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

What a book! Loved this book is an understatement! Often I peruse a book when I first receive it, glancing through the images and chapter titles. With this one, however, I was captured by chapter one and could not put it down. The voice of this book is that of a mother…of many mothers…in the language of intimate kitchen table conversation. My expectation of this book was that it would be a beautiful cookbook, and it is! But it is so much more. Emerging from the “institution of postpartum care that dates back centuries“ with “global grandmotherly” wisdom from China, South America, India, Korea and the Native American traditions, this wonderful book is not a book ahead of its time; rather, it is a long-awaited gift that has finally arrived for mothers everywhere. The sub title, The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother, expertly describes the delicious food recipes (visual works of art) offered to replenish a mother’s body after pregnancy and birth. It also includes recipes for nourishing her body from the outside, through homemade products; for nourishing her body in labor, with nutrient-rich labor drinks; and for nourishing her spirit, with wise words about rest, retreat and ritual. Ten wisdom pages are interspersed throughout offering wise words about placenta power, transitions, basic wisdom about new baby visitors, when to utilize professionals in your support system, and more. Book lovers especially will delight in the look and feel of this book....the Yin and Yang of its texture and smooth spaces. Perfect pregnancy gift for mothers as there is much to ponder in advance that our fast moving culture has no clue about. Buy this book as soon as possible. It is a treasure.

What a lovely book. It provides historical context for the invaluable information it shares for taking care of yourself postpartum, but was helpful to me in caring for my DIL after the delivery of our grandchild. The collection of recipes can be enjoyed anytime & not just for new moms!

I put off reading this book because the reviews were so bad, but I’m so glad I finally read it! It was such a warming, comforting, honest book. All of the recipes are simple and she tells you where to source everything. There’s some specialty ingredients that need to be sourced online or at an Asian grocery store (I grew up visiting those stores with my mother and always find one in each new town I move to), but she makes it very clear that they can be left out of the recipes if you can’t find them or don’t have them on hand. The authors address womanhood and mothering in a beautiful, empowering way and provide so many ways that you can care for yourself postpartum no matter what your family unit or maternity leave looks like. They’ve done their best to create an inclusive and affirming book to help you nourish yourself and recover completely, and it’s a favorite reference book of mine now. I highly recommend it and will be handing it to my husband when the time comes!

Good book, very informative

I didn't get this book until I had my son and was kindof bummed I didn't get it sooner. It has a lot of information about your body and such before you go into labor. I love the natural sciences and reading her personal story as well. I will say if you're in the middle of nowhere like us (northeast Indiana out in the country) some of the ingredients are hard if not impossible to get... I did end up only making one or two recipes from the book but it was a very informative read and if you have someone to get the ingredients for you some of the recipes seemed to be very nourishing

This is by far my favorite book for pregnancy/post partum. I just had my first baby in January and was able to make several recipes from this book. I made almost all of the soups ahead of time and froze them for when after baby came. The oxtail soup, ginger fried rice and peanut butter Rice Krispie are some of our favorites! 9 months post partum and I still find myself turning to this book for nourishing, delicious recipes. It is now my favorite book to gift. I buy it for every expectant mom I know. The recipes are great, but also the message of resting and recovering properly. Our society has missed the mark on that, expecting moms to return to normal life way too soon. This book sheds a light on that and normalizes a slow, mindful recovery.

I used this for my last birth and am a mom in my 40's. This made my postpartum so easier than my last. The chicken date soup felt like I was eating something straight out of heaven!!! Thank u for this guide and more moms should be able to rest and heal after birth!!!

I really am grateful for this book. I knew somewhat of the importance of post partum care, but learning about the different cultures and history of it has really intrigued me personally. Right now I am 1 week post birth and my only regret is not buying this book sooner. (I got it around 37/38 weeks and had my baby at 39 weeks) The knowledge this book has provided me is so valuable and I love that she offers modern and traditional Chinese insight, recipes and it doesn’t make you feel like you HAVE to do everything by the book, but is an extremely handy tool to gain knowledge or recipes from. I will say, buying this by your second trimester would be your best bet. As some of the items I had to personally order online or get from my herbalist and that’s not something you want to be scrambling to do. Give yourself time to prepare for the aftercare and get your family on board. I have made (beforehand), or had made for me several of the recipes and they tasted good, and sustained my vitality better than anything else I’ve eaten so far. Every mother deserves this book.