Author: Nancy Bardacke
Started: February 17, 2019
Finished: March 4, 2019
Pages: 384
Genre: Non-Fiction / Pregnancy
First Sentence: "I'm pregnant!"
Summary: [From BN] With Mindful Birthing, Nancy Bardacke, nurse-midwife and mindfulness teacher, lays out her innovative program for pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond. Drawing on groundbreaking research in neuroscience, mindfulness meditation, and mind/body medicine, Bardacke offers practices that will help you find calm and ease during this life-changing time, providing lifelong skills for healthy living and wise parenting. Some of the benefits of mindful birthing: Increases confidence and decreases fear of childbirth, Taps into deep inner resources for working with pain, Improves couple communication, connection, and cooperation, Provides stress-reducing skills for greater joy and well-being.
Thoughts: This was the first pregnancy book that did not leave me at least a little bit terrified. While I like to be informed with realistic information, I also don't need to be scared to death. If you're pregnant, make sure you read this book. It's the perfect mix of realistic information and calming theory.
What I like most about this book is that the mindfulness lessons apply beyond pregnancy. This book is about noticing how your body feels, what emotions you're going through, and the environment and reactions of those around it. All of that is just as important for parenting as it is for pregnancy. Bardacke shares numerous mindfulness lessons and applies them to specific parts of pregnancy. She shows how the practices connect the mind and body leaving your less stressed and more aware. The book is structured around the stories from a mindfulness course and she incorporates stories from real people.
Also, if you're terrified of labor, just read the chapter where Bardacke basically maths out the pain. This is the only book that left me thinking, "Okay. I can do this."
I enjoyed this book so much that I bought it because I know I will be referring to it. I also asked The Husband to read it because I think the information is valuable for him as well.
Rating: 9/10 [Excellent!]
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