The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth

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– AMAZINGFirst 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 wouldexpect 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.

This book follows mama and baby through every week of the pregnancy. She gives you a manageable chapter to get through each week (remember you're totally tired being pregnant or chasing another toddler around so time is limited!). Each week starts with a quick update of what is going on with mama and baby and then dives into an important topic for that week or common questions mama might be having at that time in the pregnancy. At the end of each week she leaves mama with a list of 2-3 items to accomplish. And these items are attainable....one was "sleep". Can I get an amen?! The weeks are packed with beautiful illustrations and birth affirmations. There are also various checklists provided for mama to physically put a check mark next to as she prepares for baby's arrival, for things mama has been worrying about as well as things that haven't even crossed her mind yet. This hearty guide covers everything from a natural perspective, cover to cover, and everything is all gathered in one place. In a world of mommy-shaming, this book is all-inclusive. While it is naturally focused, there is no shaming. This guide does address fertility, loss, epidurals, and c-sections (or as I prefer to call it surgical birth), and gentle cesarean. All of these options are respected & honored for their ability to save lives.What I love about this book, is not only is it naturally-focused, but it acknowledges that mama plays a huge role in this pregnancy thing. You cannot have birth without mama and yet so many apps and books only focus on baby. Of course the health and development are important and Mama Natural discusses those topics too, but I love the immense emphasis placed on mama because her desires should be honored and respected. It is my hope that all women, no matter what their birth preference is, are respected for their choices. I want my daughter to have a world that respects her choices and wants to support her in that path. I pray that not only does this book help the Natural Mama now, but the Natural Mamas of the future as well. I highly recommend this book!

The media could not be loaded. This book is amazing! I totally recommend for all mom’s, especially first time moms. Such a great guide for a healthy, natural pregnancy! If you were crunchy, you will definitely love this book, but it’s a great for everyone!!