As my one year anniversary for being a mother just passed I found reading Spit That Out! by Paige Wolf to be a fairly accurate retrospective on new and expectant mommyhood. In my first twelve months in the sisterhood of notoriously bad pants (mom jeans, anyone?) strangers felt totally qualified to ask extremely personal questions about my expectant mommy body and pass judgment on every stained shirt, public tantrum, and baby-related product within my child’s orbit. Spit That Out! reads like a great conversation commiserating with a knowing friend more than a book chock-full of tips and tricks to help the "overly informed parent" that is "raising children in the age of environmental guilt" (her taglines).

Spit That Out! would have been a great book for me when I was in my second trimester of pregnancy. For me, that was the time when I really started to freak out about the lacquer that was going to be on the baby’s crib or the possibility of having flame retardant chemicals (which are also known carcinogens) on his pajamas. This was the first time I felt really anxious about the new person that was about to be in my life and I began to obsess over every conceivable inorganic malady that could befall him. If a time machine were readily available I would love to take this book back to me then. Reading about another mom’s anxiety about breast feeding or places to find organic produce coupons would have been a much needed release valve from all of the mounting pressure caused by all of the green books I was reading at the time which had me exhausted over every detail of every aspect of birthing and raising a child.

At the heart of the book Wolf says, “Whether it’s organic vs. conventional or bottle vs. breast, at the center of this emotional roller coaster are millions of moms wracked with some level of guilt. Each choice is laden with anxiety and every decision is a gateway to worry.” I will say that on it’s face I was disappointed that Wolf stops short of offering up her own remedy for these issues but perhaps this was her deliberate point.

I believe that Wolf understands that a book with a laundry list of “answers” to add to the chorus of preachy voices really isn’t what most moms need and provides a measured voice of reason leaving the reader to make her own decisions.

Reviewer Kristen Gunn is Visual Director at EndlessBeauty.com.