With so many dollars spent on so many useless baby books that we only refer to if some weird yellow snot comes runny out of our babies nose, it’s about time a pregnancy book came along that offered a bit more useful information — about the baby, about the mom, and about the transition into motherhood.

And so our bloggers have been dutifully reading “Body Soul & Baby,” a new book by Dr. Tracy Gaudet, Director of Duke Medical School’s Department of Integrative Medicine. And here is what our moms have to say so far.

As was expected, our readers had a bit of a cynical view before diving into the book. But they were pleasantly surprised right off the bat. “This is not a book filled with reductionistic lists of symptoms matched up mechanically with ready-made “cures.” I want to teach you a whole new approach to your pregnancy, an approach based on holistic understanding of the interrelatedness of your body, your soul, and your baby.” It sounded like what I had searched for through three pregnancies and I eagerly dove into the book.” ”Once I started reading, I knew that this was not your normal pregnancy book. Dr. Gaudet stresses focusing on the experience of being pregnant, both physical and mental, instead of just playing attention to the ‘condition’ of being pregnant.”

Our bloggers were struck by Dr. Gaudet’s hopeful and positive approach to women’s care. “Body, Soul, and Baby’ is like a journey, like pregnancy itself. Gaudet presents all the options for you in detail explaining them in a non-judgmental voice that is refreshing.” The bloggers enjoyed the 10 exercises offered to help mothers-to-be to connect with their pregnancy in a more active and emotional way. “Dr. Gaudet introduces ten exercises to help you feel connected to your body, your emotions, and your baby - the goal of these exercises is for you to actively experience your pregnancy, not just go through the motions. ”

While a few noted that it was definitely a more “touchy-feely” approach to pregnancy, they found it a delightful change from the “baby business” tactics that they personally experienced. “Body, Soul, and Baby’ at first freaked me out. I wanted to run for the hills with its touchy feely approach. Once I realized that in my own way I actually do these things and accepted it, I found this book to be a terrific resource.” “The book covers all the basics in friendly language. Don’t think sugar coated — think like a smart friend (who happens to be a doctor) talking to you about what you need to know and putting her hand on your shoulder when you start to freak out.”

 Others noted that even just a shift in language used to describe the experiences of pre-conception and pregnancy made sense. “… Gaudet’s idea of setting an intention around being pregnant really spoke to me; that through evaluation of your mental, spiritual, and physical readiness (she provides the tools to do this) you become an engaged, fulfilled part of the process and are able to then welcome or invite the possibility of pregnancy into your life. It may seem like semantics, but the shift in mindset and language matters.”

Many of our bloggers noted the extensive and helpful postpartum chapter, a section that is often glossed over in many books. “I was impressed with how thoroughly the book covered the postpartum period - in most books it is usually an afterthought crammed into the last few pages.” Others were happy to see positive explanations of c-sections. “I was thrilled to find that c-section was not treated as an afterthought, but rather had a lengthy section devoted just to it, the reasons one might be needed, what would happen, how to care for yourself afterward, and how to be at ease with getting one should you need it.”

One of our bloggers, a nurse by practice, felt that the book was a great way to follow-up after taking the birthing classes. She did, however, feel as though a section on breastfeeding difficulties would have been helpful. And another felt that there was a bit of a bias against midwives, however, overall the book was supportive of a multidisciplinary approach.

Our bloggers felt that overall it was a definite read for preggo moms. “The book layout is good for reference; the introduction is a must read for everyone, and then all stages of the pregnancy through post-partum are well laid out.” ”… I have recommended it to several other pregnant friends. They also have had similar positive responses to the book. There are a lot of books out there aimed at expectant mothers, so it can be difficult to find one that appeals to a wide variety of personalities. However, because Dr. Gaudet combines complimentary and alternative techniques with her medical knowledge, her approach to pregnancy and birth can be appealing to many different types of women.”

Check out the rest of the reviews here:

July 17: The Delaney Diaries & Soul Gardening 

July 18: Jumping Monkeys & Her Bad Mother Says 

July 19: Midwestern Mommy & Snarky Momma 

July 20: The Domestic Diva & Creature Bug

July 23: 24/7 & Marketing Mommy 

And if you want to win an autographed copy (we’ve got TWO), leave us a comment and tell us why you want to check out this book for yourself. We’ll pick two winners on July 24!