REVIEW BY MIDWIFERY TODAY
The Mommy Plan by Valerie Lynn

I thought I would read this book, take a few notes, write a review and then be done with it. Turns out I am going to order a copy for my new-mother friend and keep my copy easily accessible to be used frequently as a resource.

What Valerie Lynn has created within these pages is more than just a plan – it is a philosophy of care and attention that focuses on the needs of the mother so that her new child will be welcomed into an environment where the mother is calm, rested and supported. Borrowing from the Malay culture whose comprehensive postnatal practices revere the physical, emotional and nutritional needs of the recently birthed mother, Valerie outlines in exquisite detail the way these ideas can be applied to modern day households. No vague generalities in this book – there is almost a prescriptive quality to the suggestions, recommendations and recipes that Lynn provides.

During pregnancy is the optimal time for a woman to read this book so that this mother-to-be, her husband and her family can learn how to develop a consciousness of the new mother’s needs before they manifest themselves in unhealthy ways.  Doulas or midwives are ideally positioned to introduce families to The Mommy Plan and to underline the importance of safeguarding the early postpartum period.

Reviewer, Joni Nicholas