Sacred Pregnancy

Sacred Pregnancy is 'a loving guide and journal for expectant moms'. Or so the cover of this beautiful book states.

What author Anni Daulter didn't tell me is that I would fall in love with this book and cry over it's simple, breathtaking, gentle, and powerful week-by-week guide through pregnancy.

Why am I all a-flutter over a week-by-week book? Because it is so much more than just that. Let's break it down:

• Your Pregnancy, Week by Week - too clinical, too many charts and graphs... it's just impersonal
• What to Expect When You're Expecting - *gag* what? I couldn't hear you over my own screams of protest
• Mayo Clinic's Guide to Pregnancy - very thorough, but where is the depth? Where is the pivotal moment of a woman claiming her power and beauty? 

But Sacred Pregnancy...

"Being pregnant and giving birth are like crossing a narrow bridge. People can accompany you to the bridge. They can greet you on the other side. But you must walk the bridge alone." ~ African Proverb

It works through each week of pregnancy as it's own 'chapter'. These chapters each contain the following: 

• Your Body - what is happening physically with your body. It is written in an easy to read format with no pretenses and plenty of understanding and empathy
• Your Baby - what is happening with your baby. It covers what new physical developments are occurring with your baby and what your baby is able to do at each stage of pregnancy
• Your Spirit - this section is part of what sets this book a part from the rest. Your Spirit gently begins to ask questions, and encourage mom to start asking questions, that will help her to walk into her own understanding and beliefs about birth.
• The Weeks Intention - the weeks intention is reflected in the title of each week. An example: the first week is Journaling. So the first week, Anni encourages her readers to start journaling, throughout the pregnancy, and she talks about the impact journaling can have on us. This section includes two sub-sections as well 1) reflections - her personal thoughts and experiences with the week's intention and 2) ideas - creative ideas on how to make the most of the weeks intention.
• Pairings - every week is rounded out with pairings: websites, foods, recipes, books, music, and products that will help mom to really immerse herself in the lessons of that week.
• Space to write - the end of each chapter is simply two open pages for mom to write her thoughts in

Filled with beautiful photographs of the pregnant form, this is a nurturing wonder! A week-by-week book for expecting women where the women both get the clinical/medical/physical understanding of what is happening to their bodies and babies throughout pregnancy, but they also have their spirits, their intellect, and their emotions stimulated, protected, encouraged, and nurtured into empowerment! Ah! We have been missing this and Sacred Pregnancy fulfills this need and so much more!

She touches on the importance of celebrating your body, in art, in your sexual relationship, and in your choices. She talks about nutrition and exercise. She encourages moms to stretch their imaginations and expectations by creating a safe space for meditation, quiet time, journaling, and planning. She writes about baby names and baby gender expectations.

She encourages mothers to embrace the mystery of pregnancy and birth and look deeply at the issues of pregnancy, birth, and parenting in order to find their unique, empowered, center in which to allow their birth journey to unfold. 

Anni builds women up holistically.

“I wish I had read Sacred Pregnancy when I was pregnant instead of the dozen books I had to piece together to try to make sense of it all. Anni Daulter has created what should be the new standard for today’s mom: birth journals, labor workbooks, pregnancy memoirs, and holistic wisdom. It is gentle and enlightening, and lays the foundation for what we know helps women have the labor and birth they want and deserve: support, self-knowledge, and empowerment.” ~Mayim Bialik, actress

I love this book, did I mention I love it? I have found the book that I will  be giving out to women at the start of their pregnancies.  This, more than any I have read, encourages women, in a non-confrontational way, to explore their options! My wish is that this book would replace WTEWYE in every doctor, midwife, chiropractor, and maternity clothing store's shelves.