Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth

Synopsis from Kobo.com:

What you need to know to have the best birth experience for you.

Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation’s leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention.

Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, this invaluable resource includes:

  • Reducing the pain of labor without drugs–and the miraculous roles touch and massage play
  • What really happens during labor
  • Orgasmic birth–making birth pleasurable
  • Episiotomy–is it really necessary?
  • Common methods of inducing labor–and which to avoid at all costs
  • Tips for maximizing your chances of an unmedicated labor and birth
  • How to avoid postpartum bleeding–and depression
  • The risks of anesthesia and cesareans–what your doctor doesn’t necessarily tell you
  • The best ways to work with doctors and/or birth care providers
  • How to create a safe, comfortable environment for birth in any setting, including a hospital
  • And much more

Ina May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth takes the fear out of childbirth by restoring women’s faith in their own natural power to give birth with more ease, less pain, and less medical intervention.

What I Thought:

While I skipped over the birth stories at the beginning of the book I really loved the main content. I loved the chapter on orgasmic/euphoric birth because this concept is literally something no one in my circle has every talked about. This book actually really helped me get excited about birth and I’m looking forward to the experience now more than ever.

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Book Review: Wellth (How to Build a Life, Not a Resume)

Here is my book review on Wellth by Jason Wachob.

Synopsis:

mindbodygreen founder Jason Wachob redefines successful living and offers readers a new life currency to build on, one that is steeped in wellbeing…Wellth.

“Many of us aren’t satisfied with just trying to accumulate the most money and toys. The good life is no longer just about the material—instead, it can be found in a lifestyle that is devoted to mental, physical, and emotional health. A wellthy existence is one in which happiness is attainable, health is paramount, and daily living is about abundance. It’s a life in which work is purposeful; friendships are deep and plentiful; and there’s a daily sense of richness or overflowing joy. But since there’s no one-size-fits all definition for a wellthy existence, I hope this book will serve as a guide to help you embark on your own personal journey that is both unique and meaningful.”

Eat. Move. Work. Believe. Explore. Breathe. Connect. Love. Heal. Thank. Ground. Live. Laugh.

These are the building blocks of Wellth…and in this blend of memoir and prescriptive advice Jason Wachob shows us all how to enjoy truly ‘wellthy’ lives—lives that are deeply rich in every conceivable way. Through his experience and personal story, as well as in exclusive material from popular expert contributors (including Dr. Frank Lipman, Dr. Lissa Rankin, Joe Cross, Charlie Knoles, Kathryn Budig, Dr. Aviva Romm, and Dr. Sue Johnson), we learn how we too can embrace this new movement and develop richer, fuller, happier, healthier, and more meaningful lives.

What I Thought:

I don’t know if I’ve just read too many health self-development books but I wasn’t wowed by this one and nothing stuck with me. I was thinking about if I would be impressed if this was my first health non-fiction book and then yes maybe. So if you have yet to begin a journey back to or to health then I would highly recommend this book for the simplicity that it offers a reader in terms of what areas of your life you’d like to overhaul with anecdotal stories from the author.

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Book Review: The Holistic Guide to Twin Pregnancy

Synopsis:

When I first started doing research on what to expect with twin pregnancy, everyone and everything said the same scary words over and over. High risk. Preterm labor. Automatic C-Section. Premature babies. Long NICU stays. Being holistically minded, I refused to accept these things as an expected part of my pregnancy. There had to be another way. There had to be a natural approach to twin pregnancy that did not end with me being cut open and my preterm babies whisked away to an incubator for an untold length of time. The Holistic Guide to Twin Pregnancy is an encouraging and positive look at twin pregnancy with an emphasis on a holistic approach to prenatal care. This book explores the science behind twin conception, nutritional information from several leading experts in the field of multiple pregnancies, and resources for birthing options for the expectant twin mother. Other chapters include support to promote wellness both physically and emotionally, as well as information from scientific backed journals regarding twin birth safety, and studies that support full-term gestation of multiples and natural delivery. It is a culmination of all the information I myself needed and sought out after finding out I was pregnant with twins. The twin birth rate is at an all-time high, as is the desire for a return to holistic and natural ways of approaching pregnancy and birth. This book is specifically written for women and their partners who are pregnant with twins and have a desire to take a more natural approach to their pregnancies. It is not often that a twin pregnancy, often inherently deemed high risk, intersects seamlessly with a holistic lifestyle; however, with the right tools and information, I believe it can be done.

What I Thought: I’ve been on a reading binge since finding out we were pregnant. And after discovering that I was/am carrying twins I needed to do extra research for this pregnancy.

There are amazing tips on eating for three, discussing cesarian vs. vaginal birth and expectations, and the power of positivity. The author even shared her story of the birth of twins which is crazy amazing and even covers life after the twins are born.

I would recommend this book above the other pregnancy books I’ve read so far for twin mamas to be. It was well worth the read!

Book Review: The Whole 9 Months

Here is my book review of The Whole 9 Months.

Synopsis:

“I’m thrilled that Dr. Lang has put her valuable knowledge into these pages. With this book in your hand, you are on your way to putting your health first and setting your baby up for lifelong wellness.”—JESSICA ALBA, co-founder of The Honest Company

Good for baby, good for you: Every mom-to-be knows how important it is to pick the right foods when you’re eating for two—but the information overload on prenatal nutrition can be stressful and time-consuming. The Whole Nine Months is your all-in-one pregnancy book with simple nutritional guidelines, up-to-date pregnancy research, and real mom-to-mom advice. Through reading The Whole Nine Months you’ll discover how easy it can be to make good food choices for your body while growing a healthy, happy baby.

An invaluable reference and cookbook during pregnancy, The Whole Nine Months contains:

  • Nutritional Information: covering everything you need to know on essential baby-building nutrients, daily consumption needs, and where to find them in foods
  • Over 100 Quick and Easy Recipes: including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options—with helpful hints on how to customize each recipe to suit your cravings
  • Handy Tricks: helping you to handle nausea, cravings, and anything else that comes your way

As an OB-GYN, activist, and mother herself, Dr. Lang knows how hard it can be to absorb the available information on prenatal nutrition while tackling cravings and nausea.

“Eating for two” is the single most important thing that you’ll ever do—and The Whole Nine Months is the only pregnancy book you’ll need to get it right.

The Whole 9 Months

What I Thought:

I purchased this book after hearing Jennifer Lang on the Informed Pregnancy Podcast. I liked how she presented her knowledge on the show and it lays out eating by trimester in an easy to understand format. What I really like about this book is the suggestions she makes on what to eat when craving not so good foods.

The recipes are also easy to follow and I can easily adapt them for autoimmune paleo.

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Book Review: The Better Baby Book

How to Have a Healthier, Smarter, Happier Baby. Here is my book review of The Better Baby Book Lana and Dave Asprey.

Synopsis:

How to create a healthier, happier, smarter baby? The breakthrough pregnancy diet and lifestyle plan based on cutting-edge genetic science

Whether you’re planning for pregnancy or are already pregnant, this essential prenatal guide draws on the latest genetic research to give you a complete program of specific nutrition and environmental lifestyle changes that can help you have a better baby. The book is based on the emerging science of epigenetics and shows how the environment interacts with your genes, affecting which genes are expressed or “turned on”. It shows you the important steps you can take to improve preconception nutrition and reduce toxins in your home and body to consciously help your child be healthy, smart, and strong.

  • Leverages the latest epigenetics research to help you produce a healthier, smarter, and happier baby with a lower risk of allergies, asthma, and developmental issues
  • Shares a specific prescriptive program based on four principles: eating the right foods; taking the right supplements; detoxifying before, during, and after pregnancy; and minimizing stress
  • Shows how a woman’s health and her environment during pregnancy may have a much bigger impact on her child than was previously thought
  • Includes the authors’ compelling personal story of developing the Better Baby Plan shared in the book as they had their own better babies

What I Thought:

The book covers everything from healthy eating for fertility and pregnancy, how to reduce your environmental toxin exposure, ensuring you reduce stress during pregnancy and also discusses a gentle birth.

While I didn’t feel like I learned anything super new about health there were a few cooking tips that I hadn’t realized. They discuss how to cook your food, what to eat raw vs. cooked and if you do cook your own food how to cook it. I was a little shocked to hear that they are anti onions and garlic. I won’t get into their other guidelines but if you’re curious about their beliefs it’s definitely worth a read.

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