Functional Maternity - by Sarah Thompson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Maternity functional medicine practitioner Sarah Thompson, CFMP, L.Ac, Doula, shows how the right nutrition can improve pregnancy and childbirth outcomes.

Book Synopsis

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 to:

• Use nutrition and diet to increase natural birth success
• Recognize unique patterns of maternal health and understand the effects nutrition has on the increased risk of pregnancy-related complications
• Create dietary protocols for gestational hypertension, pregnancy nausea, and many other common conditions of pregnancy
• Confidently guide others through their pregnancy journey with research-backed nutrition advice
• Practice on the cutting edge of advanced specialized functional medicine
• And so much more ...

Review Quotes

"Functional Maternity beautifully explains the many physiological changes that occur during pregnancy and the vital role of nutrition and lifestyle in supporting the body's ability to adapt to them. This is an excellent read for prenatal practitioners or anyone seeking a higher-level understanding of functional medicine as it relates to maternity care."

-Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE, author of Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes

"The potential of functional medicine to inform maternity care shines through in this text. Written in a clear, informative style, it provides a valuable guide for healthcare practitioners and those interested in optimizing their nutritional health during pregnancy and beyond. As an acupuncturist involved in integrative maternity care, the collaboration between health practitioners is a foundation of practice. Dietary self-care is also regarded as an essential foundation for health within Chinese medicine. This text with its evidenced-based approach takes this concept further, providing an important bridge into the realities and possibilities of what functional medicine has to offer as part of maternity acupuncture and obstetrical care."

-Debra Betts PhD, LAc, TCM Practitioner, Adjunct research fellow (NICM) University Western Sydney, author of Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy & Childbirth

"'Using Functional Medicine and Nutrition to Improve Pregnancy and Childbirth Outcomes, ' is a massive subject to research and undertake. This is what Sarah Thompson has done. This author has challenged conventional medicine to open their obstetrical training to consider the nutritional care of their patients. This entire book is a challenge to physicians to do more than just instruct their patients to watch their weight gain and prescribe a prenatal vitamin. As chronic disease rises in our population, there is little doubt that our dietary patterns are flawed. The research and content of this book enhance your knowledge on how nutrition, specific vitamins, and minerals facilitate the enzymatic pathways for a healthy mother's body to function."

-Raymond W. Deiter, DO, FACOOG

"This book is a collection of heart-warming stories linked with biochemistry and the added personal touch that makes the information palatable and memorable. The goal of helping other women in their journey through motherhood was not

lost even when handling dense topics like metabolic pathways. I look forward to referencing this book when looking for nutritional treatments for maternal health issues. All mothers may benefit from practitioners reading this book."

-Dr. Jo Nell Shaw DC, ND, CACCP

"Sarah Thompson, L.Ac, is that rare acupuncturist who also has a passion for western research. With infectious enthusiasm, she has thrown herself into really understanding optimal nutrition for moms-to-be during preconception and pregnancy. This book is perfect for any health practitioner who wishes to deeply understand functional nutrition for mother and baby. Sarah bridges the gap in current nutritional thought by increasing the reader's knowledge of nutrition and health. She understands that true health for mom and baby is more than just calories and macronutrients. Sprinkled with fun anecdotes explaining Sarah's path to this field, this book will answer questions you didn't know you had but will be glad you got answered."

-Rachel Blunk, LAc, FABORM, Acupuncturist, and Author of Waiting on Pins and Needles