Functional Maternity: Using Functional Medicine and Nutrition to Improve Pregnancy and Childbirth Outcomes

by Sarah Thompson

Your Science-Based Prenatal Nutrition Resource for Improved Pregnancy Health

Ever wish there was a comprehensive prenatal nutrition resource backed by science to help women have healthier pregnancies and better birth experiences? Functional Maternity is the book you've been looking for. Maternity functional medicine practitioner Sarah Thompson, CFMP, L.Ac, Doula, has culled the most relevant scientific research and guides readers through the dramatic and unique changes of pregnancy to understand how the right nutrition can improve pregnancy and childbirth outcomes.

Whether you are a seasoned health practitioner, birth worker, or expectant mother, you'll learn how Use nutrition and diet to increase natural birth successRecognize unique patterns of maternal health and understand the effects nutrition has on the increased risk of pregnancy-related complicationsCreate dietary protocols for gestational hypertension, pregnancy nausea, and many other common conditions of pregnancyConfidently guide others through their pregnancy journey with research-backed nutrition advicePractice on the cutting edge of advanced specialized functional medicineAnd so much more ...

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Health

464 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 24, 2021

About the author

Sarah Thompson, L.Ac., CFMP, Doula,
is a certified functional medicine practitioner, licensed acupuncturist, board-certified herbalist, birth doula, and educator with a passion for
pregnancy care. She is also known as a leader
in the practice and education of maternity
functional medicine. Sarah brings together
evidence-based research in prenatal and
maternity nutrition with the ideas of functional medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Sarah’s clinical experience spans nearly 20 years. When she isn’t writing, lecturing, mentoring, or seeing patients in her private practice, she can be found on her small Colorado farm with her husband, two daughters, chickens, miniature cows, dogs, cats, and gardens.

Reviews

[Literary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too Scientific and Technical

This author doesn’t know their audience. The book is too scientific and technical for the average person. I read the book thinking it would help us on our journey. Not only did I have to skip to part 2, but I was lost in the over abundance of science and the author’s desperation to prove herself.

I gave it one start for being hard to follow. I’m not sure if this book was meant for other “Functional” practitioners or not but it’s definitely NOT meant for women looking to improve their fertility and don’t have a medical background.

[Nikki Robbins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth the read for a few takeaways and helpful message, but this is definitely written for practitioners. Most of the information went right over my head and wasn’t translated or summarized super well for the common interested person.

[Jess Glass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this should come with a disclaimer to friends and family that I am not pregnant and just enjoy learning about fertility :)

[Stephanie Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential! This book had to be written and I hope it spreads far to educate women and providers in a way that has been significantly lacking. I am both a provider to perinatal women and pregnant with my second child. This book explained things that I knew where there but put them all in one spot to be educated. You can tell this book was a lot of work and a labor of love. Thank you, Sarah for do the tough work of putting it together. I can’t recommend this book enough.

[Lexi Zuo · Rating 3 out of 5]

VERY informative, but it definitely reads like a medical school textbook. I can’t imagine that regular parents will want to study this deeply, but it might helpful for childbirth educators and midwives.

[Milana Shapira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been great but ends up being so frustrating.
1) The author goes to great lengths to describe very detailed biological processes but rarely gives you what you’d expect next, namely recommendations on how to implement this knowledge. She frames it as giving you the tools to start asking your own questions but that feels like a cop-out to me, and makes the book very hard to implement for a non-practitioner. It’s frustrating because I would be very interested to hear how she implements it her knowledge, especially as she addresses topics not widely found in most resources
2) She spends way too much time in the book talking about herself, her imposter syndrome, why she shouldn’t be writing this book. I think this has the opposite effect: instead of letting the content speak for itself by how well she makes her arguments and the evidence she provides, it ends up diminishing her, and the reader is more inclined to doubt her. I bought this book to learn about pregnancy and apply it to myself, not to learn about the author
3) She goes to great lengths to explain biological processes (including the Krebs cycle!!), but given how disproportionately little she explains what to do with this information, it ends up being quite futile. Moreover, I’m guessing she is losing a lot of readers in this process. This level of detail is not needed for the points she is trying to make.

I think the author has some really great knowledge, but the book fails to convey it in a usable way.

[Lily Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was extremely informative and helpful in my pregnancy journey. It has great information on nutrition and it’s effects on all stages of pregnancy from months before conception all the way to postpartum. However, if you aren’t a prenatal practitioner, there will likely be many parts of the book that go right over your head. It did for me! But either way I would recommend this to every woman that is wanting to get pregnant or is pregnant.

[Allison Gowanlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a very informative resource. I have a background at the university level in Biology/Anatomy and while I found the concepts broken down easy to follow and explained well I think it may be different if you don't have a lot of science background. Overall a great take on how the mom isn't just the wrapping for the baby and the importance of our health.

[Abby Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

while probably a great book for my functional practitioner to read, this was not written at a level for expecting mothers to read, comprehend, and act on.

I feel like I got a Speed PHD lol great content and agreed with her thoughts on functional medicine, nutrition, and life changes that can impact our health more than modern medicine. Just may be shouldn’t me marketed to expecting mothers 😄

[Kate Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Thompson has clearly done a phenomenal job researching, culling information, and providing actionable items to improve women's health with this book. If you're a woman, medical provider, or just want to better understand maternal health and fertility, this book is a MUST read.

[Buffy Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book filled with lots of information! Maybe a little *too* science-y at times with not enough story or purpose weaved in to make all the science make sense for someone who’s not really into all that. Overall great information, and wonderful book that all wannabe moms should read.

[Maddie Vock · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is sooo stocked with info but it’s definitely meant more for practitioners with a background/understanding of science and chemistry lol. i skimmed through those technical parts and still felt like i learned a lot.

[Alex Flagg]

Even with a medical background, this went a little over my head. I ended up skimming mostly and then just listening to podcasts that this author has done. Love her work....but the book is clearly meant for providers

[Anna Maria Desipris · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read for pregnancy

Incredible informative and insightful! Her work really helped me understand some of the pregnancy challenges I am currently experiencing. Thank you!

[Alyssa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredibly informative! I stayed engaged, even when I didn’t understand the concept. I loved it, and recommend it to any birthworker or maternal practitioner.

[eristahl1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Technical book, is written for health professionals

[Adri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could find an audiobook version!!!! Anyone know of one????

[Bry Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative book, down to the science, regarding a functional approach to health during pregnancy.

[Abbie Swanson]

I chose to shelve this book to refer back to when I have questions instead of reading through all of it. It’s more for midwives and doulas than for the average pre-pregnant or pregnant person.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fantastic book that provides really in depth understanding of prenatal/ maternity nutritional needs.

[Candice Trasente · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the science, the "why", behind my pregnancy symptoms. There is so much information in this book that has helped me in my pregnancy. It was great to read this book and to also be a patient of Sarah. She is an expert and shares her knowledge so succinctly. Every pregnant person should read this!