It’s been a little while since I’ve really read a book on nutrition in pregnancy, and I was intrigued when we were asked to read and review the Third Edition of Eating for Pregnancy, by Catherine Jones and Rose Ann Hudson, RD, LD.

The first thing I noticed when the book arrived in the mail and I began to skim it is that it is full of recipes in the back. The recipes not only look delicious, but are artfully organized into stages of pregnancy, as well as postpartum, to help meet individual nutritional needs at different times. On first glance, I could see that the recipes offered a variety of food choices, and did not appear to be biased towards a particular “fad” way of eating.

Eating for Pregnancy presents information on nutrition in pregnancy in a well-balanced way, focusing on sourcing nutrients from a whole-food diet, as opposed to suggesting a diet that is exclusionary of or focused on certain types of foods. There are strategies and recipes to suit various dietary needs, such as gluten intolerance, or preferences, such as vegetarianism.

This book not only offers great information on specific macro and micronutrient needs in pregnancy, the authors also go in depth into how nutrition can help to ease discomforts of pregnancy, such as constipation and morning sickness, and the role nutrition and exercise can play in the management of health conditions that complicate pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes. There is a wealth of material on food safety in pregnancy, and reducing exposure to environmental hazards.

The organization of recipe and meal planning suggestions according to stages of pregnancy and postpartum is straightforward, and makes it easy to find what you are looking for. The authors have done a thorough job of citing reputable resources for the information they have presented.

Personally, I appreciated the sense that this book meets people where they are, is easy to read, and gives us a starting point to improve our overall health in pregnancy through taking a look at how we nourish our bodies as we grow our babies, without pushing a particular nutritional agenda. Whole foods, close to the earth, variety – this is my personal goal in my nutrition, and so this book appealed to that ideal.

In the end, I enjoyed and appreciated reading Eating for Pregnancy, and will be adding it to the lending library in our office. We will also be doing a giveaway for an extra copy, so keep an eye on our Metro Midwifery social channels!