Post: The Essential Guide to Creating Your Postpartum Self-Care Plan in Pregnancy

This empowering debut manual from naturopathic doctor Wilson explores how women can stay healthy during and after pregnancy. The prenatal guidance includes consuming ginger to combat nausea, wearing compression stockings to reduce leg swelling, and spending at least 150 minutes per week walking, biking, or doing yoga to regulate hormone levels. Wilson bolsters the guidance with scientific research, as when she notes studies that found iron deficiency during pregnancy correlates with higher depression levels in the child through adolescence; she recommends taking 27-mg iron vitamins before birth and then dropping to 10 mg after. Throughout, Wilson emphasizes the benefits of naturopathic remedies while recognizing their limits, suggesting that while vitamin D and saffron supplements have shown promise in alleviating postpartum depression, there should be no shame in seeking out pharmaceutical antidepressants if symptoms don’t respond to other treatments. Elsewhere, Wilson urges pregnant and postpartum readers to stay connected with loved ones by combining socializing with practical activities (e.g., “a group exercise or cooking class”), and to reduce their exposure to toxins by avoiding sunscreens with avobenzone and nonstick pans made with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Despite the title, the shrewd advice focuses on prenatal and postnatal health equally, and Wilson brings a compassionate outlook that views self-care as a crucial precondition for adequately showing up for a newborn. Expecting mothers will appreciate this. (Self-published)