With a few creative and medical degrees under my belt (BA journalism, BS environmental studies and nursing, MSN nurse practitioner), years of teaching movement (yoga, fitness, alpine, big mountain, and nordic skiing), and a few decades of devotion to sustainable food and environmentalism, I aim to write entertaining, science-based and actionable books that empower you to take the best possible care of your reproductive and overall health.

I like digging through research papers and writing about science in a way that is empowering, accessible and interesting. I believe all people deserve access to nourishing food, movement in nature, a healthy environment and supportive communities and these values shape my decisions from how I parent my boys, to the food I buy, to the books I write.

My first book How to Grow a Baby (Roost, 2021) explores the fascinating science of pregnancy and offers empowering ways to support physical, emotional, and spiritual health during the transition from pregnancy, to birth, and early parenthood. I’ve used the contents of this book as a guide through all three of my own pregnancies both to improve comfort and well being during the physical challenge of growing a baby and as preparation for the labor and birth experience. This is a practical, hands on book for pregnant people and the illustrations by Michelle Lassaline are just delightful.

My second book, Cycles (Roost, 2023), is about the menstrual cycle and cycles across the lifespan. The book is entertaining—I cover the history of contraceptives (i.e. the advice to sneeze and jump up and down to prevent pregnancy); empowering—I provide tons of evidence-based tips for nurturing your health and tracking your menstrual cycle; practical—there’s 40+ recipes, and self-care and movement practices laced throughout the book; and finally, all-encompassing—meaning I wrote about the transitions people who menstruate go through from birth to death. My favorite chapters in the book are the ones about the menopausal transition and post-menopause life.

Find me on Instagram @amyjesshammer.