Heart Centered Pregnancy Journal: Cultivating Intuition, Connection, and Resilience for Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum

This pregnancy journal, written by Nikki Shaheed, is everything pregnant parents need and look for in a resource book as they prepare for birth (or recover from one). I have been teaching birth classes for over 17 years, and love the Birthing From Within philosophy and lineage - and this book is the next in that line. It brings updated information, ideas, inclusive language, and modern perspectives and combines all of that with thought-provoking, heart opening, gentle nudges that get you in touch with inner resources and self compassion - and what is more important in birth preparation than that? If you are a parent, I recommend this highly - I believe it will greatly enhance your pregnancy and/or postpartum time, and leave you feeling resourced and inspired. If you are a birth professional, I recommend this highly (and suggest you buy a few - as I'm guessing that you will want to give them to your clients. I know I do!). This is a well-done companion to many birth preparation books that are out there, and especially to those written by Pam England.

In 24 years of birth work I haven’t come across anything like this book. Not only is this a beautiful piece of writing, it makes even the most difficult scenarios seem less scary and more manageable.This book is not only about what the author can tell you but will also allow you to discover your own courage, resilience, and self compassion.As a seasoned birth pro I can see this journal as a path to preventing (and even healing past) trauma. It has opened up my eyes to new ways of seeing birth, myself, and even the healthcare system.If this is the only book you pick up during your pregnancy, there is no doubt you will be ready to face the unknown. Every partner and birth professional will find value in these pages as well.

Unlike most preachy birth books, this thoughtful, guided journal asks pregnant people the precise questions to spark intuition, personal growth, and self-love which leads them toward a more informed and intentional birth. Shaheed doesn't fall prey to prescribing a “right way," which allows the reader to be true to who they are, and to compassionately bend during whatever birth and parenthood might bring them. A must-read for anyone who wants to feel prepared for birth while also staying open to unknown that is parenthood.

This journal helps new/expecting parents prepare for the journey or parenthood. Even if you're having your 2nd+ child, there is wisdom in the Birthing From Within philosophy that every parent can glean. This journal invites parents to use compassion for themselves, to take the time to reflect on one's heart, and to prepare for one of the most transformative journeys a person can experience. Not only does it help parents become educated about childbirth, but it provides guidance through the threshold of early parenthood. This journal takes parents under a wing in a completely inclusive, accepting, and loving way. As a mother of 3 and a mental health worker serving parents of young children, I highly recommend this self-reflective experience.Lindsay Minarovic, LMSW

As a mother, a childbirth educator and a doula I’ve read many books on the topic of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. I find Heart Centered Pregnancy Journal to be one of the best. The pregnancy and early parenting year is one of great change and this book is an amazing tool for those traveling through it. The journal invites birthing people to see and feel the experience in ways they are not offered through any other lense in our modern birth culture.What I also found intriguing though, is that the book applies to any of life’s transitional experiences. Many of the chapters and the questions asked can help the reader accept and adjust to big changes happening either through choice or through circumstance outside of growing, birthing or parenting a child. I found myself applying many of the thought provoking questions to a particular endeavor I am undertaking in my professional life and it was quite helpful and insightful! I plan to gift this beautiful book to all of my doula clients. Thank you, Nikki Shaheed!

Nikki Shaheed's Heart Centered Pregnancy Journal is a breath of fresh air in a birth education world cluttered with obstetrical information, evidence, statistics, and promises of the perfect formula for a perfect birth. We are told by modern birth culture that to feel prepared and have an empowered birth we need to gather enough information about all of our options. This pregnancy journal offers the reader tools to look deeply into WHY we are even seeking certain options in the first place, and to practice meeting the inevitable unknown with self-love, compassion and curiosity. As a childbirth educator, bodyworker, and doula I am so relieved and grateful to finally have a digestible guide to offer parents that prepares them to truly honor the rite of passage of birthing in a way that is both boldly honest and lovingly tender, and makes space for all of the different ways that babies are born and that people create families. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Nikki. - Jamie Mossay, birth and bodyworker

A friend of mine is pregnant and I wanted to get her a book that was informative but not scary like What To Expect (because that book terrified me). It's quite well-researched, inclusive, and helpful. There's plenty of room to journal and the author provides different ways to practice resilience and different coping methods. It also has little suggestions on how to celebrate along the way. The cover and the illustrations inside make it a pretty keepsake, too.

I am a Certified Childbirth Educator and this book is an essential tool in my toolkit when teaching families. It's user-friendly tools and prompts make pregnancy's transformation feel more realistic as it helps parents navigate that innocence when it comes to this amazing chapter in life. DON'T miss out on this book! Also a great gift!

A lot of very good prompt to better prepare the birth and the first months.

Amazing and beautiful! I bought for a friend and she loves it. She says it is so thought provoking and helps you really dig deep into some topics.

I loved the book, but I find it not that easy to follow. I wish there were less chapters and clearer information about each topic. I have enjoyed though.