The Natural Pregnancy Book: Herbs, Nutrition, and Other Holistic Choices

I am in a city where it isn't popular to higher a midwife or Doula so finding one was hard to come by. I decided to stick with an OB as I did with my last pregnancy and just try to do research on my own. THIS BOOK WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR!! It has given me natural remedies for all sorts of discomforts in my second pregnancy. It has given me tools for simple stretching and simple nutrition plans. It has informed me of what is most important and what I could do without. In NO WAY do I find this book degrading to woman like one person has stated. And in NO WAY do I find this book making me feel dumb like i don't know anything. If anything it has encouraged me that I DO KNOW what I am doing and that taking certain herbal supplements is really ok. (when my OB has to look up every single supplement that I want to try and make sure it "passed" all the testing)If you are looking for a book to guide you in herbal supplements for nausea, fatigue, colds, the flu and more... if you are looking for a right guide as far as a simple nutrition plan goes... if you want a Midwife "on call" with simple solutions THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.Yes, she states simple things like getting plenty of rest if you are fighting fatigue or a cold but you know what, I have a 2 year old and it is hard for me to remember to go to bed early and feel ok about myself for taking a nap. She also strongly encourages you to feel ok about your body and all the changes its going thru including weight gain. Yes, she may come off a little "odd" when she talks about talking to your baby inside of you and you asking it what it needs but I am an adult and I know how to apply things to my life that with what I feel is best for me.I strongly suggest this book. even if you just want something on the natural side for discomfort in pregnancy. I went all natural with my daughter and I feel empowered that I can do this alone instead of needing to higher a Doula like I did the last time.

Being in the medical field in addition to dealing with infertility for many years plus a MC, taking the natural route with this pregnancy was uber important for me. I love the thoroughness of the content, however, some of is beyond my scope. Many of the herbs are unobtainable for me. I did enjoy the tidbits of info as she is a provider so I trusted the advice more than some other authors I had been recommended. Guess all in all, I was looking for something “less natural”. I will likely pass this on so some of my hipster momma friends.

I think this is a good book if the concept of 'natural' is new to you.Unfortunately this book had very little new to offer me but that's only because her advice was basically how I am living my life already (minus the bean obviously)It has got some good little recipes in there like, muscle cramp oil or herbal teas but I'd be very reluctant to take any of the tonics or serious herbal formulas without consulting a naturopath or hebalist (for example she says to use dandelion leaf as a diuretic but, my herbalism lecturer said that's far to diuretic for pregnant women to use)I'd recommend this book to anyone who thinks they may need help with their diet, knows nothing about herbs and those who are going through a lifestyle change because they have just found out they are pregnant.

I am a novice herbalist, not an expert by any means, but herbs are definitely my first choice when it comes to helping me or my family's body's deal with infection, boosting health, etc. However, when it came to pregnancy I was stumped with what was safe and what is not. This book really answered a lot of questions as to what is great to take to nurture the pregnancy as well as what to take if there are problems encountered. I was also VERY impressed and influenced by Romm's perspective on women taking back their right to deal with their pregnancy as a natural occurrence rather than the way western medicine deals with it almost as a sickness. In addition this book inspired me to utilize the help of a midwife rather than a M.D. during my next pregnancy. I absolutely recommend this to women who are seeking to be pregnant or are already pregnant and wish to utilize alternative natural means to aid your pregnancy.

While the information in this book might be helpful, it is the most terrifying pregnancy book I have read (and I have acquired quite the library!). I was about two months pregnant when I got it in the mail. After reading the first 30 pages or so, I could feel my heart rate elevated, my breath shortened, and my muscles tensed. My husband hid the book from me so it wouldn't stress me out, and I just brought it out again at four months pregnant. Same result. Simple things like a discussion on how your breasts will grow in pregnancy turn into a dire warning about how you still might get breast cancer and to frequently check your breasts for lumps and have your OB check out anything odd. Dire warnings abound: If you let yourself be stressed you'll damage your baby!! If you aren't ready to be a mom you might have a miscarriage! Every little piece of information is presented with a side of FEAR FEAR FEAR and BLAME. As if, as a first time mother I'm not already worried all the time. The author is also preachy and talks down to the reader. It is so upsetting, I'd rather read "What to Expect When You're Expecting."Joel Evan's "The Whole Pregnancy Handbook" has better info on herbs and alternatives, with only a healthy dose of fear. I'd recommend that and Susan Weed's "Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year" and just skip this one. My husband is hiding it from me again for the duration of my pregnancy.

I enjoyed reading this book. She gets a little preachy at times about the wicked ways of modern life and medicine, but I tend to agree with most of what she said, so I got through it just fine. I felt like she gave me some good information on diet and the necessities of my body throughout the pregnancy. I got this book as soon as I found out I was pregnant and frequently refer back to it. After reading this book, I have been pretty comfortable with all the decisions and changes ahead of me. I have been healthy and happy and successfully chose a midwife.

Parts of this book were informative and helpful. A good one to read in combination with lots of others. I found Ina May Gaskin's books far better.

Good book but a bit wafty and presumptive in places which is a little annoying

Really interesting book. Different from all of the other maternity books available and worth the read.

This book is a wealth of knowledge if you are looking for a natural pregnancy. This book, along with her other book - Natural Health after Birth - are my favourite pregnancy books (and I have a lot). She is such a wonderful writer - you feel like she is sitting in the room with you. You will feel empowered after reading this book - and will refer to it over and over again. It recently came in very handy when a good friend had a miscarriage. She has an extensive chapter on this, including what herbs to help stop a threatened miscarriage as well as those to help the miscarriage complete naturally (when you cannot stop it). It then also talks about what herbs you can take when you are trying again to help prevent additional miscarriages.

Love this book! As a holistic mama-to-be, I have enjoyed reading this book even prior to being pregnant I found it so interesting! I love Aviva Romm!