Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives: A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth

by Deepak Chopra, David Simon, Vicki Abrams

A much-needed antidote to our modern, assembly-line approach to childbirth, this new book is designed as a guide for all who wish to participate in the wondrous process of bringing new life into the world. Its ideas derive from two the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, with its emphasis on body, mind, and spirit, and the latest Western scientific prenatal research. By integrating the best information from these two very different perspectives, this remarkable book gives readers the tools to ensure that our children are nourished by thoughts, words, and actions from the very moment of conception.Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives is rich in practical information, including strategies to help enliven the body intelligence of unborn babies by nourishing each of their five senses, as well as through Ayurvedically balanced nutrition and eating with awareness. Specific yoga poses and meditation techniques reduce the mother’s stress and improve the infant’s emotional environment, as do tips for conscious communication with a partner. Exercises prepare parents for the experience of childbirth itself, followed by natural approaches to dealing with the first weeks of parenting, from healing herbs to enhancing your milk supply to coping with postpartum depression.Inspiring, expansive, and remarkably informative, this unique book from acclaimed experts in mind-body medicine will profoundly enhance the experience of pregnancy and birth for both parents and baby.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Health, Spirituality, Childrens, Audiobook, Self Help

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Deepak Chopra, MD serves as the Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Foundation, and Co-Founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Known as a prolific author of eighty books books with twenty-two New York Times best sellers in both fiction and non-fiction, his works have been published in more than forty-three languages.

Chopra’s medical training is in internal medicine and endocrinology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Dr. Chopra serves as Co-Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Founder of The Chopra Well on YouTube, Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, Assistant Clinical Professor, in the Family and Preventive Medicine Department at the University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Faculty at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.

GlobeIn acknowledges Chopra as "one of top ten most influential spiritual leaders around the world." TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as "one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine."

Reviews

[Nadya Booyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thus far in my life, I have done my very best to raise a child that will be part of the ripples towards a better world. I aim to raise conscious and aware little beings, who will do better than what society dictates. And towards that end, this book has been priceless. As have several others, but for now, lets focus on this one. Here is a quote to summarise what I gained and why I loved this book so much"

"But we must not forget that even the worst terrorist, tyrant, or polluter was once a child... The future of our planet depends on who our children become as adults, and it is our responsibility to teach and share with them awareness of the divine intelligence that is the source and sustainer of all life... The souls of our children are the potential for tomorrow's world. Our earth is not just a capricious anomaly in the vast sea of space, but a cosmic manifestation of divine intelligence. Through leaps of imagination, it will continue to express itself as new realities. Our job as parents is not to interfere with this creative process, but to align with it by nurturing our children in body, mind, and spirit. The great poet Tagore once said, " every child that is born is proof that God has not yet given up on human beings". We ask you to join us and with God to help create a world of peace, harmony, laughter, and love that is worthy of our beloved children."

Being pregnant for the 2nd time, I actually got to read this book in time. With our first pregnancy I received the book as a gift form my mother rather late, but being with a good midwife, I found most of these things in place already. This time I found that most of the recommendation were already a big part of our lives: Journalling, Yoga, Meditation, etc. and especially towards the end, I found myself just skimming through the information. Despite this, there was still a lot that I had forgotten and which I was able to incorporate into our journey. Towards the end of the book I found that most of the subjects are concerned with things that might be required after the baby is born. These subjects I have mentally referenced, and will return to them as required.

As usual, Mr. Chopra has one foot in the physical and one foot in the spiritual, making his book very practical, although he does have a very scientific way of writing and this is not to everyone's liking. For me, this book is a very good combination of practical advice, a summarizing of your baby's stages and development, as well as how to improve and connect with your pregnancy. As per any other book written by Deepak Chopra, the book contains a large amount of Ayuverdic principles and holistic healing methods. What I found most valuable is that it wasn't just about the spiritual aspects, or just about the most basic physical aspects, or just about your exercises, etc. but rather a real treasure of all things combined. This is something that I have found missing in most pregnancy books, being either or, but very rarely both. Having said that, be aware that some subjects are just touched upon and should you need to, you might need to read up a bit more, but it is a good starting point to at least gain awareness of all aspects of your pregnancy.

I was quite impressed with the amount of data in this book, even moe so than the first time I read it, although as I've mentioned, some of the subjects were barely touched upon. This book does however provide a very good basis for anyone to start with if a holistic journey is what you are aiming for. As a whole, this book is a real treasure trove of information for all things related to a holistic and healthy pregnancy. It is one of those books that you will most likely find yourself constantly returning to during your pregnancy, as well as during the first few weeks of baby's arrival.

I would advise any pregnant woman, or anyone thinking about becoming pregnant to read this book as soon as they can.

[Kelly]

It's fine. Like all books on pregnancy and childbirth, there's an agenda on the ideal methods of surviving both, but I suspect I'd have found a lot more value to this particular title if I didn't already have a deep understanding of yoga, meditation, and ayurveda. I'd give it to students seeking more insight on any of those as they relate to pregnancy, but it didn't add much to what I already know.

[Renita · Rating 4 out of 5]

More new-age material, gives lots of meditational practices at the end of each chapter which could be nice if you enjoy that. A nice guide on learning methods to relax and soak in each stage of pregnancy.

_______________

INTRODUCTION:
Whatever the situation we can be certain that all hope for our futures resides in how we nature our children.
We have inherited everything we know from those who have preceded us. And we have a choice as to what we pass along to the next generation.

Drawing is an amazing avenue for personal growth.

When peoples eyes are open they see landscapes in the outer world.
When peoples eyes are closed they see landscapes with their minds eye.
People spend hours looking at outer landscapes.
But there is just as much to see in inner landscapes.
(Whatever this means)

Creative imagination is the process of invoking sensory experiences on the screen of your conscience.

CH.1
Life inevitably brings loud moments that cannot and not necessarily should be avoided. We simply encourage you to be aware that the being inside you is eavesdropping on your life.
Whenever possible expose yourself to nourishing rather than toxic sounds. Knowing that whatever you’re experiencing is simultaneously experienced by your unborn child.

Early in your pregnancy plant a tree or flowering bush to symbolize the growth of your baby in the womb. After your baby is born, you can take care of the plant together.
(He repeated this in almost every chapter 😂)

CH.2
Your experiences in each moment, mold who you are. Your body and mind are created from your accumulated experiences. Ayurvada suggests that if you want to understand your past, examine your body now.
You can carry it further, if you wish to predict what your body will be in the future, consider your experiences now.

CH.3 (NOT STRICTLY TRUE FOR ALL)
In general a weight gain of 25-35lbs leads to the healthiest newborns.
These extra lbs are composed of the following:
Baby: 7 1/2 lbs.
Uterus: 2 1/2 lbs.
Placenta: 1 lb.
Amniotic fluid: 2 lbs.
Mothers breasts: 3 lbs.
Mothers blood: 4 lbs.
Mothers fat: 5+ lbs
Total: 25+ lbs.

Listening to your appetite is the best way to ensure that you add weight at the right rate.
Typically a few lbs in 1st trimester.
About a pound per week for remainder of pregnancy.

ESSENTIAL OILS:
Camomile: balances digestion
Geranium: mood elevating
Lavender: Pain reliever
Vanilla: Helps induce sleep, soothing & cooling
Jasmine: mood elevating, anti-inflammatory
Narolie: Balances digestion, refreshing
Pachoolee: grounding, skin replenishing
Mandarin: calming, soothing to nerveous system
Cinnamon: stimulating, reduce gas
Ginger: digestive stimulation, anti-nausea
Juniper: clear mind, restore confidence
Clary sage: decongesting, detoxing

CH.6
Sometimes you are holding other people accountable for your emotions.
And setting up a situation where someone else has to change in order for you to feel better.
Rather than relinquishing your power to external circumstances we encourage you to own your own feelings, and use language that reduces interpretation as conveys your willingness to accept responsibility.

Using language that conveys your responsibility for your feelings will reduce the likelihood that your partner will move into a reactive emotional mode, and increases the probability that you will get your needs met.

Practice expanding your emotional vocabulary so you do not resort to the language of victimization.

What do I need that I am not receiving?
If you’re experiencing uncomfortable emotions it is because you have a need that is not being met.

According to Ayurveda we have 4 basic needs:
1. Material comforts
2. Love & connection
3. Sense of purpose in life
4. Spiritual awaking

Whenever you feel emotionally upset one of these needs is being threatened.

CH.7
Neither the impulse to fight nor to run from your contractions serves you well during labor.
The hormones of stress constrict the arteries to the uterus and reduce the effectiveness of your contractions.
The physiology of fear also has been shown to lower your threshold for pain.
Learning to bring yourself from a state of apprehension to one of inner centeredness is a valuable skill that will be of tremendous benefit.

Fortunately you have a precious ally to accomplish this: your breath.
When you feel out of control, you can come back to your center through conscience breathing.

CH.8
Your body needs to time to adjust to the dramatic physiological changes that occur after birth. Honor your body by giving it time to heal.

[Kelsey Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read lots of pregnancy books over the years, and this is by far the best I’ve read. It is well-balanced between the spiritual and medical sides, with the authors clearly having great respect for both. And this is the first pregnancy book I’ve read that did not make me feel pressured towards certain behaviors or choices. Very practical, with lots of helpful stretches and remedies for common problems, as well as great explanations for a lot of medical procedures. A tone of non-judgment throughout, which is so lacking in the pregnancy/childbirth/motherhood world.
The two parts of the book that are real treasures are 1) the guide to communicating with your partner and 2) the partner’s guide to navigating pregnancy and childbirth. These sections were so well done and insightful.

[Nikky Raney · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best pregnancy books I’ve consumed. I appreciate the ties to Ayurveda and the sense of calm I felt when I consumed this book. The other books I’ve read are a bit stressful and get you hyped up for worst case scenarios and do some fear mongering whereas I feel like this book really approaches pregnancy in a more delicate/sensitive way that’s gentle and less judgmental than some other books.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t get through this book. I stopped in the middle. I was listening to the audiobook version and the male voice describing how to cope with issues that come up in pregnancy was too off-putting. The many mentions of admiring your pregnant body and the self massages with oil came across as very creepy to me.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it can be a little too spiritual for me, but there are some really helpful tips in here especially for childbirth. I also found the advice for fathers to be something useful to share with my husband.

[Taylor Brimhall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very helpful. I’ve been pregnant and given birth before and I still found so many new ideas that I’m excited to implement during this pregnancy. It’s simple enough to not overwhelm you and it really emphasizes connecting with your child while in utero.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cheesy title aside, this book offers clear, followable, and motivating advice for families. While the target audience is expecting parents, the concepts really apply to anyone who works with children and their parents. Understanding the origins of one's life can really offer a glimpse into who they are emotionally. When we enter the world with nurturing, healthy, and emotionally present parents, we have such a better chance of long-term happiness. This is not the case for everyone; therefore, non-parent caregivers can help facilitate such attention. Overall, an interesting and inspiring read with the basic thesis that being your best self can help raise a truly happy person, from conception to the teen years.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're open to a non-medicalized path to pregnancy, you may find this book helpful. If you're intent on a scheduled C-section with epidurals, this is likely not the book for you.

Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives is really a set of recommendations, informed by Ayurvedic practices, of how to care for your baby while you're pregnant, while you deliver, and in the first post-delivery months. There's a lot here to be skeptical of, like the frequent oil massages that should be performed on everyone in the family (?), and the role that mantras play in creating harmony for the baby. That said, even the skeptics would hopefully find some of the recommendations useful in creating more peace in the household, and actively establishing bonds with the baby before delivery. More over, some of the recommendations are well established in the research literature, such as the harmful effect that a mother's stress levels play on in-utero development, but this guide is not going to connect you with that literature or advantage empirics.

Chapters conclude with an expanding and iterative list of recommendations that correspond to the timeframe of their practice. Again, some useful and some less so.

Should be read with an open mind.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the most beautiful book. As opposed to many pregnancy books that seem to try and scare you into thinking everything is a potential problem, this book helps you center yourself and trust in intuition. Self care of body, mind, and spirit, as well as connecting with the life inside you is Chopra's focus. I couldn't help but feel both relaxed and empowered each time I sat down to read a bit. Although I'm at the end of my pregnancy, I'm ordering a copy to keep for myself as the wisdom in this book would be good for anyone, pregnant or not.

[Varuna Khullar · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enchanting read!
I was hooked on to the e-version of this book. If you are pregnant or simply curious to know more about nature's wonderful phenomena, this book is for you. It simplifies the pregnancy cycle in beautiful words and interesting childbirth facts. The effortless role that #meditation and #yoga plays during and after #childbirth is gently reiterated along with steps to what and how to follow exercises in #pregnancy. Information on #AyurvedaFoods adds to the usefulness of this book.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really nice book on pregnancy and childbirth. I appreciated that it was not biased as far as people needing modern intervention when necessary but that there was a deep respect for the body being capable of handling delivery naturally in many cases. The book was empowering and the exercises that it recommends are wonderful... just making the time to journal and have that down time is the hard bit. But that is another thing that makes the book good is that rest and down time for the mom is highly recommended. I think we can all use that reminder even when not expecting.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The info in here is great, but I waffled between giving it a 4 (for good info) or a 3 (for being so densely written and overly wordy). I ended up skimming most sections, but I blame my overwhelmed third trimester brain for my inability to take it all in. (I was also on a deadline: someone else had this book on hold after me, so I couldn't renew my loan.) So, I give it 4 stars and just warn you that you may need more time/attention with it. It isn't poorly written, but it's quite dense and too wordy, in my opinion.

[Shaghayegh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing ground-breaking new, but it was a nice read once I kept my focus on the big picture rather than the detailed instructions and recommendations offered in the book. The main idea really is that the fetus experiences and consumes whatever you do, followed by an invitation to be more intentional about that.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was super helpful to read as I'm going through this process. It's also really nice to have a component for the dad/partner to read. I'm planning to read it again as I get further along with this process!

[Tarah Awai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd just like everyone to know that I am NOT pregnant. HAHAHA I am currently going through a Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training, so I am doing my due diligence.

That being said, this book was AMAZING, and if and when the day comes that I am pregnant, I will definitely be re-reading this!

[HeatRush · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many pregnancy books go through the scientific stages of development. This book awakens you to the spiritual stages and dimensions of pregnancy. Truly a magical handbook for treating your pregnancy like the epic transformation it is.

[Angelica Rojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing book that helped me prepare for motherhood. Deepak Chopra was able to mesh together opinions about modern and holistic medicine in an unbiased fashion. I grew a deeper connection with my baby reading this during my pregnancy.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful, but basic knowledge for those who have prepared for and experienced a vaginal, natural, no intervention birth. Also, I would be lying if I didn't state that it kinda bothers me when men write on this subject.

[Cassidy Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book helpful in offering holistic techniques to practice during pregnancy and birth.
It was lacking in the educational context of pregnancy and labour. But it also isn’t advertised as such.
A satisfying, light, and easy read for pregnancy!

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite pregnancy books, and I've read a lot of them! It does a great job bringing together the results of scientific studies and the more holistic, spirit-based side for a beautifully balanced perspective on pregnancy and childbirth.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first pregnancy book I chose to read, and I found it to be both informative and calming. I really appreciate the balance of science with ancient, intuitive concepts, and a focus on Ayurvedic medicine.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving all this spiritual content for this little one. This books covers a broad array of topics including pregnant mom, baby, relationships, communication, partner direction in labor, labor stages, remedies, diet and nutrition, birth, after birth, breastfeeding, and enhancing the new spiritual journey you and your sweet baby are about to embark on. The exercises in the book was a nice touch and I'm sure I will head back to them in the next few weeks as I draw closer to delivery. Very calming.

I ended up highlighting bits and pieces of them and we read them together. The parts on communication had us feeling like we had just had a successful, transcending counseling session. Communication is key in all relationships but most importantly the one with your partner, building up to, and during this momentous shift in both of your lives.
I loved this. But who would expect anything different from Deepak Chopra?!

[Nandini · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is good for a one time read. My friend ordered it for me..

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected... too much meditation type stuff for my tastes. Didn't finish reading.

[Milly Dayana · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro perfecto para acompañarte y guiarte en el embarazo

[Skaistė Girtienė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Įdomi knyga. Lengvai skaitėsi. Radau joje vertingos informacijos.

[Ariel Sandoval · Rating 5 out of 5]

No es mi género de libro pero realmente me sorprendió. Fue un regalo y da muchos pasos y consejos interesantes sobre el embarazo que tal vez no cualquiera conoce.

[Megan]

I really tried with this one, but it was just too woo-woo for me.