The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy By Shonda Parker

This book is great to use for referencing. It’s one of those great kinds of books to simply have in your collection to be used for things later on. This book is a bit uninteresting to simply read through. The author is an herbalist. Basically, there are all sorts of discomforts of pregnancy listed and nutritional recommendations for each one as well as remedies and supplements to consider. As I am not an herbalist nor have I tried each remedy, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information, but I did enjoy the book. I felt the information was presented in an understandable fashion. I like books such as these that I can come back to later when I have an issue I want information about. The internet is hard to find information sometimes that is reputable. With books, it’s easy to see their documentation, credentials, and verify the information for yourself. That’s what I love about books.

This book offers more information than simply herbal remedies as well. While it is possible to find this information elsewhere, it is nice to have a large of information packed into one place. This book covers information for nutrition during pregnancy. A general rule of thumb I look for in books that address the topic of nutrition is a discussion on whole foods. This is foods in their natural unaltered state. I believe this is the healthiest way to eat the foods. Anything manmade or processed or altered is a waste of time if you want to experience the best health possible. This book has information on this. Another positive for this book is the recommendation about microwaves. I believe microwaves are horrible, and I will not eat food that comes from them. Too many books don’t address this. I also appreciated the author’s discussion on milk during pregnancy, although I would have liked to see soy addressed. Of course, this book was published in 1998. There has been a lot more awareness about soy since then.

An interesting approach this book takes is that it is written in relation to religion and brings God into the discussion. Personally, I enjoyed this aspect. Others may not. It’s just not many books do this or consider God a part of the picture in regards to some of the topics mentioned. I think the author did a good job conveying her message for those who do believe He is an integral part of everyting.

There is information on family planning and breastfeeding as well. Ultimately, a decent book to have lying around.