“In a time when much of the advice aimed at new parents is either driven by fear or informed by outdated studies, How to Grow A Baby is a refreshing alternative—an honest and reassuring read that pulls equally from modern science, personal experience, and the time-honored practices of cultures around the world. Reading this book is like having a knowledgeable friend guide you with humor and aplomb through the changes, challenges, and joys of parenthood.”
How do you grow a baby?
Our culture tends to skip over some of the more fascinating and important parts of pregnancy and offers little to help you prepare—in a physical, spiritual, and emotional sense—for childbirth and early parenthood.
Enter How to Grow a Baby: A Science Based Guide to Nurturing New Life from Pregnancy to Childbirth and Beyond, (Roost Books, 2021)—an affirming and empowering companion during pregnancy, birth and early parenthood that is often described as a reading experience that feels like a conversation with a close friend. The book explores the fascinating science of pregnancy and provides actionable information for you to cultivate a healthy and nourishing environment for both you and your growing baby.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to do everything they can in the face of events and transitions that you recognize are not in your control (ahem, childbirth), this book is for you. Use the book like a training manual during pregnancy as you prepare for birth and the monumental transition into parenthood.
Praise for How to Grow a Baby
“This is a rich and comprehensive resource for new parents on how to create a healthy and holistic environment from conception to birth for your growing baby. I wish I had read this fascinating book when I was going through my pregnancies!” —Angela Hanscom, Author of Balanced & Barefoot, Founder of TimberNook
“How to Grow a Baby is a wonderful guide for pregnancy. We happily share it with all our clients now and are thankful there is such a well-rounded holistic guide available. It's truly a gem of a book!” —Morgan Miller CPM LDM LM Midwife at Soft Corner Midwifery
“How to Grow a Baby is one of the best modern preparing-for-parenting resources I’ve seen in a long time. Amy has struck the perfect balance of artistry, science, and storytelling to create a book that will help all families start right where they are on their parenting journey. I love that she created space to speak about the importance of processing and sharing your birth story, listening to your body as you heal during the postpartum season, and how you can be gentle with yourself and others as you navigate the rhythms of new parenthood. The 4th trimester is often overlooked, but not in this book. I’m excited to offer this amazing resource to midwifery clients here in Puerto Rico!”—Anjelica Malone, MSM, CLEC, CPM, Midwife
“How To Grow a Baby is a beautiful and truly holistic touchstone for any birthing person on the journey from conception to parenthood. It was a trusted companion during my evolution into motherhood and it is a pleasure to share the wisdom in this book with others who are navigating this incredible path.” —Lizzy Moran, Certified Hormone Health Coach, RYT 200, Founder of Well Women, LLC
"In a time when much of the advice aimed at new parents is either driven by fear or informed by outdated studies, How to Grow A Baby is a refreshing alternative—an honest and reassuring read that pulls equally from modern science, personal experience, and the time-honored practices of cultures around the world. Reading this book is like having a knowledgeable friend guide you with humor and aplomb through the changes, challenges, and joys of parenthood." —Krista Langlois, journalist and Outside magazine contributor
"Engaging, intelligent, illuminating, and entertaining, this book provides a wealth of practical information for readers embarking on the exciting but often intimidating journey of pregnancy and childbirth. Expertly braiding candid personal narrative with reliable science and seasoning her stories with humor and genuine insight, Amy Hammer is the most supportive and companionable guide imaginable. Anyone interested in walking a healthy path through the physiological, emotional, and psychological landscape of pregnancy will find this work indispensable. How to Grow a Baby is a spectacular example of popular science writing at its very best." —Michael P. Branch, author of Raising Wild
“Amy’s beautiful book for mothers not only focuses on body literacy and understanding exactly what’s happening through each stage of motherhood, but it also does something mothers truly need. Rather than following the common formula in today’s literary culture of putting pressure on mothers to buy into a specific point of view, this book presents the information in a way that empowers women to make informed decisions of their own and follow their intuition. As a postpartum doula I find this book to be a must for every mother’s bookshelf. “
—Rachael Hollinger of NOURIS(her)
“This book could not have come out at a more perfect time for me as a first-time mother. Amy Hammer's eloquent narrative style presenting evidence-based, practical, and insightful information is visualized beautifully and memorably through Michelle Lassaline's art. The two together make for a book that you almost forget is giving you very real and practical information because it is so fluidly written and visually stimulating. It helped ease many of the fears I had about becoming pregnant, now being pregnant, giving birth, and raising a child from what to eat, to what products to use on my skin, to how to stay active, to the labor and delivery itself. I now have a lot less fear surrounding pregnancy and have this book to thank.” —K. Dattoria, Speech Therapist