In this self-help book, an inspirational coach proposes a course of breathwork, visualization, affirmations, gratitude practice, journaling, and yoga to overcome physical and emotional blockages to a healthy pregnancy and successful birth.
Even if IVF has failed, a pregnancy has ended in miscarriage, or you’ve been diagnosed with endometriosis or blocked fallopian tubes, Jennifer Coady Murphy believes acknowledging the mind-body connection and removing emotional detritus will allow you to bring a healthy baby into the world. She encourages women to ask themselves, “Why doesn’t your body feel safe enough to hold a pregnancy right now? What are the crippling fears, worries, and anxieties going on in the background?”
Coady explains how to confront the “Four As” and the “Three Bs” of infertility” (abandonment, abuse, adoption, and abortion, betrayal, bitterness, and bereavement) without judgment, release the power these negative experiences have on you, and turn toward the future with joy. She also acknowledges outside influences that may be affecting your emotional well-being: career, family pressure, money worries, and more.
Among other exercises, she explores how to visualize a welcoming womb, make peace with your period, and reverse a threatening miscarriage by facing the fear and envisioning a different outcome.
Murphy addresses readers struggling with an emotionally volatile situation with absolute confidence in her method. Yet, she doesn’t offer any scientific evidence of the mind-body connection (although there’s ample research to point to) or include more than a few testimonials from her clients on their successful journeys to parenthood. This makes it easy for skepticism to creep in.
Still, all the exercises Coady proposes are proven valuable tools for a contented mindset, so following her method should do no harm. But the promise of a successful pregnancy, healthy baby, and fulfilling motherhood is a big claim to offer on such a slender foundation.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
