Beautiful Babies: Nutrition for Fertility, Pregnancy, Breast-feeding, and Baby's First Foods

by Kristen Michaelis

Did you know that simple changes in your diet could increase your fertility by 60%? Did you know that what you eat when you're pregnant could affect whether or not your child grows up to need glasses or braces? Did you know that increasing your intake of certain nutrients prior to pregnancy could radically decrease your chances of having morning sickness?

In Beautiful Babies , nutrition educator Kristen Michaelis uncovers the truths about diet and pregnancy. Based on her research of the nutrient-rich diets of fertile populations around the world, she breaks down exactly what you should and shouldn't eat while trying to conceive, during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding. The book discusses how soy can prevent pregnancy, how eating a low-fat diet can make you 85% more likely to be infertile, what to do if breastfeeding doesn't work for you, how babies can't digest cereal, and gives step-by-step instructions on how and when to introduce your baby's first foods. Beautiful Babies lays out everything you need to know about having a healthy pregnancy and nourishing your growing baby.

Genres: Parenting, Health, Nutrition, Nonfiction, Food, Self Help, Foodie

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2012

Reviews

[Jacqie Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the fertility books I have read so far this one has been my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. I've been trying to get pregnant for 6 years, and after testing, we found out my husband doesn't have great sperm. This book talks about how you can get your body prepared for pregnancy, and how you can help your husband create faster sperm. This is based off the Weston A Price foundation, which is something I believe in (its more farm to table, ancestral diet), and I loved every bit of this book! This is definitely one I'm recommending to everyone who is trying to conceive AND wants to have a healthy pregnancy.

[Sarah Burley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe this book has some parts that are helpful – such as the suggestion to use magnesium to combat morning sickness and the facts regarding where some of our food comes from and how other forms of medicine such as chiropractors and acupuncture can help with problems. However, I see this book overall as an effort to take a common fear of many mothers, the fear that they aren’t providing enough for their children and grandchildren and emotionally blackmail them into eating things they would never consider such as liver, kefir, kombucha and raw eggs on the hope that their child will never have to wear glasses or braces. At the end of the day however, my faith lies in God and His will for my life, not the thought that if I were to simply switch to local, pastured meat, eggs, and milk (at very high costs), I can add more time to my life and more health to my family. For did not Christ Himself tell us in Matthew 6:25-34, that He cares for us more than the lilies of the field and the birds of the air? As a Christian, I would say, do the best you can to feed your family healthy foods and rest in the knowledge that God will take care of the rest. Let healthy eating be in balance with the rest of your life and not an extreme.

Matthew 6:25-34
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overall look at how our food choices affect our bodies and our children. I have been reading a lot about the traditional food model, so I was not surprised at her recommendations, though they might be shocking to someone who is not familiar with Weston A Price and Nourishing Traditions.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fascinating. So much info. Lots of things are Bad For You. And I don't think I'll be able to buy all the most nutritional foods out there. But hopefully can make some somewhat informed changes, care more, and be healthier, yay.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love the recipes in this book. They are so simple, yet so delicious!

Edit Update 2025:
I still own this book because of the recipes. I also reference it occasionally when talking to nervous new Moms. The information provided is invaluable.

[Allyson Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great information expanding on how the ancestral diet applies practically to mothers. She took all of the principles from Nourishing Traditions and gave them an even greater weight along with steps to implement them for each stage of motherhood. I enjoyed how down-to-earth her writing and encouragement is and am looking forward to trying out some of her recipes in the back of the book to give my beautiful babies the nutrition they need!

[Gold Dust · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nutrition advice book that tells you the ideal foods for fertility and feeding babies. For the most part I liked the book, but one thing that kind of annoyed me was that the author just assumed everything people did a long time ago is good for us (47). People back then had some unhealthy practices too, like not washing their hands. They had lower life expectancy too.

“A 2011 survey of primary care providers revealed that 19 out of the top 25 reasons patients seek medical care are for chronic disease symptom management. These are the same chronic diseases, mind you, that are notoriously absent from cultures who’ve never embraced the modern foods created by industry” (127).

Traditional cultures ate raw foods (including meat), fish eggs, oats, liver, glands, blood, marrow, & adrenal glands. These are rich in vitamins A, D, K2, B6, B12, and folate (24). K2 is especially important for having healthy mouth formation (25). Food sources for vitamin K2: natto, eel, cheese, beef liver, chicken, butter, sauerkraut, egg yolk. It’s best to get your vitamins from food rather than from pills.

Another thing I didn’t like about the book: The author says, “I purposefully acquired a taste for red wine so that I would no longer be oddly left out at social gatherings” (123). “How many studies do we need showing that red wine is rich in antioxidants? Or that those who drink wine in moderation have a lower risk of catching a cold?” (124) If it’s just the grape content, then the alcohol part is unnecessary. Just eat grapes. There are other ways to relax and unwind besides resorting to poisons.

“In 2011, a Russian mother was charged and found guilty of killing her baby with alcohol poisoned breast milk. She’d been binge drinking, nursed her baby while she was wildly drunk, and her baby died” (146).

Daily fertility diet (96-97):
20,000 iu of vitamin A from cod liver oil. (Um, but on p. 82 she mentioned a study in which women who supplemented with over 10,000 iu of vitamin A had a miscarriage rate of 400%! See https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7477116/)
1 qt (4 cups) of whole milk, preferably raw and from pasture-fed cows
2+ eggs from pastured chickens
2 tbsp coconut oil in cooking/smoothies
4 tbsp butter from pastured cows
Beef/lamb with fat
1 cup+ of bone broth
Lacto-fermented vegetables, condiments, and drinks
3-5 oz liver 1-2 times a week. Fish 2-4 times a week.

General nutrition advice:
Eat organic & avoid artificially fertilized food. Consuming food grown with high nitrogen fertilizers may cause Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and type 2 diabetes (62).
Eat bone broth instead of MSG. Bone broth has calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, chondroitin, and glucosamine (the last two are good for arthritis) (67). “Fish stock, according to traditional lore, helps boys grow up into strong men, makes childbirth easy and cures fatigue” (67).
Eat fish with lacto-fermented food or probiotics (like yogurt); good gut flora protects you from the mercury in fish (76). Mollusks (like clams) are the most nutritious fish to eat, followed by other shellfish like shrimp, crab, lobster. For these fish, try to get farmed. For larger non-shell fish, try to get wild caught (77).
No white flour. Eat sour or sprouted grains. Grain particles called lectins get stuck in the intestinal walls and undermine digestion. In extreme cases, it can lead to autoimmune diseases like leaky-gut, gluten intolerance, and IBS (84-85). Grains also have phytic acid which prevents us from absorbing vitamins and minerals and can lead to dental decay (85). You can avoid these problems by soaking whole grain flour in an acidic medium overnight or fermenting the flour. “You can soak your rolled oats overnight in yogurt before adding water and cooking in the morning” (85).
No industrially raised meat. Due to these animals being fed corn, the meat has an omega ratio of 21:1 (50). Eat grass fed cows instead, which have a ratio of 1:1 (72). Our healthy ancestors ate omega-6 to omega-3 ratios of about 4:1 to 1:4. In modern times, we eat a ratio of 20:1, mainly because most of our food is high in corn, which has a ratio of 46:1. High omega-6 consumption is one of the primary causes of heart disease (42). An out of balance omega ratio is likely responsible for lower sperm counts and male infertility (42).
No trans fats, vegetable cooking oil, or food fried in yellow-seed based oils (like French fries, fried chicken, or tortilla chips) (48). “A 2007 study found that for each 2% increase in the intake of energy from trans fats, women experienced a 73% greater risk of ovulatory infertility” (47). Good oils to eat instead (in order of safe cooking temperatures): butter (lower than 350 degrees), coconut, palm kernel, lard, schmaltz, macadamia, red palm, tallow, ghee, avocado (lower than 520 degrees) (69). Don’t heat to the point of smoking, as this causes oxidation which leads to cancer and artery inflammation, the cause of heart disease (70). Olive oil is recommended for cold, warmed, or gently cooked foods (70). Its smoke point is 380 degrees. Make sure your oils are cold-pressed and UV-protected (70).
Raw whole milk. “Women who consumed skim milk and low-fat dairy had 85% higher infertility rates than women who consumed whole-fat dairy” (21). Adequate cholesterol (usually from fatty foods) is needed for proper hormonal balance (21). Pasteurization gets rid of most of the nutrients in milk. “Every single outbreak of salmonella from contaminated milk in recent decades has occurred in pasteurized milk” (53). “Pasteurized milk puts an unnecessary strain on the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes, [which] may explain why milk consumption in civilized societies has been linked with diabetes” (54). “If the milk has fat removed, it’s not only going to be missing all the fat-soluble vitamins the body needs to properly digest the calcium and other goodies in the milk, but it will also usually have nonfat dry milk or other milk solids added to create a more desirable consistency” (54). These forms of dry milk are high in MSG and oxidized cholesterol (can cause heart disorders).
No refined sweenters. “When you eat sugar, your body stops burning fat as a fuel source” (59). “A diet high in sugar trains your metabolism to stop burning fat for energy and to store excess energy as extra fat in your fat cells” (60). Sugar has other health problems: suppresses the immune system, feeds cancer cells, causes hormonal imbalances which contribute to infertility, raises bad cholesterol and decreases good cholesterol, causes anxiety, hyperactivity, difficulty concentrating, & crankiness in children (60). Eat natural sweeteners instead: honey, coconut palm sugar, maple syrup, sorghum syrup, sucant & muscovado (79-80). Xylitol and erythritol are not natural. The author is suspicious of white, powdered versions of stevia.

Misc. tidbits:
The lifetime risk of contracting diabetes for boys born in the year 2000 was 32.8%. For girls, the risk was 38.5% (31). “41% of all children born in 2012 will be diagnosed with cancer within their lifetimes” (31).

“Modern science has revealed that it takes nearly 100 days for a woman’s egg to mature before it is ovulated and 72 days for a man’s sperm to form” (23).

Organic soy crops outperformed GM soy crops by 13% (43).

“The waste from one cow is more than 20 times the waste of a human” (51).

“Sperm health improves dramatically when vitamins A and E are eaten together, probably because E prevents oxidation of A. You need vitamin C to absorb iron, and saturated fats extend the use of omega-3 fats” (15).

Women who had high levels of vitamin D reduced their risk of premature birth by half. They had a 25% reduction of viral infections, 30% reduction in gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and pre-eclampsia (25). Their babies were less likely to be considered small; low birth weight babies are more likely to develop heart disease later in life (25).

American cheese used to be called “imitation cheese,” margarine used to be called “imitation butter,” and jelly used to be called “imitation jam” until 1973 when the government stopped requiring food companies to be honest when their foods were imitations (16-17).

Deficiencies in B6 and B12 can cause infertility. Men with low B12 have lower sperm counts (25). The best sources of B12 are in shellfish (oysters, clams), liver, fish roe, crab and lobster, cheese, and eggs (96).

“Normally E. Coli is a harmless part of our normal gut flora. Until relatively recently, E. Coli infections in humans were rare. That’s because almost all the strains of the bacteria that might have made us sick could not survive our stomach acids. However, an acid-resistant strain, E. Coli 0157:H7, developed as an adaptation to the overly acidic stomach of the modern, grain-fed cow. Now able to withstand the cow’s more acidic stomach, the bacteria is also able to withstand our own stomach acids, making us ill” (52).

“Once a fruit or vegetable is picked, the vitamin content goes down steadily. Cold storage, light, and exposure to air all cause fruits and vegetables to lose vitamins, as does cooking” (63).

“Do you want to pay now for groceries or pay for a doctor later? When I was a kid, we spent 18% of our income on food and 5% on healthcare. Now we spend 9% on food, and 17% on healthcare.” - Michael Pollan (65).

The word “restaurant” comes from the French word “restoratif” which described soups and stews sold at roadside taverns that were an antidote to physical exhaustion (67).

Heating sour cream or yogurt over 118 degrees kills the bacteria cultures and removes the probiotic benefits (71).

The reason pregnant moms in the hospital are not allowed to eat anything is because they’re prepping them for a C-section; patients are supposed to have empty stomachs before going into surgery (111).

Saturated fat and cholesterol are not really bad for you. Scientist Ancel Keys said that high levels of those things correlated to heart disease, but he had data from more than 50 countries and only chose to highlight the seven which proved his hypothesis (116). “Cholesterol is a healing agent in the body. When the body has some healing jobs to do, it produces cholesterol and sends it to the site of the damage” (118).

Hemoglobin concentration as low as 9 ml/dg in pregnancy is normal (119). Recommended iron supplements: Floradix (www.florahealth.com/product_condition...) or Ferrofood (www.standardprocess.com/Products/Stan...)

“Our doctors are trained to treat sickness and medical emergencies, not health. So, why do we turn to them for advice about how to be healthy? Furthermore, our primary care doctors are not medical researchers. They only know what they were taught in medical school, what drug company sales representatives claim in literature and training sessions, and what they read int he latest professional journals (assuming they keep current with the latest professional journals)” (125). “On average, a medical doctor int he U.S. only receives 23.9 hours of instruction in nutrition during their entire eight years in med school” (126).

“According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 106,000 people die each year from taking properly prescribed drugs according to directions in the United States” (126). When you include medical error, bedsores, infection, malnutrition, outpatient, unnecessary procedures, and surgery related iatrogenic deaths, the total is 783,936, which exceeds heart disease’s rate of 599,413 (126).

“A chiropractor named Larry Webster noticed the link between misaligned sacral or pelvic bones and babies that presented feet first. This led him to create a series of gentle adjustments—now known as the Webster Technique—to re-align the pelvic region of pregnant women. He used this technique on more than 1000 pregnant mothers. In 90% of cases, the babies turned to the correct, head down position within just three adjustments (133).

“In 2011, a vegan mother was charged with criminal neglect after her exclusively breastfed infant died of nutrient-deficiencies common to vegans—lack of vitamins B12 and A” (146). This shows that the vegan diet is not natural or healthy in humans.

“Don’t feed your baby grains (or even highly starchy foods), until all of their first molars have emerged” (166).

Bone broth can be used as a drink for 6-8 month olds; it’s healthier than water or fruit juice (167). Wait until age one before feeding citrus fruit or egg whites to babies (168, 170).

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this was an interesting read.

It felt slightly sensationalist (basically I think it had the same tone zeal that usually vegans exhibit when they are speaking about being vegan), however it wasn't any information that I didn't already know on some level due to eating a (Cleanish) Ketogenic diet. That doesn't mean I didn't learn anything, so I didn't feel like I was reading the maniacal ramblings of a so called nutritionist hopping on the newest bandwagon.
It confirmed everything that I had already planned on doing, only adding a bit more to it. (Like shellfish hadn't been on my list. Now it is)

Taking things with a grain of salt, it is a very good book. It also is good at making sure you know "if you can't do it all, do what you can"
Like I live in England, getting Grass Fed Beef? Well, it's not labelled that way here. Same goes for the butter (unless I only buy Kerrygold, but I think there was controversy about that over here, so I'm not going to spend £5 for butter that might still not be the happy Grass Fed I want).
But I do have a few sources where I can get better quality meat than what normally is found in grocery stores. Can I eat organic beef every week? No. I just cannot financially do that.

However, when I make my Three Sisters Stew, shall I make it with an unknown brand, or shall I make it with Green Giant, because 1)I can get that here and 2)They state they use non GMO corn

It says I need to up my milk, and that basically I need to drink happy cow grass fed milk. Fine and dandy... however the only cows I can guarantee that from is cows from Jersey. So to buy a pint (a PINT) of milk, it will cost me £5, which.... the book wants me drinking a QUART a day. This is not financially feasible to add milk. A weekend treat? Yes, I'll grab some of it for my weekend hot chocolate, which I'm going to try to keep as my only 'bad for me sugar'. Why? Because I need something to drink my Great Lakes Gelatine (yes, I only use Great Lakes), and I've found the best way for me is mixed into hot chocolate.


Ack... I'm going on a tangent. I like the book. But make sure you read it with a grain of salt, and do what is best for you.... but this is a healthy way to eat. And it doesn't feel like she is trying to force her morals on me. (Other than the Chicken section where it goes on about the Battery Hens. I don't disagree with her, and believe me, I would much rather have my own hens, but can't right now.)

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book! This is not just for those women pregnant or wanting to be pregnant. This is an excellent resource for traditional nutrition in general. As well as a great navigational tool to wade the waters of "food" in our modern culture. What is good to eat and why. I appreciated her being a Christian, though I differed with her on a few points. Overall, a great book I would recommend to anyone wanting a great introduction, refresher, or more information on healthy, whole, and real foods.

A longer review on my blog here:

http://assertionsofahousewife.blogspo...

[Angela Boord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of the same nutritional information as the Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care without the Steiner influence, and written in an easy, friendly style. I did think it was a little slim, though. The first section is taken up with defining "real food" in general, then there is a section about what to eat when pregnant, a very brief section on labor, and then a bit more on breastfeeding. The last section of the book is a collection of recipes.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read this for a couple years. I really wish I would have known about all this before I had kids, would have been nice to avoid braces...

[Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

The nutrition advice in this book ranges from laughably wacky to dangerously bad. Avoid this nonsense.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would gift this book to an open-minded mom-to-be, or a fellow mom with babies. It’s my belief that any advice helping steer mothers away from over-consuming industrialized meats, grains, and additives like rancid seed oils, especially in their fertility, prenatal, or postpartum journeys, will have an array of benefits for both mother and child. And any step toward that future is what i consider a win. In saying this, I have my own gripes with this book which comes from specific recommendations made within the pages. The author draws much inspiration from Weston A. Price and associated authors— Sally Fallon, Cate Shanahan, etc. I agree with some Price fundamentals, and have read other books referenced in this one, but disagree largely when it comes to demonizing sugars. Fertility is an energy intensive period of time. Pregnancy and postpartum periods are even more energy intensive. Sugar is the fastest and cleanest fuel source that our bodies can utilize for energy creation. I believe that the demonization of carbs and sugars by the Weston A. Price (and ancestral foods camp) is profoundly misguided, and I would gift this or recommend this book to another woman on the basis that they don’t follow the author’s advice on restricting sugars. But overall, I enjoyed this book and will utilize some of the recipes because they sound delicious. I will even recommend this book to a local birthing center to keep on their shelf. And as a parting word, I would plead that women do not restrict sugars, carbs, and they instead focus on raising metabolic rate and protecting thyroid health as they traverse their own fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum journeys! Good health is reflective of high, efficient energy creation and utilization! <3

[Mwalkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you a busy mom with no extra time - need only the highlights of what to feed your baby? This book is for you.
Do you need the research before you put anything into your baby's mouth? This book is for you!

The highlights,in table format, are easily found flipping through the book. The rationale and research is available too.

How I WISH this valuable information could have been available when my children were small! I too would have gulped and wondered about the make-your-own-formula idea that seems "out there" when one is used to trusting what is in a can (lined with BPA) and and verified safe by the FDA (who, in my opinion, sold their soul.)

I do know that my eating sauerkraut instead of salads would have avoided a lot of misery for our firstborn. Even if you don't believe a word of this book, try that if your baby is miserable.

I appreciated the non-judgemental options - choose what you strive to provide: the "POWER" foods or the "PURE" foods or even the "OKAY" foods - depending on your resources and time. Someone has to point out the fact that "The Emperor Has No Clothes!" regarding 'standard' fare for children. There ARE other options for children than Cheerios! Get over it. Or feed them from the "CRAP" list and do the whole immune dysfunction downward spiral.

Knowledge is power. I highly recommend the "POWER" foods. You only get one chance to feed your baby.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some information which had science was cool. The other stuff which did not was not cool. For example, there is tons of scientific fact backing that vitamin A can cause miscarriages, deformities for the baby, and stillbirths (why people dont take accutane etc) and it's a scientific fact it takes babies 3x as long to process alcohol in their livers than it does us. She recommends to take cod liver oil which is astronomical in vitamin A and to drink wine every day and she is basically a rebel on everything the doctor would advice against doing like the typical dont eat things raw and she recommends to have blood etc. Not just that, unless you live on a farm or near farms its impossible to do without spending your whole livelihood on it because everything has to be farm fresh basically and the anxiety people would have trying to follow all her rules is probably worse than the food itself. She also has a way of sounding very judgy against mothers or infertile who dont diet crazy like her. Reminds me of cult Gwen Shamblin. Some info is probably worth noting, probably isnt wise to gorge on sugar and coffee when pregnant. Other info is just plain bad advice.

[Bucket · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some good research and information here, and a lot of helpful detail on what to eat, what to avoid, and how to prioritize. Following this plan to a T would be extremely difficult, however, for a family with two working parents and/or limited budget or access to non-industrial food. For my purposes, there's a few things that I already knew (less sugar! avoid processed food! cook at home!), a few things that I'll take (non-industrial dairy and meat are more important than organic produce, baby-led introduction of food, start baby with proteins/fats like eggs, seafood, homemade broth, avocado, not with carbs) and a few things that just aren't feasible in a day-in, day-out sort of way (purchasing half a cow in bulk, raw milk/dairy 100% of the time).

There's also a bit of overzealous sensationalism here. Sure, what you eat impacts lifelong health, for you and your children, and even your grandchildren. But to suggest that eating a perfect diet during pregnancy and beyond will mean your children will never need glasses or braces is not supported by research.

[Stephie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has a few gladly obvious typos. Definitely for a first time parent or a parent without previous knowledge of what foods contribute to real health. The author kind of has a tone of "I know better than you" and, yes, that's why we are reading the book - to learn from her, it didn't need to be with a condescending tone.

[Jodi Gruss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some advice good, some weird

Some good advice, but some was a little too out there for me or seemed to conflict with what I was told for the health of my little one. There are a lot of recipes in here that I’m not interested in making.

[Bethany B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most helpful aspect was recognizing that many people are on a budget and giving prioritization of quality food based on her research. It is more or less just a distilled version of Wise Traditions. Glad I read, but not something I feel like I would go back to.

[Randi Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real food for us and our babies! Genius!

Loved this book! Lots of solid advice on how to eat healthy the way our ancestors did! Can’t wait to start implementing at home!

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear. Concise. Actionable.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and helpful info presented in a tone that I found distracting at times.

[Taylor Estes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good information! But, to me, it felt like the author is mostly trying to scare people as motivation. Would recommend other nutrition books instead.

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this ebook for a dollar. I had been casually interested in it before, enough to price out the paperback at my local bookstore: $28. Oy.

Despite the title, this book is about health, not looks. It's about beauty inasmuch as beauty is incidental to health.

Science shows that what a woman eats *before* pregnancy affects the life, health and development of her fetus. (What would it take for a fetus-protecting politician to take up the cause and support access to healthy food for all women of childbearing age?) Turns out that "fertility foods" are good foods for the health of the general population.

The first half of this book is "here's what's wrong with the SAD [Standard American Diet]!" I already believe that eating sick, abused animals and poisoned plants is a bad idea; I already think that natural fats are good for health; I'm already a disciple.

I'm already using transdermal magnesium. I think this is the star recommendation of the book. This recommendation was showcased on a blog I read (not the author's blog, which I also sometimes read). It was why I was interested in this book. If she had had more stuff like that I would have itwasamazinged this book. Mg supplementation helps pretty much everyone, childbearing or childbarren.

I think its biggest contribution specifically for babies and mothers is what foods to introduce to your baby when. The facts about amylase production are little known yet important. Amylase is an enzyme necessary for metabolizing carbohydrates. Salivary amylase production can start as early as 6 months but pancreatic amylase doesn't start until much later (13 to 19 mo) -- concurrent with molar development! So no grains for baby until baby has molars.

So, did I get anything from this book to do that I'm not already doing [that actually pertain to me, as a non-reproducer]? Sure: I want to try roe. I'm not already eating roe.

[Ngaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Babies is a nice short little book that offers useful advice for women who want to eat as traditionally as possible to help ensure that their babies are healthy and happy. Michaelis bases her advice on her own research, the work of Sally Fallon and others at the Weston A. Price Foundation, and the work of Dr. Cate Shanahan (whose own book, Deep Nutrition, is really worth a read).

Much of Michaelis's advice is familiar to me from other reading, but I still learned a lot about a bunch of things, such as the developmental stages of children's digestive systems. Michaelis is quite religious, but she's not pushy about it, so for non-Christians like me, I don't think it's really an issue. She's also quite refreshingly practical - her advice to go for 80/20 (80 percent nutrient dense, whole foods, the other 20 percent don't matter too much) has relieved me of some of my anxiety about eating out. She's also in favor of relaxing with a glass of wine when you're pregnant, like the French do, if that's what you feel like doing. Love that! I'm not pregnant, but I'm thinking about it and this book is really helpful.

Kind of wish I'd bought this in print, though, rather than on Kindle - Kindle is really only good for books you don't want to go back to, I find. I hate having to search for words or phrases to find the page I need.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained a lot of information I already knew because I'm deep into traditional foods already and have read Deep Nutrition which talks about epigenetics (how nutrition affects our genes and the genes of our children), so it wasn't super useful for me at this point. However, for someone new to traditional foods or real foods, it's a great resource for understanding what foods are actually good for the body and therefore good for fertility and making healthy babies. She specifies foods that are particularly good for making healthy (and beautiful) babies. The information on feeding babies is good. I wish I had this info before I got pregnant with my son, and it's an easy read. Includes recipes that I'd like to try. This would be a great book to give as a gift to couples who want children since it will give them the tools they need to be healthy, fertile and have healthy babies.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this for Harmony for her birthday, but I read it first. I have enjoyed Kristen's blog, Food Renegade, and the book reflects the sound advice, nicely reasoned and supported, that endeared me to the blog in the first place. The food photography is scrumptious and the recipe section is long enough to be helpful, but short enough to be useful, and not a shameless "padding" of the book that other authors have used to bulk up a pamphlet to book-length. The only thing I did not like about the book was the excerpt she included from a book about hypno-birthing; it was utterly Neo Pagan. But, one paragraph aside, this is a book I'll be gifting at baby and bridal showers for a long time to come.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to know how to really find out if there is MSG in your food? Curious about what oils you should avoid and why? This is the book you need. Even if you are not intending to have children, this is a priceless resource for eating well and keeping yourself and your family healthy. I go back to this book often; a resource that I reference every few months.

I've been leaning towards a Weston A Price diet for some time, with influences by Sally Fallons "Nourishing Traditions" and found this book to be the perfect easy to digest book for someone considering ways to feed their baby or their own pre-pregnant self. Great resource I find myself going back to often - with handy lists and guides in the back.

[&#x1f312;JFosbookboss&#x1f312; · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides high level education on what to put in your body when it comes to planning for baby.. It begins with fertility so naturally she starts there. then down the road when it comes to starter foods for baby includes breastfeeding too!

If you haven't studied up more recent published medical studies or just rusty about being prepared for fertility, pregnancy & beyond this book is helpful resource, coupled w/midwife or doctor plus online information provided at our finger tips.

I would've rated it 5 stars had it been tripple the size. But there are a lot of topics listed, many others authors have dedicated whole books just to certain chapters. She covered in here's.


I hope she writes more in the future.

[Samantha Hodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would actually recommend this book to anyone interested in a whole foods diet. The info is laid out well and easy to understand. The recipes are limited, so don't read this expecting a cookbook. I disagree with some of the info (ie. drinking wine while pregnant), but overall, it gives great suggestions. The ideas provided for fertility and healthy pregnancy are the same as those you would find in any clean eating guidebook. Any suggestions that are specific to pregnancy are very limited.