of the household disarray that ensued the minute baby appeared, and wish to avoid it, then Regina Leeds’ approach, which is based on systems and called Zen Organising, is a viable means of evading that very scenario. Among the key techniques she has cleverly used is the knowledge that a habit is created in 21 days, which is incorporated in changing any slovenly habits the reader may already possess.

The book is a very good pregnancy guide as well as an organising aid, and although it may lack diagrams and detailed descriptions of foetal development, it does address your life and your baby’s as it unfolds week by week, with a view to your shared future, and does this very well. So, in some ways, you really are getting two books in one.

While much-touted volumes like the What to Expect series have their merits in addressing the nitty-gritty that seemingly all parents worry over (with clinical accuracy) this book touches on more sensitive issues in-depth, such as taking care of your emotional and psychological wellbeing – not just the physical; for example by maintaining and nurturing existing relationships with those around you (an area that will be of much benefit and support to you if handled correctly) – a truly “Zen” aspect of the book which sees that the wellbeing of all is seen to, by priority.

The book’s holistic perspective addresses the happiness of you and your family. In doing so, it deals not only with pregnancy and the immediate aftermath, but with your entire life. This is another example of the “Zen” viewpoint which the author espouses throughout the book – it is the book’s underlying chord.

It speaks from the heart with wisdom and understanding, and is not abrupt and scientific in manner; rather it is warm and friendly, and it is this feel-good factor which is the book’s greatest strength. After all, you do want to enjoy the experience of your pregnancy, your baby and your life in general, don’t you? The book gives some very useful advice on how to do just that.

One of my favourite sections of the book is the one which focuses on creating baby’s room and special mother-and-baby nooks throughout the house with plenty of creative ideas that most mums-to-be can make use of with ease.

What’s great is that they will most likely bring peace to the days which follow the sleep-deprived nights. As for baby’s room, even if baby will be sharing yours for a while, it won’t be long till he can have his own, and baby can always use it to play, nurse and rest in until that time comes.

Largely, the book illustrates how living and working in organised spaces greatly increases the likelihood of ensuing peace and is an automatic de-stressor; while the opposite is true of disorder in your life. Organisation, as illustrated here, really is a gift that keeps on giving.

The Zen approach endures with the author recognising that nothing is perfect and providing helpful tips on dealing with the unexpected obstacles – such as a last minute diaper change or a toddler temper tantrum – which are part and parcel of parenthood, and still being able to proceed with relative ease. And yep, you guessed right, it all boils down to being organised.

This book is the perfect goad for those who believe they are intrinsically messy, and will spur them to buckle down to it and clean up their act. When the benefits are staggering and the keys to them are at your finger tips, how could you not give it a try?

Each week you will find new projects to address, and reap the reward of self-satisfaction, along with more tangible rewards (as Leeds is a great believer in rewarding yourself for a job well done) and begin to cultivate habits that work for you.

It is great for an at-home mum-to-be and possibly doable for the working mum too, but that depends on how tired you are at the end of your pregnant working day. It helps that Leeds has broken down each project in terms of method, help required, and timeline, as a good organiser should; and with Leeds, you have one with more than 20 years of professional experience under her belt.

This book is very much an emotional journey that is sure to leave you happier for having read (and practised!) it. While the author appreciates that every reader may not wish to embrace all of the suggestions, she urges you to give them a try. Where you already have systems of your own in place, she respects these and adds tips that may augment them. She does this by naming and describing certain organising products which win half the battle for you.

One truth she reiterates is that when a system is in place, it only needs maintaining to keep things in order, and is therefore far less time-consuming than starting from scratch each time you tidy up – which is what happens in the absence of a system.

Organising projects is made creative and fun. The use of catalysts such as the Dream Board is not only cute, but noteworthy as these techniques have been backed up by experts in the fields of medicine and quantum physics, among others, and are frequently used in corporate circles under the moniker of “vision boards”.

She has some very helpful hints and it’s the little things like scheduling a time for followup phone calls, email or letter-writing that add up and go a long way.

Regina Leeds has a lot of great ideas for recycling your things but her suggestion to send “expired” medicines to “third-world” countries is a controversial one that can be seen as either imperialistic and patronising or caring and concerned, depending on where you stand.

The use of American English can be a bit much for Malaysians who have largely and perennially learnt the language based on British usage.

She is a bit old-fashioned in assuming that “unless you are in politics or the upper echelons of business, glamorous evenings are probably over for a few years” when she encourages you to give up your sky-high heels. It appears she has failed to realise that regardless of their professions, couples may attend dinner parties and such, or simply go out to a fancy restaurant where the heels would be a plus. It is sad to note this occurrence despite the collaboration with mother-of-five, writer Meagan Francis, which contradicts her otherwise consistent view that every woman should look and feel her best.

Towards the end, the book becomes repetitive; some of the information mentioned in the first chapters reappears. This may have been done in aid of those parents who exasperatedly reach for the book in search of a way out of escalating clutter, but turn only to the pages which correspond to their position on the baby-journey, likely the first weeks postpartum.

Even so, I find much repetition to be superfluous, rendering entire chapters, such as weeks 11 and 13 postpartum, unnecessary as the issues contained in them were addressed in the pregnancy chapters of the book.

In addition, a point to note is that the family room is only mentioned in the postpartum section which seems like an oversight as it would be far better to prepare this space before baby arrives.

Leeds' tone of voice, though largely friendly, can at times be authoritarian, too. If you can put up with this (or, as the case may be, if you feel you need this in order to get organised), then gloss over the repetition and focus on what the book has to offer, for there is much to be gained.

While I wouldn’t advise that it be the only book you read on pregnancy, delivery, and beyond, I do think it should be on your pregnancy reading list. I certainly wish I had read it when I was pregnant.