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A Sacred Beginning: Nurturing Your Body, Mind, and Soul during Baby's First Forty Days
Traditionally, the Orthodox Church has appointed forty days of rest and seclusion after childbirth for mothers to recover from the rigors of birth and get to know their new babies. In the modern world, it can be difficult to understand how to use this time to the fullest in the way it was intended. The authors of A Sacred Beginning—a therapist and a pediatrician who are both mothers themselves— come to the rescue with a resource that addresses the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of a mother's recovery from birth and embarkation on her new life. Whether you are preparing to birth your first baby or your tenth, you will find in this book a wealth of spiritual food, comfort, encouragement, and sound advice to guide you, one postpartum day at a time.
- GenresParenting
Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 3, 2024
Such a lovely book to read during the tender weeks after a baby is born!
Read it being aware that it is written from an Orthodox perspective, and includes things like prayers to the Theotokos, but still has so much to offer for Christians of other theological convictions!
The daily topics follow the Ladder of Divine Ascent from St John Climacus. Each day has relevant verses and quotes from saints, a "for the soul" section, and "for mind and body" practice. Lots of encouraging and edifying topics. And helpful tips for the refining postpartum period.
Read it being aware that it is written from an Orthodox perspective, and includes things like prayers to the Theotokos, but still has so much to offer for Christians of other theological convictions!
The daily topics follow the Ladder of Divine Ascent from St John Climacus. Each day has relevant verses and quotes from saints, a "for the soul" section, and "for mind and body" practice. Lots of encouraging and edifying topics. And helpful tips for the refining postpartum period.
December 8, 2021
A Sacred Beginning: Nurturing Your Body, Mind & Soul During Baby’s First Forty Days by Sarah Brangwynne and Sasha Rose Oxnard is a one-of-a-kind comprehensive book intended for new mothers. I was originally skeptical, worried that it would impose a whole slew of pat prescriptions for the post-partum period. My fears were totally unfounded. The more I listened, the more my apprehension dissipated. Here were two mothers presenting a detailed road map, with each day scrupulously thorough in all the different angles and perspectives. Each day had points to ponder. Occasionally there was medical advice. There were practical tips, theological concerns, exercises. I have honestly never read a book for the post-partum period that covered everything from common feeding concerns to making a connection with the Ladder of Divine Ascent and our path to holiness!
The post-partum period is hard and perhaps it is harder still because in this day and age there is very little meaning ascribed to this period. It is hard for the average new mother to manage all her emotions, physical needs, spiritual needs, relationship needs, etc etc etc. By providing a broad framework for each day of the post-partum period, the authors are laying out a rich roadmap for new mothers to consider. The authors have tried to sincerely address each topic from as wide a range of perspectives as possible. And most importantly they also leave room for our own individual experience and concerns. You really don’t feel as if you need to follow a one-right-way method for the post-partum period. Rather you are imbued with a sense of purpose and inspiration. It really makes me wish this book was around when I was having my babies!
The post-partum period is hard and perhaps it is harder still because in this day and age there is very little meaning ascribed to this period. It is hard for the average new mother to manage all her emotions, physical needs, spiritual needs, relationship needs, etc etc etc. By providing a broad framework for each day of the post-partum period, the authors are laying out a rich roadmap for new mothers to consider. The authors have tried to sincerely address each topic from as wide a range of perspectives as possible. And most importantly they also leave room for our own individual experience and concerns. You really don’t feel as if you need to follow a one-right-way method for the post-partum period. Rather you are imbued with a sense of purpose and inspiration. It really makes me wish this book was around when I was having my babies!
August 10, 2021
As a Orthodox mother to two children already and currently pregnant with another, this book is one I could have benefited from with my previous postpartum times.
I love that the book starts off with an explanation of why new mothers are to take 40 days for time to heal and grow spiritually. I think that many converts will find that so very helpful. The prayers that the authors add are beautiful and are a wonderful addition to the book, I myself have and will add them to my prayer rule once baby is here.
I appreciate that the book breaks down each of the 40 days, which makes it very easy to follow. I would even dare say it will be easy to follow as a newly postpartum mama, come on… we all know those sleepless nights! I feel this is just what postpartum mothers need, that encouragement that often gets forgotten once the baby is born. That we are given the blessing of raising a new life . This is some of the most important work as a Christian mother.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to new mothers and veteran mothers alike. I hope to see more books like these in the coming times. Mothers need this kind of caring words and encouragement.
I love that the book starts off with an explanation of why new mothers are to take 40 days for time to heal and grow spiritually. I think that many converts will find that so very helpful. The prayers that the authors add are beautiful and are a wonderful addition to the book, I myself have and will add them to my prayer rule once baby is here.
I appreciate that the book breaks down each of the 40 days, which makes it very easy to follow. I would even dare say it will be easy to follow as a newly postpartum mama, come on… we all know those sleepless nights! I feel this is just what postpartum mothers need, that encouragement that often gets forgotten once the baby is born. That we are given the blessing of raising a new life . This is some of the most important work as a Christian mother.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to new mothers and veteran mothers alike. I hope to see more books like these in the coming times. Mothers need this kind of caring words and encouragement.
October 29, 2024
A collection of advice, guidance and teachings from the bible, saints, as well as personal reflections by the authors (Sarah Brangwynne and Sasha Rose Oxnard) offers a beautiful, must-read book for all Christian mamas!
When I started to grow in my faith, I remember wanting to understand how to directly apply the scripture to my day to day life as a stay at home mother. If only I had come across this book after having my first child!
...
"In becoming mothers, we grow our capacity for love and compassion, and yet we also experience loss, struggle, and sacrifice. It is this dual nature of motherhood that allows for such depth of joy as well as sorrow in the same moment. This complexity can be a great teacher if we open ourselves to the gift God has given us to help us work out our salvation."
"We are God's children, just as this child is ours. In these early days of wonder, we may begin to tap into the depth of love that our children awaken in us. This may give us the glimpse of the boundless love that God has for us. It is in the beginning to understand this love that we come to a place of wanting to obey Him. In this way we also hope to inspire our children, through love, to want to obey us---not out of fear but out of love."
"The challenges that come to us as mothers are chances for us to grow in virtue, to weed out passions, and to reach toward God."
"As Christians we should always strive to place others' needs ahead of, or at the very least alongside, our own. Having a helpless newborn in our arms brings this discipline to a whole new level."
"God in His wisdom starts us out with adorable helpless infants who require constant attention and love to survive. This weakens our ego and helps subdue our passions. Through this process we are broken down to be fashioned into someone new---someone better. We are given these trials to develop the spiritual stamina that will get us through a lifetime as mothers. This is our chance to use the struggle to grow in faith and love as we progress along the path of our own personal salvation."
"God is merciful, and our trials are a part of His mercy."
"That which a man loves, to which he turns, that he will find. If he loves earthly things, he will find earthly things, and these earthly things will abide in his heart, will communicate their earthliness to him and will find him; if he loves heavenly things, he will find heavenly things, and they will abide in his heart and give him life.
-Saint John of Kronstadt"
"The grace of the Holy Spirit which is given mystical to every Christian when he is baptized acts and is manifested in proportion to our obedience to the commandments of the Lord. That is, if a Christian obeys the commandments of the Lord more, grace acts with him more, while if he obeys them less, grace acts within him less. Just as a spark, when covered in the ashes of fire becomes increasingly manifest as one removes the ashes, and the more fire wood you put the more the fire burns, so the grace that has been given to every Christian through Holy Baptism is hidden in the heart and covered up by the passions and sins, and the more a man acts in accordance with the commandments of Christ, the more he is cleansed of the passions and the more the fire of Divine grace lights in his heart, illumines and deifies him.
-Saint Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain"
"Being a mother is hard and wonderful. My children are the most joyful thing in my life, yet demand so much of me. Every day I continue to discover just how much my struggle forces me to contend with my passions and face my sinfulness. Through God's mercy, light is finding its way in, and I feel my edges are softening as my heart grows in love. My hope is that as a result of my sharing this awareness, others will know they are not alone in their struggle and will be encouraged to trust in God's love and mercy on their path to salvation."
"Therefore, don't despair when you fall, but get up eagerly and do a metanoia saying, "Forgive me, my dear Christ. I am human and weak." The Lord has not abandoned you. But since you still have a great deal of worldly pride, a great deal of vainglory, our Christ lets you make mistakes and fall, so that you perceive and come to know your weaknesses every day, so that you become patient with others who make mistakes, and so that you do not judge the brethren when they make mistakes, but rather put up with them.
-Elder Joseph the Hesychast"
"Sometimes, God gives us physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges to help remind us of our need for Him."
"Even in these modern situations, we can apply St. John's advice that one should not join in gossip or negative talk about others. Instead we should stop the conversation by saying, "I fall into graver sins every day, so how can I criticize?" Saint John reminds us that when we do this, something amazing will happen: "You will heal yourself and your neighbor with one plaster." When we offer our own humility and acknowledgement of imperfection, we make room for others to be imperfect too. In this space we can have more supportive relationships with others, especially with other mothers as we all try our best to raise our children."
"Love is something we never run out of; it is truly the gift that keeps giving. We find that in loving our children, our capacity to love is increased; therefore, we have more treasure to share."
When I started to grow in my faith, I remember wanting to understand how to directly apply the scripture to my day to day life as a stay at home mother. If only I had come across this book after having my first child!
...
"In becoming mothers, we grow our capacity for love and compassion, and yet we also experience loss, struggle, and sacrifice. It is this dual nature of motherhood that allows for such depth of joy as well as sorrow in the same moment. This complexity can be a great teacher if we open ourselves to the gift God has given us to help us work out our salvation."
"We are God's children, just as this child is ours. In these early days of wonder, we may begin to tap into the depth of love that our children awaken in us. This may give us the glimpse of the boundless love that God has for us. It is in the beginning to understand this love that we come to a place of wanting to obey Him. In this way we also hope to inspire our children, through love, to want to obey us---not out of fear but out of love."
"The challenges that come to us as mothers are chances for us to grow in virtue, to weed out passions, and to reach toward God."
"As Christians we should always strive to place others' needs ahead of, or at the very least alongside, our own. Having a helpless newborn in our arms brings this discipline to a whole new level."
"God in His wisdom starts us out with adorable helpless infants who require constant attention and love to survive. This weakens our ego and helps subdue our passions. Through this process we are broken down to be fashioned into someone new---someone better. We are given these trials to develop the spiritual stamina that will get us through a lifetime as mothers. This is our chance to use the struggle to grow in faith and love as we progress along the path of our own personal salvation."
"God is merciful, and our trials are a part of His mercy."
"That which a man loves, to which he turns, that he will find. If he loves earthly things, he will find earthly things, and these earthly things will abide in his heart, will communicate their earthliness to him and will find him; if he loves heavenly things, he will find heavenly things, and they will abide in his heart and give him life.
-Saint John of Kronstadt"
"The grace of the Holy Spirit which is given mystical to every Christian when he is baptized acts and is manifested in proportion to our obedience to the commandments of the Lord. That is, if a Christian obeys the commandments of the Lord more, grace acts with him more, while if he obeys them less, grace acts within him less. Just as a spark, when covered in the ashes of fire becomes increasingly manifest as one removes the ashes, and the more fire wood you put the more the fire burns, so the grace that has been given to every Christian through Holy Baptism is hidden in the heart and covered up by the passions and sins, and the more a man acts in accordance with the commandments of Christ, the more he is cleansed of the passions and the more the fire of Divine grace lights in his heart, illumines and deifies him.
-Saint Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain"
"Being a mother is hard and wonderful. My children are the most joyful thing in my life, yet demand so much of me. Every day I continue to discover just how much my struggle forces me to contend with my passions and face my sinfulness. Through God's mercy, light is finding its way in, and I feel my edges are softening as my heart grows in love. My hope is that as a result of my sharing this awareness, others will know they are not alone in their struggle and will be encouraged to trust in God's love and mercy on their path to salvation."
"Therefore, don't despair when you fall, but get up eagerly and do a metanoia saying, "Forgive me, my dear Christ. I am human and weak." The Lord has not abandoned you. But since you still have a great deal of worldly pride, a great deal of vainglory, our Christ lets you make mistakes and fall, so that you perceive and come to know your weaknesses every day, so that you become patient with others who make mistakes, and so that you do not judge the brethren when they make mistakes, but rather put up with them.
-Elder Joseph the Hesychast"
"Sometimes, God gives us physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges to help remind us of our need for Him."
"Even in these modern situations, we can apply St. John's advice that one should not join in gossip or negative talk about others. Instead we should stop the conversation by saying, "I fall into graver sins every day, so how can I criticize?" Saint John reminds us that when we do this, something amazing will happen: "You will heal yourself and your neighbor with one plaster." When we offer our own humility and acknowledgement of imperfection, we make room for others to be imperfect too. In this space we can have more supportive relationships with others, especially with other mothers as we all try our best to raise our children."
"Love is something we never run out of; it is truly the gift that keeps giving. We find that in loving our children, our capacity to love is increased; therefore, we have more treasure to share."
August 5, 2021
I got this book in preparation for the birth of my second child (my first to be born after my family joined the Orthodox Church, so the concept of taking 40 days before returning to church is new to me). The book begins with a section introducing the meaning and purpose of these 40 days that are set apart to allow mothers time and space for their bodies to heal and to bond with their little ones. I appreciated the authors’ attention to intention during this section--this helped me remember that real rest and self-care are rooted in God and nurturing our connection to Him, not mindless escapism.
I also appreciated the prayers that the authors included--at the moment, I’m including the one for pregnant mothers in my prayer rule (saying this prayer has already helped me fight against dark and anxious thoughts!), and it was also helpful to take time to read and think about the prayers for the first day after birth, the eighth day naming prayers, and the churching prayers.
The bulk of the book focuses on each of the forty days one at a time, mainly connecting each day to a passion or maternal virtue. Each of these sections felt like a hug--the authors’ careful words reminding me that my work in caring for such a small human being is valuable, and I should treat it so. Goodness and trust in God will be my salvation now and always.
This is a beautiful book, and I highly recommend it to all new mothers in the Orthodox Church or inquiring. My only reservation is with the authors’ statement that they wrote the book for all Christian mothers--if you are not Orthodox, just be aware that the way the book is written really assumes that you are. As long as you’re okay with that, there is still a lot to be gained from this book (and maybe it will be the beginning of a journey to Orthodoxy for you).
I also appreciated the prayers that the authors included--at the moment, I’m including the one for pregnant mothers in my prayer rule (saying this prayer has already helped me fight against dark and anxious thoughts!), and it was also helpful to take time to read and think about the prayers for the first day after birth, the eighth day naming prayers, and the churching prayers.
The bulk of the book focuses on each of the forty days one at a time, mainly connecting each day to a passion or maternal virtue. Each of these sections felt like a hug--the authors’ careful words reminding me that my work in caring for such a small human being is valuable, and I should treat it so. Goodness and trust in God will be my salvation now and always.
This is a beautiful book, and I highly recommend it to all new mothers in the Orthodox Church or inquiring. My only reservation is with the authors’ statement that they wrote the book for all Christian mothers--if you are not Orthodox, just be aware that the way the book is written really assumes that you are. As long as you’re okay with that, there is still a lot to be gained from this book (and maybe it will be the beginning of a journey to Orthodoxy for you).
August 7, 2021
As a mother I say ‘read this book, you need the wisdom offered to bring yourself and your family peace and practicality.” As a doula, I say “read this book!! It’s more support and encouragement than I could ever offer a client in the 9 month journey to parenthood”.
This book is a MUST READ for anyone who has children or will have children in the near future; no matter how old your kids are, you will find growth and empowerment in A Sacred Beginning. The book is overflowing with wisdom of the practical daily life, spiritual life, and even mental health of a parent. The daily reading could be read as intended, which is obviously daily, or you could sit down and read a day or two at a time and contemplate on the information provided. As I read this book I found myself saying “amen!” as I read words of wisdom I’ve learned myself or learned from other wise mothers in my lifetime so far with three children as a single mother. I also found myself encouraged and inspired by new to me wisdom as everyday has quotes from saints, seasoned parents, and church elders in addition to daily practical advice that was so grounding and helpful; even 8 years into the parenting scene I found this book beyond helpful. Day 31 is an excellent example of the simple daily habits that can shape the future of our children.
This book is a MUST READ for anyone who has children or will have children in the near future; no matter how old your kids are, you will find growth and empowerment in A Sacred Beginning. The book is overflowing with wisdom of the practical daily life, spiritual life, and even mental health of a parent. The daily reading could be read as intended, which is obviously daily, or you could sit down and read a day or two at a time and contemplate on the information provided. As I read this book I found myself saying “amen!” as I read words of wisdom I’ve learned myself or learned from other wise mothers in my lifetime so far with three children as a single mother. I also found myself encouraged and inspired by new to me wisdom as everyday has quotes from saints, seasoned parents, and church elders in addition to daily practical advice that was so grounding and helpful; even 8 years into the parenting scene I found this book beyond helpful. Day 31 is an excellent example of the simple daily habits that can shape the future of our children.
December 18, 2021
A Sacred Beginning
By Sarah Brangwynne and Sasha Rose Oxnard
Wow! This book needs to be a staple for any pregnant woman, especially Orthodox. So I just had a baby back in June and I wish I would have began reading this months before I gave birth. It explains the importance of the postpartum period and how to heal spiritually and physically. This book is written by two women who give amazing advice and tips to achieve a wonderful experience. Postpartum is hard! It’s emotional, challenging, physically demanding and utterly exhausting, but Sarah and Sasha give wonderful advice from different perspectives. Everything mentioned in the book was backed by quotes from church Fathers. This book should be on the shelf of every Orthodox mother’s shelf!
By Sarah Brangwynne and Sasha Rose Oxnard
Wow! This book needs to be a staple for any pregnant woman, especially Orthodox. So I just had a baby back in June and I wish I would have began reading this months before I gave birth. It explains the importance of the postpartum period and how to heal spiritually and physically. This book is written by two women who give amazing advice and tips to achieve a wonderful experience. Postpartum is hard! It’s emotional, challenging, physically demanding and utterly exhausting, but Sarah and Sasha give wonderful advice from different perspectives. Everything mentioned in the book was backed by quotes from church Fathers. This book should be on the shelf of every Orthodox mother’s shelf!
July 16, 2025
I absolutely loved this book! It was my postpartum companion, and I’m glad I had it for my second (and last) postpartum period. Although I didn’t finish it in 40 days, nor did I start it before/on my child’s birth, I didn’t feel pressured to do so. I took my time with it, soaking up all the wonderful words. I liked the premise of the book, following St. John Climacus’ ladder, mixed in with some reflections and practice points. I fully intend on going back to those practice points in order to apply what I’ve learned from this book into my own life. I also appreciated that the authors involved quotes from other saints and church fathers. Each chapter (or day) was written with just enough balance of reflection, quotes, and practice. I recommend this book to all new mothers of the Orthodox Christian faith, and I especially recommend taking your time with it.
January 5, 2022
This book is a great tool to utilize during the prenatal and postpartum period. I am a new certified nurse-midwife and know the period after giving birth can be challenging. The frequent visits for the mother stop, the exhaustion from the birthing process and sleepless nights may lead to difficult times. It is vital to have a great support system - spiritual family, family, friends, ect.
This book provides another support as it shares personal experiences and realistic expectations of the mother, following the birth of a child. It is presented in easy to read daily sections. Importantly, it provides spiritual encouragement and areas to reflect as you rest and recover.
This book provides another support as it shares personal experiences and realistic expectations of the mother, following the birth of a child. It is presented in easy to read daily sections. Importantly, it provides spiritual encouragement and areas to reflect as you rest and recover.
April 6, 2022
Although this book is geared more toward women expecting their first child I feel that it's very helpful for all mothers and even beyond the first 40 days. I started reading this while on maternity leave with my youngest and by the time I finished reading he had already turned 7 months old. Kids and life sometimes keeps you from things. But I found the advice offered in this book to be helpful for all my children and in my attempt to parent them toward the Kingdom. I will definitely recommend!
April 6, 2023
While much of this book is addressing first or maybe second time mothers, I still found it wonderfully encouraging and enlightening through my 40 days with my 9th child. This is only my 3rd child since being received into the Orthodox Church however, so I am still learning so much and appreciated having a more structured “guide” to walk me through the 40 days this time. But I would recommend the book for their quotes of the saints & Fathers alone; I’m now in need of a new highlighter!
May 16, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book and it was great to see a holistic perspective on postpartum in the Christian world. I do think it is a must read for all Christian mothers. The only 'negative' was that the used the word partner instead of husband. They did commuincate why they did this, however I still think for a christain resource that using the word partner is not appopriate.
July 16, 2022
A nice book for new Orthodox moms to read during the first 40 days after birth. I didn't do the activity portions as I usually read it while nursing in the middle of the night, but would definitely try to do that with future babies.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews