What I imagined my first pregnancy would be like: Take test. Positive! Look in the mirror and notice awesome pregnancy glow, pick up helpful books, rock pregnancy and birth.
What it was actually like: Realize I’m probably pregnant as I polish off a 24 ounce jar of olives in bed. Take a test plus three more just to be sure. Buy pregnancy books. Throw pregnancy books in the bottom drawer of bedside table, research my own path to rocking pregnancy and birth.
Back then, there wasn’t a comprehensive guide written from a natural perspective. I had to navigate a lot on my own, which meant figuring out how to choose a prenatal, encourage my breech baby to flip (she did), and decide whether or not to drink the glucola. Unfortunately, there were some things I didn’t learn about until later, like the benefits of skin-to-skin care after birth.
Y’all, The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth is the book I wish I’d had. Genevieve is like a friend taking you on a sacred journey, sharing wisdom that is both evidence-based and rooted in traditional wisdom. She’ll answer all your questions . . . even the ones you haven’t thought of yet.
4 Reasons I Love This Book
1. It’s written for people who don’t want to read a boring medical textbook.
The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth is beautifully illustrated and written with real mamas in mind. Genevieve literally had me crying in the opening pages as she talked about her own birth experiences, and the whole book feels like a fascinating conversation instead of a list of do’s and don’ts. (Weird fact, Genevieve and I birthed our babies within 24 hours of each other, and then three years later we did it again.)
2. It offers a natural perspective.
With insights from Cynthia Mason, CNM, APN and Maura Winkler, RN, CD, IBCLC, Genevieve covers:
- Pregnancy diet guidelines based on real food principles
- Natural remedies for common pregnancy symptoms
- How to create a birth plan that actually gets read
- The benefits and risks of “routine” pregnancy and labor procedures
- Helping baby get optimally positioned for birth
- Natural pain relief during labor
- Benefits of delayed cord clamping
- Placenta encapsulation (Including why you might want to do it, and why not)
- How to have a gentle caesarean
- Recovery and breastfeeding tips
As you can see from the 97% five star rating on Amazon (with 364 reviews and counting), Genevieve’s book has been very well received by the natural community. However, there has been some discussion regarding the section on circumcision. Although Genevieve has posted before on the subject, she released a statement saying that she feels like she missed an opportunity in that section and will be expanding it to focus on the benefits of keeping boys intact. I very much look forward to reading it.
3. The Labor Playbook
When it comes to labor, sometimes instinct takes over, but in my experience it usually takes awhile to get in the zone. The Labor Playbook is a stage-by-stage guide to birth that suggests positions – with illustrations – that you can try until you find something that feels right. It also includes ideas for how your partner can support you.
4. It can help change the birth culture in our country
Why is mainstream medicine beginning to embrace food as medicine, the gut brain connection, and other ideas that were previously dismissed? Because us, that’s why.
We’re educating ourselves, asking for more integrative care, and sharing what we’ve learned with others . . . and it’s making a difference. Our choices are affecting other industries, too – stores are dedicating more and more shelf space to non-toxic products, organic food, etc. I love that this shift increases access to healthier options for all families, not just ours.
That’s why I want to see this book in stores like Babies R Us and even Walmart, where – as Genevieve mentioned in this post on preparing for a natural birth – it will reach people who may have never heard about:
- Delayed cord clamping, which boosts baby’s iron stores by 30% and improves fine motor skills and social development later in life.
- Skin-to-skin contact, which regulates baby’s body temperature and blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and helps initiate early breastfeeding.
- Gentle cesarean, which can “seed” baby’s microbiome, eliminate fluids from baby’s lungs, while empowering the mama.
- Or the importance of eating during labor!!!
But in order to get into mainstream retailers, we need to show those stores that we want this game changing book.
Ready to get your copy?
Whether you’re a hopeful mama-to-be or pregnant, I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth.
Even if you aren’t TTC/pregnant, you could:
- Donate your copy to a local library
- Give it to a pregnant or TTC friend
- Share it with your midwife, OB/GYN or chiropractor as these people are huge influencers
- Pass it along in your local mom’s group
- Give it to a church or community center
Thank you for all you are doing to help improve birth in our country: sharing pregnancy and birth articles, your own experiences, and helping to get the word out about this book. Muah!
Click here to buy The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth
