A review by asipofcozy
Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood--And Trusting Yourself and Your Body by Erica Chidi Cohen

informative medium-paced

3.5

I really don't know how to express my thoughts on books like this, so we are going to break it down into two list - what I liked, and what I didn't like.

What I liked:
  • I liked the holistic approach to pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. It really helped me get into a more positive mindset on pregnancy and the current experiences and anxieties I am having.
  • The view that all birth is natural no matter what path you take. So many comments, TikTok videos, posts are degrading women for the choice they make when it comes to how they birth their child (usually medicated vs. unmedicated). Carrying and growing a baby for 9+ months is as natural as you're going to get, why bring other's down for the birth!
  • Helped with mentally preparing for birth!
  • The product lists/resources at the back of the book could definitely be helpful but were still generic and the author seemed geared towards certain brands over others.

What I did not like:
  • The lack of science/research/evidence behind what the author is saying. One prime example is the author recommends using certain essential oils but when you look up the research on essential oils (orally and topically) there is a lot of research that is still unsure how safe oils actually are. A specific one was Clary Sage essential oil. She talks about ways to use it, but research states that there might be a link to premature labor/miscarriages when using it. So before you take the homeopathy advice/home remedies DO YOUR RESEARCH!
  • While the author does make the statement and continues to state all birth paths are natural, you can definitely see in her writing that the unmedicated, home birth route is the superior option to being In a hospital or getting medical (epidural) assistance. So she tends to contradict herself.
  • This 90% of the book read as a self-help book vs. a pregnancy book. A lot of recipes and exercises on fixing the past you.
  • If you are here for a month by month, week-by-week play of what's going on with your body and body definitely not here.
  • This book seems to be geared for upper-class individuals as the author makes a lot suggestions around getting massages, hiring private doulas and home nurses and night nurses, going to birth centers over hospitals or even home births. Which realistically most parents cannot afford half of these items. 
  • It can be very very hippy at times.