Mother-Daughter Wisdom: Understanding the Crucial Link Between Mothers, Daughters, and Health

by Christiane Northrup

With such groundbreaking bestsellers as Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause , Dr. Christiane Northrup is one of today’s most trusted and visionary medical experts. Now she presents her most profound and revolutionary approach to women’s health. . . .

The mother-daughter relationship sets the stage for our state of health and well-being for our entire lives. Because our mothers are our first and most powerful female role models, our most deeply ingrained beliefs about ourselves as women come from them. And our behavior in relationships—with food, with our children, with our mates, and with ourselves—is a reflection of those beliefs. Once we understand our mother-daughter bonds, we can rebuild our own health, whatever our age, and create a lasting positive legacy for the next generation.

Mother-Daughter Wisdom introduces an entirely new map of female development, exploring the “five facets of feminine power,” which range from the basics of physical self-care to the discovery of passion and purpose in life. This blueprint allows any woman—whether or not she has children— – to repair the gaps in her own upbringing and create a better adult relationship with her mother. If she has her own daughter, it will help her be the mother she has always wanted to be.

Drawing on patient case histories and personal experiences, Dr. Northrup also presents findings at the cutting edge of medicine and psychology.

•How to lay the nutritional foundation to prevent eating disorders and adult diseases
•The truth about the immunization controversy–and the true meaning of immunity
•How we can change our genetic health legacy
•Why financial literacy is essential to women’s health
•How to foster healthy sexuality and future “love maps” in our daughters
•How to balance independence with caring, and individual growth with family ties

Written with warmth, enthusiasm, and rare intelligence, Mother-Daughter Wisdom is an indispensable book destined to change lives and become essential reading for all women.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Parenting, Self Help, Womens, Spirituality, Reference

752 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource book, full of information and resources. Definitely an important woman's guide to health. I think that if I had gotten this book when my daughter was younger, I may not have had to worry so much. I love the whole person approach that Dr. Northrup presents. I went to the bookstore to buy Northrup's book on menopause, then saw this book and bought it also. I read it first and found sections enlightening, definitely applicable to my current daily existence. I am now anxious to read the book on menopause that I purchased for myself.

I had to add to my review as I continue to consider this book as the days pass following my reading. It certainly opened many considerations of the relationship I have with my daughter, the joy, the support, the utter specialness of our connection. She may now be an adult, but I, still, maintain a vital and unique role as her mother. I validate her feelings and she, in turn, validates mine. We comprehend one another in a deeply satisfying and complete manner, although many of the facets of her personality are more akin to her father or clearly her own. In my perspective, Christianne Northrup is not only successful in providing rich information about health and relationship, but allows appreciation of woman's roles as females and delight in our bond with our daughters.

[Annagrace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every woman should read this book! Don't let the title deceive you--whether or not you have daughters or any children at all (or even wish to) this book has incredible insight into the complicated and complex relationships of mothers and daughters. And each of us females is someone's daughter. The information on genetic, health, and emotional legacies is really, really good. This is one of the few books that I can truly say has changed my life.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not own a copy of this book but I would really like one! This is a great book about raising children. The author is very honest about what has happened to her, her friends, and her patients, and she is not afraid to give her opinion. However, she stricks me as a liberal so if you're not into that this would not be a good book for you. I on the other hard agree with a lot of her opinions and find it nice to have a resource like this to turn to.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book a while ago but never really got into it. I put it in my "sell to Powell's" bag but then I picked it up and read a chapter. Woah! It was the perfect reading for my Mother-Daughter group. The book is now at my bedside.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really helped me to see my relationship with my mother in much more positive ways.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much more than I expected...and heavier. I had to take time to process what I had read. I definitely recommend for mothers and even for daughters with no plans to become mothers.

[Ana Llorente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historias de diferentes escritoras sobre las relaciones entre madres o hijas, algunas autobiográficas, otras ficciones dramáticas, sentimentales, psicológicas… Es interesante el escrito de Esther Tusquets sobre su madre, por el paralelismo de lo que escribe su hija, Milena Busquets, sobre su madre, Esther.

[Lauma Llamandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really want to give this book a solid 4.5 stars for the wealth of knowledge it presents, the new ways it encourages you to look at things and the enticing way that is is written like an easy to read and well thought through story.

Despite the mammoth size, this is a book I will keep for casual re-reading and recommending.

[Edwin mateo · Rating 5 out of 5]

well this book is a very beutiful book. it teaches a lot of things about spychology and science. I did love it because it is a really enlightening and practical book. Christane Northrup did a great job. I am not a mother but a father and I did love learning about the mother-daughter bond.
I read it a couple months ago already and the thing I still remember the most is the fact that mothers that give birth naturaly without a C cession create a much stronger bond with their children, and that is something I have seen myself happened before. I also agree with what she said that women do not have to a hospital to give birth cuz child-birthing is not a live threatening situation in most of the cases. also when my next child is born i will do everything possible to be there in the room, holding my wives hand so our bond can grow stronger.

[Robin Dini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book on my shelf for over a decade and have been wanting to read it cover to cover. Life got in the way with three kids but I finally read it! Cover to cover with the help of an audiobook. This was such an amazing read. Such a beautiful education in healthy relationships between mother and daughter. The text was both spiritual and educational and emotionally supportive to me personally. Listening to the chapters about pregnancy inspired me to want to be a doula. Knowing that I carry wisdom and experience after three of my own birth experiences, I would love to help other mothers as they

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still working on this big baby. Very good information on emotional connections between mothers and their children. It's not fully mother-daughter stuff... much of the information can be applied to sons as well. Lots of information on diet, stress, sex, and other life issues. The author uses a mixture of eastern and western medicine and tends to diagnose through a mixture of western science and phsychology. The information here is fresh, well researched and well presented. Just a very long read!

[Jostalady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate how much I learned in this book. Notable is that here we have a doctor who researched vaccines and chose not to vaccinate her daughter. That had an impact on me that sent me into a huge research project. In the end, I agree with the author and will not be vaccinating my children. I thank her for coming out about it and being specific about the obstacles that make this a challenging choice to uphold in our current society.

[Tammy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to teach my daughter differently to how I was taught about issues such as femininity, puberty, sexuality, pregnancy etc. This book is dealing with these issues, probably not in the way I was looking for but in the way I needed. I actually think this book is a must for all women to read not just mothers as it is teaching me much about myself and our cultures affect on our womanhood. Loving it so far.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

abridged audiobook
as a 51 year old, this was like a review of being female, and for that I did enjoy it. this process also helped with being the mother of a teenaged daughter - the reason Mer referred it!
worth the time.

[DearMYRTLE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking, and useful for understanding the dynamics between mothers and daughters. Offers suggestions for making the most of this potentially powerful association.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was awesome. Actually, I might give it a 4.75 star rating because some of her stuff is just a teenie bit kooky, but for the most part I think it was wonderful!

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up this and several of her books at USANA convention, after chatting with her at length regarding peri-menopause!

[Sharon Gausch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is far too long and so wide-ranging that it could have been a series. While I appreciate what Northrup was trying to accomplish, the exhaustive--and exhausting--examination of every stage of childhood would be more appropriate in a reference book; it certainly made it tough to read this book straight through, and I found myself skimming a number of sections. She has lots of good info, but the narrative is bogged down by too many personal anecdotes--does anyone really remember virtually every stage of their own life and of the lives of their children in such detail? According to her stories, Northrup was and is a perfect "mother bear", never making a mistake while parenting her daughters, which I just couldn't relate to. Additionally, she has very strong opinions. About a lot of things. The exclusive focus on daughters through all of this childrearing info didn't work well, as so much of the info is every bit as relevant to raising boys as it is to girls. This would have been a much stronger read if she had either focused on our relationships with our mothers and with our daughters, as the title leads one to expect, OR she had focused on childrearing. As is, it feels like a hodgepodge of science and biology, childrearing, mother-daughter relationships, spirituality. I got some of what I was looking for from this book, but a lot of it missed the mark.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had this book on my shelf for over a decade and finally got around to reading it. I felt a little strange knowing the path Christiane Northrup has taken in recent years but thought there might still be helpful information. I appreciated some of the insights on transitioning between different phases of life, healing the relationship with our own mothers and understanding the mother-daughter legacy, and consciously creating a strong, healthy relationship with our daughters. Much of this book is applicable to parenting in general, not just with daughters. I will use some of the guidance on talking with tweens and teens about relationships, sex, substance use, etc. At times it dragged on (it is a very long book!) and she does plug her MLM business at one point. There is no mention of LGBTQ+/sexual or gender identity topics, which absolutely can come up in parenting. Overall I am glad I read it.

[Robyn Obermeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always get a lot out of her books. This one gave me insight into how the child develops and what role the mother plays. I never saw life as a house but her illustration and explaining it really made sense! I think the author is so smart and I admire her intelligence,and even tho I get a little lost in it sometimes I learn a lot! If I ever had the chance to speak with her I bet she could figure me out way faster than its taking me to try to understand why I am the way I am and how can I be happier, a better example to my daughter, and more understanding about my own mother.

[Amal Farrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, full of information and thoughtful advice about everything from breastfeeding to personal finance to eating disorders. The thread running through it all is the power of the mother-daughter relationship and the impact it can have on our lives as women. It is a bit dated, having been written in the 1990s, so most romantic relationships are assumed to be heterosexual, and there is some concerning anti-vaccination stuff that I had to overlook. But overall a very worthwhile and wise book.

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm giving this book 1 star because I liked about 20% of it. While there are some gems here, I felt much of the content was preachy and not what I was looking to get out of this book. It's clear that Northrup needed to write this book and get her story out, but it's not a book that I needed to read. It's a take it or leave it for me; not bad, but not great either.

[Debra Radigan]

This is such a good book and meant so much to me as I am the mom of a wonderful daughter and we share a special bond and relationship. But something has happened to Dr. Northrop a nd she has truly gone Batshit crazy in the last couple of years,

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book screams privilege and is essentially Christiane Northrup telling us how wonderful she is at parenting. Some gems and important information at various points, but the end was so self serving, it was painful.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

My bad, i didnt look carefuly enough at the title stating « health ».
The book only talks about diseases and not at all about actual relationships (emotional) between mother and daughter. It is therefore not what i was looking for at all. I did learn a lot about diseases though…

[Rosanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good, but a little new-agey.
I did like the hardiness factors described on p 588:

Commitment: having a sense of purpose in life; life is meaningful
Control: I can make a difference, I can influence destiny
Challenge: Obstacles are challenges rather than threats

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maar net 3 sterren. Al een aantal jaren geleden meegenomen voor 50 cent bij de bieb. Het is mij net een tikkeltje te Amerikaans en zweverig. Bovendien is het boek 20 jaar oud en zijn er al nieuwe ontwikkelingen en inzichten. Toch waren er wel een aantal interessante passages.

[Lindsay Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Dr. Northrup's absolute best!

[Manuela Figlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is THE guide for mothers of daughters & for young teenage daughters. it's one of the books I will pass on to my daughters when they become teenagers! won't reveal more -

[Julie]

Good. I like it. I hope to read the whole thing one day. But not today. Or for the past month