The Natural Pregnancy Book, Third Edition: Your Complete Guide to a Safe, Organic Pregnancy and Childbirth with Herbs, Nutrition, and Other Holistic Choices

After reading some of the confusing, very poorly written reviews on here I felt compelled to set the record straight. I was originally referred to Dr. Romm's website by my midwife when I had questions about taking herbs while pregnant. I loved her way of thinking and straightforward explanations so much that I decided to explore her books. I am so happy I did.As a pregnant woman I have found this book to be the most empowering of any pregnancy book I have read (and I've read 6 recently!) However, I would also recommend Ina May's Guide to Childbirth which pairs well with this one for guidance specifically on natural labor/delivery/childbirth. For any woman truly looking for holistic information on pregnancy, this book is the best. It covers an overview of pregnancy progression, holistic management of common pregnancy symptoms, diet/nutrition and exercise, and overall information about mental health and well-being. She gives great herbal advice not typically offered in a doctor's office and stress reduction techniques. But what I enjoy most about Dr. Romm's delivery of the information is her uplifting and positive tone, making mama's feel in control and powerful during pregnancy. With the influx of mixed medical advice these days, this book is a breath of fresh air. I would also highly recommend for women receiving prenatal care from an OB as opposed to a midwife, as it provides alternate perspectives not typically discussed in an MD's office. It is a great supplemental resource for women reading more technical pregnancy resources out there, which are also useful. It does not go into detail on a cellular level as many of the other pregnancy books do but focuses on the whole woman and her baby. I will also be reading her postpartum book in a few months and cannot wait!Side notes:In regards to other Amazon reviews... for the love of God, ladies please do NOT take advice from the guy trying to sell a ketogenic diet during pregnancy. This is absolutely not recommended and dangerous advice and keeps appearing as the first review for this book. Any woman receiving prenatal care would recognize this, but I felt it had to be said for anyone shying away from this book due to this review. Carbohydrates from natural sources, as Dr. Romm has described, are essential for a healthy pregnancy. She also emphasizes the importance of protein. Everything reported on nutrition in this book aligns with my midwife's recommendations as well as other literature I've read in nearly every pregnancy book.Use your best judgement when it comes to specific food items in her lists and if you have questions refer to your health practitioner (which you should be doing anyway!) Obviously margarine is not going to be the best choice and she has this in a large list under "fat sources." You'd have to really nitpick to find it. What she emphasizes as crucial are the "essential fatty acids" which are listed separately. Emerging research has also pointed to all women taking folate as opposed to folic acid, however this book was updated last in 2014 so the information differs. Please make sure you talk to your provider about this, most midwives will recommend folate.I do believe her section on weight gain contains a typo, specifically on the recommendation for underweight women to gain 8-40 lbs with a 12.5-18 kg equivalency. If you do the math this should equate to 28-40 lbs instead, as is the general recommendation on US charts. But all pregnant women should receive prenatal care and have their weight monitored by their provider.I will also point out that reviewers outside of the US have differing views on what a healthy pregnancy looks like. The general US perspective on pregnancy reveals it to be much more of a medical condition rather than a natural biological process. I would definitely recommend reading the reviews from all over the world when searching for solid pregnancy literature and using a variety of sources. No one source will be perfect for everyone. Happy reading!

In the book, Dr. Romm has several contradictory statements. On one page she writes about making positive body statements to yourself if you have a negative body image, and to the baby, particularly if you are experiencing stress. She says to expressly welcome the baby, essentially saying, "You are welcome, you are loved, it is safe to be born," (paraphrasing). But later she talks about genetic testing and that when couples learn of a Down Syndrome diagnosis she says it is okay to abort if the couple finds the world would be too hostile and the diagnosis too difficult to handle. What happened to, "You welcomed, you are loved, it is safe..." ??? An underlying assumption to that statement is that you are only welcomed and loved if you are perfect, which contradicts previous statements. Not to mention that such a statement and consequent action (abortion) contributes to a hostile world that does not welcome difficult and challenging health conditions and persons with disabilities. I believe it is those with Downs Syndrome and similar difficulties which help the rest of us slow down and realize the value of people as persons and not their usefulness.In addition, she speaks of conception as the beginning of pregnancy, that the baby possesses everything it needs at that moment to grow, and of the baby as a person, but then she agrees that abortion is an option if that person is inconvenient to the mother. She doesn't suggest adoption, which is a merciful option, and much, much less harmful to the mother's (not to mention the baby's) overall well-being, as abortion not only kills the baby-person but causes serious long-term damage to the mother's entire being - body, soul, and mind.I hope Dr. Romm will come to reconsider these statements and position, and her subsequent influence, and realize that the more loving and compassionate way to walk with women during these beautiful, and sometimes challenging, moments in life is to help them have as healthy and complete a pregnancy and delivery as possible, especially to offer encouragement and support when a challenging diagnosis is given - and to give the gift of life, either for their own family, of that of another's.She also leans towards spiritualism and nontraditional relationships, which might be helpful to know when considering the purchase of this book.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that has been looking for a more natural approach to their pregnancy. It has everything that I have been looking for in a pregnancy book: information on safe herbal remedies, poses and exercises, nutrition, etc. The writing is fluid and very easy to read and relate to. I have a few other books on pregnancy/prenatal care but this one is BY FAR my favorite!!

Dr Aviva Romm has such a calming, kind, knowledgeable presence. I truly believe every women should read her books and this book for pregnant woman is no different. I love how she speaks so gracefully straight to the heart and how she gives practical tips too. This book made me appreciate my body in a much deeper way and changed how I view other women.

Good read for a first time mum

Recommended by my MD/ND with fertility background. Great source if info for broad range of subjects. Highly recommend.

As advertised, an excellent book.

This is a GREAT book by a great author, doctor, researcher. You can continue to find out great information through her website too.If you like this and are looking for a book with a mix of traditional wisdom (including nutritional, herbal, and more), recipes, and current science, check out  Green Mama-to-Be: Creating a Happy, Healthy, and Toxin-Free Pregnancy . Green Mama-to-Be: Creating a Happy, Healthy, and Toxin-Free Pregnancy

Great book by Dr. Aviva. I used it all throughout my pregnancy - it was my reference! Also, the herbs & salves really helped me!