| Title | : | The Kind Mama: A Simple Guide to Supercharged Fertility, a Radiant Pregnancy, a Sweeter Birth, and a Healthier, More Beautiful Beginning |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2014 |
The Kind Mama: A Simple Guide to Supercharged Fertility, a Radiant Pregnancy, a Sweeter Birth, and a Healthier, More Beautiful Beginning Reviews
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Yall....if you are TTC, pregnant or thinking about trying to have kids in the near future then read this book! Whether or not you are vegan/vegetarian, this book is full of information that could work wonders on your health and well being.
I have loved Alicia Silverstone since Clueless and after going vegan I found that she was vegan as well! Plus, she had a fully vegan pregnancy and has raised her child with the vegan lifestyle. This was exactly what I was looking for and needing to make sure that I was educated on what I needed to fill my body with if I am TTC and beyond.
I know the stigma is that vegans can be pushy and forceful, but I hope that if you are truly wanting to learn how to live the BEST lifestyle you can, that you will give this a go! Going vegan was the BEST thing I could have ever done for my body and mind.
I would love to talk to anyone who has any questions on the vegan lifestyle :)
On to the next! -
***Note: You do not have to be vegan to enjoy and appreciate this book!***
The Kind Diet was the second book I read before going from a hard-core meat/dairy eater to being vegan within two days - it's been two years, and I have never looked back! My energy has increased, I become ill with much less frequency, my blood work has been awesome, I went off several medications, and I lost almost 70 lbs. (Hello, red bikini!)
I have been really excited to read The Kind Mama as my husband and I get ready to plan for starting a family, and I found this book to be chock-full of great stuff. And just like The Kind Diet, it is not preachy - just informational. I think a lot of loving mamas-to-be could enjoy the message about having a kind pregnancy, birth, and first several months of life with a new tiny human.
Going plant-based two years ago COMPLETELY changed my life, and I am definitely a case that shocked my friends and family because I was so into meats, cheeses, sweets, etc. Seeing how much my body and health have changed for the better, I am a walking example of how what we put into our body affects our quality of life. If I could do it with ZERO regrets, anyone could do it!
I am looking forward to being a Kind Mama. :) -
Rating: 2.5⭐️
Format: Paperback
The Good:
- the parts written from Alicia's husbands perspective - especially for labour support and postpartum ("protecting the nest")
- the recipes and nutritional information
- the format and readability
The Not So Good
- the tone was so over the top sometimes - I found myself rolling my eyes frequently
- some of the information is written in a way that it comes across as fact but it is really only the authors opinion -
Alicia Silverstone has generated a lot of online buzz: with her earlier books (The Kind Life and The Kind Diet) and her interviews on nutrition and parenting. (Her interview discussing chewing her food and feeding it to her baby went viral: I know a lot of moms who do that, they just won’t admit it!) Her goal in The Kind Mama is quite simple: to share her healthy, natural and gentle beliefs and practices on getting pregnant, experiencing pregnancy and childbirth, and raising your newborn.
This pregnancy book is anything but traditional: it looks at many traditional practices and beliefs that young women challenge, and provides an alternative. Women who are searching for a healthier lifestyle for their families, and instructions on how to achieve that lifestyle, are going to welcome this book.
So what’s the controversy?
- Meat, dairy and sugar are nasty foods that cause disease, may harm your baby and should not be eaten (p18)
- Silverstone is against drugs during delivery: Just Say No (p93)
- Honoring your placenta by eating it is natural in many cultures and provides many nutrition benefits (p138)
- Lying-in is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for new moms to bond with their baby and get back in shape (p175)
- And of course: vaccinations. Silverstone is generally against most - but not all - vaccines but does advise where to get your baby vaccinated
Silverstone clearly is not afraid to take a stand: these are her opinions, but she’s has found many credible professionals to support her opinions. She provides explicit instructions on how to be a Kind Mama and to follow her philosophies through all stages from trying to conceive through baby’s first 6 months. (And in all honestly, sometimes that’s all moms need: we know what to do, sometimes we just can figure out how to do it! Silverstone does more than share her theories, she gives you the information and tools to put them into practice.)
Silverstone’s advice covers nearly all aspects of pregnancy and birth and includes:
- prioritizing the relationship between the mama and the papa: especially the sexual relationship. She’s all for sex: as long as the mama is all for sex.
- pregnancy and delivery facts moms don’t like to talk about like diarrhea and sore lady parts
- breastfeeding, boobs and bottles
- children don’t require expensive educational toys to develop: creative play and interaction stimulates intelligence and the family bed, co-sleeping and how to buy and outfit a crib
Silverstone clearly is not afraid to take a stand: these are her opinions, but she’s has found many credible professionals to support her opinions. She provides explicit instructions on how to be a Kind Mama and to follow her philosophies through all stages from trying to conceive through baby’s first 6 months. (And in all honestly, sometimes that’s all moms need: we know what to do, sometimes we just can figure out how to do it! Silverstone does more than share her theories, she gives you the information and tools to put them into practice.)
If you’re in agreement with Alicia Silverstone’s philosophies on how to be a Kind Mama - or at least interested in hearing some of them - this book is very easy to read and understand and follow.
- Her tone is extremely friendly, as if you’re getting information from a trusted girlfriend
- The book is well organized and easy to follow: with extensive notes and references
- Appendix I is filled with 30 pages of her favorite recipes, including baby food recipes
- Appendix II has many natural remedies for common ailments
As with any parenting guide, every parent should read the information, and decide what is right for their family. A healthy diet and lifestyle are certainly a reasonable goal: you simply may not agree with all of Alicia Silverstone’s ideas on how to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
We review many parenting books at
http://www.healthpod.ca, and this is worth a read! -
Despite being yet another celebrity-authored work (as if!), "The Kind Mama" has real value. If you're a vegan looking to conceive, are pregnant or want to raise your baby vegan, this book is absolutely for you. If you're a healthy eater, not necessarily vegan, who wants to avoid putting chemicals into her body and you are starting a family, this book is for you. Even if you're just a regular ol' lady who is ready to start a family, you will get something out of reading this book.
Silverstone writes with a conversational tone, making you feel as though you just arrived to a breastfeeding conversation at your local playgroup. Don't let the familiar cadence fool you though; Silverstone backs up her facts with peer-reviewed research and direct quotes from pediatricians, OB/GYNs, midwifes and doulas. Stand-out portions include the "For Gentlemen Only" sections in each chapter (Silverstone recommends handing the book to your male partner at that moment), recipes for fertility, pregnancy and beyond, and the chapter that explains options for labor and delivery. One staggering statistic she offers, is that a hospital makes around $9,280 on vaginal deliveries; a C-section birth provides hospitals with even more profit. Silverstone does an excellent job of laying out all the pros and cons of every delivery option and shares how her birth story didn't go as planned.
Silverstone spends too much time on making parenting/lifestyle choices based on the principles of karma; if you don't subscribe to that way of life, it could dampen your enthusiasm for the book (as it did for me). She also makes unrealistic assumptions about people's ability to afford the lifestyle she touts. Still, even if you're a mama just surviving, pick this book up at the library (for free) and get a little support from her Kind Mama network. You can visit her website for more tips and to get in touch with other like-minded mamas. Included in "The Kind Mama" are vegan recipes, an index of "kind" food, natural remedies for common ailments, resources and bibliographies. -
A great book, very well-written and thoughtful. I will definitely recommend this book to any vegan or vegetarian or otherwise eco-inclined clients. That being said, this book does read like an advertisement for the authors blog- a few times specific brands are mentioned, but mostly the reader is just directed to Alicia's blog. That's all well and good for those who enjoy reading blogs- but the rest of us are left a little confused. I love the "kind" way, even some parts of the "attachment" form of parenting, but I also believe in balance in all things and this book is a bit skewed to the author's beliefs instead of providing a more balanced way of thinking. There are so many ways to raise children and I think taking a little of this and a little of that is the best way. I personally followed a sleep and eating schedule for my child and she responded beautifully. She was a baby who craved routine and thrived with a fairly rigid schedule. But all in all- I think as long as your child is happy, well fed and rested, you are doing a good thing!
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If you feel that parenting is overwhelming for you, a hard, dreary chore we often discuss among ourselves - read this book.
Light, airy, optimistic, joyful, not once did she make me feel like parenting has to be something that will make me awfully tired, moody, exhausted. She gave me a different perspective and for that reason alone, I recommend this book to all new parents.
I read so many parenting books with my first child and they all made me feel like I need to be in constant war and struggle to get a life. Well, according to Alicia, having a child is not a struggle, it's pure joy. If you go with the flow.
And this time around I am planning to do just that.
Oh, and yes, I am vegan, but you really don't have to be one to appreciate the message of this book. And I vaccinated my first child and plan to do that with my second, but I did not feel like she preached about it (many people complained about that aspect in their reviews) - she simply just suggests you read up on it. -
I mainly skimmed this book (it's rather large!), stopping for a section here or there that I thought may be useful. Overall, if you're a first time mom who's hoping to take a more natural approach to pregnancy and motherhood, you may find this read helpful; but if you're not a first time mom or already enjoy reading/researching what's best for you and baby, you'll likely be skimming.
Not being familiar with who Alicia Silverstone is, and given that the title doesn't allude to it at all, I found it odd that she focuses so much on being vegan. I also wasn't a huge fan of her writing style. The book reads very informal/conversational but she also can come across judgmental and even tasteless at times (for instance when talking about circumcision she refers to your son "getting frisky"). -
Could not get passed the vegan propaganda to enjoy this book. I like Alicia and her style in most other ways but the food section was wrong after wrong after wrong. I kept passing the book over to my husband to read the completely idiotic claims about how humans are not meant to eat meat! Insanity. You can choose what you want but it doesn't change the fact that humans are meant to eat meat. Doing otherwise is far riskier for your pregnancy and breast feeding, for it is essentially an experiment that our ancestors never tried.
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Coming from a long time vegan (& currently pregnant), this book lacked any real substance. Lots of flowery words with not a ton of science, which is a shame because the vegan science is coming out by the day!
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There are suggestions in this book that I thought were great and others that made me say, "Never! Never!!! NEVER!!!!" It is definitely inspiring to try to live a healthier life.
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You have to be a little careful with this book, since the author presents a lot of things as absolute fact when they are just her opinion. I used it as a springboard for more thorough research on my own, but I did learn a few things. A couple of examples: I liked her product recommendation for a chlorine filter for the bathtub faucet (Sprite Bath Filter $24.99) - but I don’t agree that a blender ruins homemade baby food by being too “electric” and that you should hand grind it...
I enjoyed her approaches for handling unsolicited advice, and the non-medicine medicine cabinet index at the back of the book (surprisingly very conservative, with lots of indicators of when to call the doctor). I liked her Kind Parenting advice about wearing the baby as often as possible, and the birth mantras. Tried sucking on umeboshi pits as a morning sickness cure and they really did work!
The recipes and a lot of the advice are vegan. I’m not vegan but the book was still plenty of content even ignoring the section on a vegan pregnancy.
Lots of learning opportunities: If something piques your interest, it’s worth looking into further. She writes fast and loose with a bunch of alternative ideas, some of which are worth a try and others are just not as responsible. Note down things you are interested in and do your own research. -
Some good information (cleaning up your lifestyle, clearing out toxins, natural remedies), but the diet and nutrition advice is bonkers. And the whole book has a note of arrogance throughout. Whole grains supposedly reduce and prevent risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes?! Hell, no. Grains are carbs/starches and are directly broken down into glucose/simple sugars in the body. High blood sugar and insulin resistance are directly correlated with higher instances of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc., all of which the diet (in theory) is supposed to prevent. Nah, reference all the articles you would like, Alicia… more and more research is coming out that this diet is not the proper human diet. Instead, we should be eating as our ancestors did: plant-based, yes, but not vegetarian or vegan. Whole, unprocessed foods, organic and non-gmo, the way nature originally intended. Eat seasonally and locally. Eat from the land, both plants and animals. Eat the WHOLE animal, nose to tail. Only eat organic and grass fed meats, again, the way nature intended. Disease does not necessarily come from meat products, as she suggests multiple times throughout the book, but from the way we have commercialized meat products. We cannot sustain health on meat from animals who were not healthy.
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If you're vegan (which I am) or interested in becoming one, this book is a great resource as you plan your body for pregnancy, during it, and it has recommendations and recipes for what to feed your little one.
The section "Preparing Your Baby House" has many specific take-aways, but overall: don't eat sugar, try to eat organic as much as possible, and eat a balanced diet. It has magically gotten me pregnant, but I figure I can give it some time. Eating healthy foods sure can't hurt!
Silverstone, although not an MD, does her research and cites her sources, some of which has made it onto my to-read list. Plus, I automatically trust her, because she was Cher and I grew up loving loving loving Clueless.
The recipes are awesome, especially the Protein-packed waffles. She also put me on to daikon, which it turns out is delish; I would never have known what it is otherwise. -
It's been a couple years since I read this book, but it still resides in my mind. I would certainly recommend this book to someone who is looking to improve their diet in order to conceive. Specifically anyone who has struggled to get pregnant or who is going to try IUI or IVF. The author does provide lifestyle and diet recommendations to try and conceive naturally, but I think they complement fertility treatments. The book progresses through one's pregnancy and into early toddler hood. There are some nice recipes at the end of the book as well. Overall I liked the book but I was not as impressed as I was with Silverstone's The Kind Diet. There are not too many books out there regarding vegan/vegetarian pregnancies, but this is one is relevant and extremely easy to read.
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Very good read and lots of great information. The recipes seem a bit elitist... the ingredients are not those that you'd come by so often at your local store or that commoners like myself would be familiar with. I wish the recipes were a bit more practical in the sense of having more ingredients that I'm knowledgable about. Otherwise I love a lot of the advise. Some of the advise is a little much, but I agree with the sentiment behind it. The information is well-researched and she has quotes and information from medical doctors and midwives.
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I really wanted to love this book because I loved The Kind Diet, but some of the tips, recipes, and suggestions are just so far out there for the average mom. If you truly followed this or The Kind Diet all the time, your grocery bill would be through the roof and you'd almost never call your pediatrician. I find some of the writing judgmental, which is more disheartening than motivating. So, as much as I wanted to love it, I can't rate it better than average.
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I have read a dozen or more birthing books and chose this one to see if it added a different perspective. It did bring in “king living” (aka wholesome vegan” lifestyle entirely, which has not been the focus of any other book I’ve read. But otherwise, it was a good summary of the many other books I’ve read on natural pregnancy/birthing. I would recommend this book to those who are vegan, but there are many other pregnancy/birthing books I like more than this one.
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I read The Kind Diet and liked it, so I read this years later. Reading this book inspired me to want to eat healthier. Even if you’re not a vegan like she is, you can still take from it the importance of eating better and making healthier choices before, during, and after pregnancy.
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Probably one of the best prepregnancy/pregnancy/baby books I’ve read so far! Full of so much insight and she’s on the same wavelength as me for many aspects, not all, but many. Happy I picked this one up, I’ll likely be referencing it for years to come!
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Good, informative hippie mama handbook for an expectant mother. Many things were a little “out there” for me personally, but I believe on being well informed on ALL options above all else. The decisions we make in growing/raising our own children are ultimately up to us.
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For pregnancy and early motherhood. Def don't agree with everything, but nice to see more natural mamahood books.
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I didn't read this cover-to-cover - I focused on the areas I'm specifically interested in. A lot of good information - nothing I haven't read before but I liked the different perspective.
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This is Alicia Silverstone's book about eating "right" to prepare your body for pregnancy, then she walks the reader through all stages of pregnancy and the first months after having your baby. This book was a gift and there were some good takeaways in there.
I think every mother and father have to find the right balance of what works for them. Often I would read things in this book and think, "Hmmmm, interesting, but not going to work for us." There were also times when I read something and decided to try that after our baby arrives.
There are times when it is evident that the author is not a person struggling with finances and insurance company requirements in having their child. Her idea of a "perfect" birth setting is interesting, but not covered by most major insurance companies. As a middle-class woman who is the primary bread winner in the family, I venture that most of my peers will have to go with what insurance will pay for, so why not include some information about making the best of a hospital stay? Birthing centers aren't covered by most insurance either - just FYI Ms. Silverstone.
My favorite part of the book was how often Silverstone reminds parents that they don't actually need all that stuff that they're told to buy. It was nice to hear a celebrity advocate for just getting what you need in a world of more is more. Her section about baby bedding and furniture really got me thinking about where we'll be purchasing our baby's room furnishings - used is good! I like that!
All in all, an interesting read. Again, all parents must figure out what works for them and Silverstone and her husband did a nice job telling us about their journey. -
A comprehensive book for those trying to get pregnant, or who are currently pregnant, with an emphasis on the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. There are aspects of this book that I really enjoyed, for example how she said that when you are trying to conceive, just relax, enjoy your partner, and also create a space for your baby in your home to visualize adding a new member to the family. I also liked her chapters on pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. She emphasized getting the rest you need and self-care which is so important to mothers. Not only for pregnancy but after the child is born, thinking about the ways you can delegate everything else while just having the space to rest and concentrate on your infant.
The recipes of the book could have been a lot better, not nearly enough, and they mostly seemed to be Japanese influenced recipes. At times the book came across as sanctimonious with Alicia basically saying that anyone who uses plastics, un-organic food, etc is "unkind" and "bad". In most large cities, organic grocery stores are priced ridiculously high and only the very privileged get the choice to eat this way, but luckily it is getting easier as society emphasizes on farmers markets etc. And also you would also have to be somewhat privileged to have the choice not to work and just stay home and enjoy your baby for as long as you'd want - for many women they do not have this choice, especially in the US in particular where they have zero maternity leave.
Overall I did like many aspects of the book though, even though I use plastics and eat non-veg -
Oh man, I was all over this book! Alicia Silverstone's approach to being kind and trusting your parenting instincts were music to my ears. Americans are typically bombarded with messages about making our babies independent as soon as possible, and considering that my heart breaks when my kitties meow and want to come sleep on the bed with me, I can't imagine letting my baby cry it out.
She covers preparing yourself for pregnancy (cleaning up your diet and what to buy/not buy), pregnancy (clean eating, home birthing, and tells her own story), and postpartum (breast feeding, co-sleeping, dealing with baby sickness, babies first foods). And this book is packed with scientific citations and resources for your own research/exploration.
At no point did I feel like an opinion was being shoved down my throat, though it was very clear what Alicia Silverstone's own preferences and methods were. This book made having a baby seem less scary, and more like building a beautiful, nurturing relationship. She is upfront about issues (you will be tired, you may need to go to a hospital even if you try a home birth, etc.), but mostly I felt like a really fabulous, cool friend was there giving me her advice.
Bottom line: I would recommend this to pretty much everyone. And if you're vegan or feel like the standard American approach of child-raising just doesn't feel right to you, definitely give it a read. I'm buying myself a copy -- will definitely be re-reading! -
Wonderfully simple, common-sense type suggestions for "kind" living, pregnancy, and birth. I don't understand the other reviewer suggesting that it takes money to follow this advice; on the contrary, when you aren't buying formula, diapers, and all of the unnecessary baby junk that is targeted to new parents, you would save a TON of money. My only concern is that it would make expectations awfully high for a fully "blissful" experience, not touching (or touching, but lightly)on some of the grosser aspects of pregnancy and birth.
I also would have liked a little more information on her own experiences, although there is a LOT of her story, it wasn't focusing on some of the things I was curious about. How often did she have to do laundry (using cloth diapers)? What vaccines (if any) did she choose for Bear? What changes did she have to make in the "family bed," for instance, does she use a mattress cover of some sort?
Thankfully, there is the blog, which has updated information and answers some of the other questions I had. Overall, I found this book to be informative, mostly realistic, and important, compared to all of the other conflicting information out there, which may not have the best interests of the family or the environment in mind. -
Loved this book. Excellent for mamas and parents who want to raise children healthfully, simply, and kindly. Offers advice on "kind" fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the the first few months of baby's life ("kind" meaning vegan and back-to-nature). While this approach will not be everyone's cup of tea, there are a lot of good take-aways and things to consider. Other notable inserts: birthing options (and finding the right birthing team), the family bed (co-sleeping), breastfeeding, enjoying your new baby, recipes/kind medicine index, and excellent daddy sections titled "For Gentlemen Only".
I know this book is controversial in terms of over-simplifying fertility issues, illness, and other issues, as well as with the heavily charged vaccine debate. However, it offers an alternative to traditional remedies (even if you don't believe diet can cause or cure ailments - which I do - it can't hurt to give it a shot, right?) that are gentle and generally safe. At times, wording seems almost sickly sweet and gooey when discussing a topic any number of women may describe as a horror story. Anyway, I think it's a nice, fresh view on parenting and Alicia clearly adores her child and being a mother...which is something I strive to achieve when I become one myself one day.
