The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother Hardcover – Illustrated, April 26, 2016

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!

Great for new moms to be. Good recipes that I will be trying out. I think would work better for people with lot of friends and family close to help you carry it out I will try to do everything for myself as I don’t have people close to me. Great book overall

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.

I found this book invaluable for my time postpartum, particularly the recipes. My favorites were specifically the smoothie recipes, I had my husband make me one everyday for the first month after birth. I also appreciated the wisdom of what many cultures do during the first 40 days after birth and what an important and incredible time this is for mothers to nourish themselves, be nourished and heal. I have bought copies for every pregnant friend since reading this. Highly recommend!

The media could not be loaded. I purchased this book before I had my twins as I loved everything it represented. Nourishing the new mother and taking that time to recover is so important! This book dove into other cultures and how they care for new mothers, unlike the US when mothers are expected to be back to normal and running the next day. I am obsessed with all things nutrition, rituals and cooking. This book encased everything I am passionate about and it made me so happy. I have gifted this book to every new mother to be I know. I also make the Gooey Chocolate Brownies & Vanilla Coconut Haystacks for every mother after birth.The book is beautiful and even though my kids are now 4, I keep it on my shelf displayed proudly. I still use some recipes and just appreciate all of the information I find myself still checking it for things. My sister just had a baby a few weeks ago and I read it again as well as gifted her a copy. I showed up with a basket of goodies from the book and the knowledge of how to support her. The first 45 days can be such a beautiful and magic time... this book just makes sure you are intentional.

Great book and good reminder for preparing for the “fourth trimester.” I got it because I was preparing for my “sitting moon month” with my second kid, but couldn’t read the Chinese books my mom gave me. Wish I started reading it earlier (like say end of second trimester to start preparing for the final trimester) because there is a lot of information in it and my baby arrived several weeks early! Great tips that go beyond Chinese custom and reminded us the importance of taking care of mom after baby birth is international custom-not just Asian.My only issue with this book is that it almost has too much info and I don’t have the luxury of time to fully READ the entire book (as I have an toddler already to care for while preparing for my new one). It would be great to have a shorter “cliff notes” version for those of us moms who just don’t have the time. Just because you’re a second time or multi time mom doesn’t mean you don’t need this info or reminder to take care of you after baby comes, but it’s just too wordy to get through the whole thing. Maybe if you’re a first time mom that has time to read through a bunch of baby prep books but not one that already has kids.Nevertheless very good book and great reminder to all moms how and the importance to take care of herself the months after birth.