Description
For the last half-century, doctors have controlled childbirth. Many pregnancy guidebooks are conventional, fear-based, and written by male physicians deeply entrenched in the old-school medical model of birth.
But change is underway. Women are taking back their pregnancy and childbirth and embracing a natural way. Now, Genevieve Howland, the woman behind the enormously popular Mama Natural blog and YouTube channel, has created an inspiring, fun, and informative guide that demystifies natural pregnancy and walks moms through the process one week at a time.
In this revised and updated edition, Howland includes the latest research and weekly advice and tips for a healthy pregnancy, detailing vital nutrition information, natural remedies for common and troublesome symptoms, as well as the appropriate (and inappropriate) use of interventions.
Peppered throughout are positive birth and pregnancy stories from women of all backgrounds along with insights from experts including registered nurses, certified midwives, doulas, and lactation consultants. Encouraging, well-researched, and fun, The Mama Natural’s Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth is an essential companion for women everywhere to embrace natural pregnancy and reap all the benefits for both baby and mama.
Read more
Southerngirlnorthernlife –
Fue un regalo para mi esposa, le encanto y nos ayudó a tomar decisiones.
Fix-It With Fran –
My first run-in with Mama Natural took place on Pinterest. We’ll call it an e-meeting of sorts. I’m always pinning useful information for later and Mama Natural has LOTS of it!
Prior to reviewing this book, I completed the Mama Natural Birth Course as part of my Doula Certification work and it is also– AMAZING
First and foremost, I love rich color and an easy to read text— this book had all of that.
Secondly, It has great illustrations— and not just the typical diagrams you would
expect to see in a pregnancy planning book. There are illustrations of the author and her spouse, example mothers, some of the diagrams you would expect, and even illustrations of sample meals that one might try to prepare to switch up their weekly routine. I would also like to highlight here that the images are drawn illustrations– not just photographs (though I’m not opposed to photos)– that gave it a really personal touch to me. If you read a good number of these books, you become accstomed to seeing certain photos and images and this was a nice change of pace.
It includes a week-by-week guide to pregnancy and childbirth from a natural perspective. I shared a bit of my personal testimony of wanting to eliminate as many commercial medications and medical interventions as possible in one of my older posts. It is important to me that I seek out knowledge to prepare myself for a natural pregnancy and to support my friends and family who are currently having babies and who desire to do so naturally. KNOWLEDGE is POWER!
Her week-by-week tips include some of the most practical and helpful information I’ve seen. It was like having all of the best Pinterst Pins in one place! There are recipes, affirmations, and useful tips — like how to use your existing wardrobe throughout pregnancy and when/how to decide if any items are worth adding to your collection.
The book doesn’t stop at the week-by-week tips and advice for during pregnancy, it also includes labor and post partum and one part that I thought was very important was that pregnancy loss was included. As someone who is both a trained Social Worker and Doula, I understand that loss and post partum symptoms are often two big “elephants in the room.” Many are uncomfortable with discussing with them and if a mother experiences either (or both) she can be left feeling isolated and with no recourse. One of the greatest way to overcome the stigma is to talk about these issues— these births matter and mothers who experience post partum symptoms (baby blues, depression, etc.) are not alone and are STILL good mothers!I’ll stop there, before I get all the way up on my soapbox.
Long story short, I really love this book.
I purchased a Kindle copy for my personal use and will definitely be buying others to give away as gifts– it’s just THAT awesome!
I highly recommend that you add it to your collection if you’re in the market for this type of book. It could also make a great gift for soon-to-be or future mothers in your life.
Robin –
It’s way to costly for what it is and it doesn’t even look like a original copy
Jenny –
Loved that it had pictures and shared many details about mama and baby. It also had fun recipes you can make to help certain parts of pregnancy. It also went past birth talking about days after birth and vaccines. It was well organized and detailed for new moms.
Nicole –
Out of allllll of the pregnancy/childbirth books I’ve purchased since getting pregnant, this one is my favorite. I had a handful at the very beginning and I bought this one at 21 weeks. I wish I would have had this since the beginning. I think if you want to buy only one book, you could get away with this book. It has so much info organized so well. I love the natural remedies, recipes, and just general physical and mental health well being tips integrated into appropriate sections of the book. Everything just makes sense. The author does not push natural over everything, at all. Book is very inclusive and also encouraging and uplifting. Has all the info you would get in any of the classic books and then some. I don’t leave reviews haha but this is how much I appreciate this book and sincerely wish it was one of the first I had purchased.
Nathan Turney –
I purchased this book after suffering two miscarriages right when it was published! It was super helpful to find useful insights into each week of my third pregnancy, but with a more holistic perspective than a “What to Expect” book. With all things, you should do additional research when making medical decisions, but all in all I think this is a great resource for the crunchy or scrunchy mom!
Kepley McGuire –
This was an amazing recourse for me during my pregnancy. A great and easy aid to read that I was able to follow week by week and allowed me to prep well for my labor and delivery while also taking care of my body during pregnancy
Ulises Molina –
Maior do que imaginei, muito conteúdo e bem completo.
Thamiris –
il libro e’ strutturato quasi come un’agenda/calendario divertente, ti accompagna mese per mese con notizie importanti sia sul bambino che su come la mamma dovrebbe comportarsi per avere una gravidanza più naturale possibile. Solo alcuni piccoli consigli, soprattutto quelli riguardanti le visite mediche, si basano sul sistema sanitario americano. Per il resto è un must have per tutte le mamme!
Nathan Turney –
I am a first time mama. This book has so much information! Recipes, information about test, appointments, what to do and what not to do to protect your baby, extercises, plenty of tips and ways to stay healthy during pregnancy.. For the price it is 100% worth it! I would even say it should cost more! The illustrations are beautiful, it is a week by week guide and has tons of science based research in it. If you are a new mother or a seasoned mama, this book is still for you.
Southerngirlnorthernlife –
In regards to Amazon and the seller, the item was just as described and came promptly (the next day!). No complaints there. This book has so many tips and knowledge for a healthy (and natural) pregnancy and any questions you may have. The stories and illustrations make it super easy to digest and really relatable. You can learn a lot and it helps you plan for things, as well, like what supplies you’ll need to get before your baby comes.
The only thing that was a teeny bit off-putting and I don’t believe was in the description is a printing problem with a few of the illustrations–the colours are a printed a few millimetres off to the right on some pages so they’re in the wrong place (that lady’s lips are printed on her cheek, for example). Still, it’s a flaw in the individual copy and I have honestly no complaints. It’s well worth your time as a read and has a permanent place on my bookshelf.