The First Forty Days
The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother

The Good: Gentle permission for mothers to rest, care for themselves, and bond with their newborns. Between the US's shameful lack of maternity leave and societal pressure for women to put others' comfort above their own needs, this message is easy to forget. Even a simple reminder that you don't ha......more

A wonderful book on nourishing new mothers. It's directed to the new mom, but I feel it's a better read for a doula, partner, friend, grandmother etc. The expectations of mothers, especially new ones, are so unrealistic. I appreciate this books approach of slowing down and encouraging the village ap......more

This book has good advice for nurturing and protecting a new mother. I did not follow it as gospel when supporting my daughter and her newborn and husband, but I got some good guidance from it. The general message of the book is warm and loving and provides lots of reminders about how important thes......more

Picked up this book as the singular recommendation of a friend. It... was always going to be way too hippie for me. Not the Eastern traditions part, which I don't have a connection to but don't begrudge, but rather the attitudes towards motherhood & pregnancy & men expressed within. Just the descript......more

Lots of good stuff in here about caring for the postpartum mom with nutrition, care, love, and respect. I really appreciated Heng's tips about helping the body replenish itself after the major changes it undergoes in childbirth and the emphasis she puts on making sure mom is healthy so that baby wil......more