Summary: Popular Catholic blogger and speaker Sarah A. Reinhard presents the first book to accompany expectant mothers from conception to baptism with weekly reflections and prayers rooted in the mysteries of the Rosary and related to the baby's physical development.
Designed to help expectant mothers embrace pregnancy as an opportunity for spiritual growth, A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy prepares mothers for the trials and joys of pregnancy, childbirth, baptism, and, ultimately, motherhood. Each week of pregnancy is paired with a mystery of the Rosary, a personal, down-to-earth reflection from Reinhard, advice for living the sacramental life, and a prayer to help the reader grow in faith as she bonds with her unborn child.
Mini Review: Informative, personal, and delightful, A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy by Sarah Reinhard covers all the bases, and she brings in others to share their experiences as well, making it a very all-encompassing book.. I'm long gone from my pregnancy years, but I enjoyed Sarah's honesty, and some of her stories (like her discussion with her husband about pregnancy fears) brought tears to my eyes. I loved how the chapters started with a discussion of the baby's size and development.
My favorite part about this point in pregnancy is that the baby may be sucking her thumb. Though I know the baby is human from the point of conception, it's when she starts sucking her thumb that I start to picture an actual baby instead of just a formless mass.
Pg 62, week 15
The Walks with Mary had lovely meditations on pregnancy and Jesus' life, and the prayers speak from the heart. I wish I'd had this book when I was pregnant, and I especially wish I'd had the Spiritual Practices for labor. (I'm going to try to remember them for other occasions when I might be in prolonged pain!)
Now, if you don't want to take my word for it, let me share this experience I had. I was reading this at a book fair, and the person I was working with is an OB/GYN. She asked to see it, and opened to the section on eating disorders. Kate Wicker's frank discussion and helpful advice excited her. She knew someone dealing with that same issue while pregnant. I gave her the book, and a couple of weeks later, she told me she'd read it, loved it, and passed it on to her sister and sister-in-law who were both expecting.
Highly Recommended. Too bad I can't send it back in time to myself.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Mothers-Companion-Pregnancy-Catholicmom-Com/dp/1594712980
Ave Maria Press: https://www.avemariapress.com/product/1-59471-298-0/A-Catholic-Mothers-Companion-to-Pregnancy/
No comments:
Post a Comment