The Headspace Guide To: A Mindful Pregnancy

by Andy Puddicombe

'The expert's expert. Simplicity is the key with this technique.' The Times

'Do you guys know about Headspace...? It's kind of genuis.' Emma Watson

The best start for your baby begins with your mind

Widely acknowledged as one of the world's foremost experts on mindfulness, Andy Puddicombe, co - founder of Headspace, is your friendly guide in this wonderful new approach to pregnancy, birth and new parenthood.

Whether you are trying for a baby, are mid-term, or have already arrived home with your new baby, this practical and reassuring guide will teach you and your partner how to calmly navigate the anxieties and demands of this epic adventure. With helpful exercises for both mother to be and her partner, Andy shows how to live mindfully and get the most from pregnancy and the early days of parenthood.

The Headspace Guide To...A Mindful Pregnancy provides you with tools to live mindfully during this rare and precious opportunity to nurture a healthy happy mind. Imagine creating the most peaceful environment possible for your child and this book will show you how.

Genres: Parenting, Family, Audiobook, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 18, 2015

About the author

Andy Puddicombe, born September 23, 1972, is the founder of Headspace; an award-winning[1] digital health platform that provides guided meditation sessions for its users. A former Buddhist monk with a degree in Circus Arts. According to The Times, he is also considered the "international poster boy for the modern mindfulness movement".[2] As both author and public speaker,[3] Puddicombe is known for his simple, accessible and secular approach, which has led to over 1 million users of the Headspace platform. The New York Times claims "Puddicombe is doing for meditation what Jamie Oliver has done for food". (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe if you are a big fan of his app you would enjoy this more. I know if Tamara Levitt wrote a book about pregnancy, I’d be hanging on every word. But reading a book about mindful pregnancy from a guy who can only use his one data point as reference (his wife) seems useless. Also, toward the end when he mentioned how pregnant women should eat mindfully and how his wife only gained 15 pounds over the course of her pregnancy was the end of any bit of hope this book had of getting more than a couple stars.

[Liesbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to mindfulness when you're pregnant or trying to conceive. Too general however if you're already familiar with the headspace program and/or mindfulness. I found the exercises in the headspace program useful so didn't really use the ones from the book. The specific tips or anecdotes on pregnancy were not concrete or relatable enough for me. I found the personal anecdotes offputting even - did not want to read about the author's wife running marathons well into her third trimester when I was always super tired and could not keep a basic level of fitness due to pelvic pain almost from the start. At that time I needed a more down to earth advice and really an experienced female perspective... still, probably worth reading if you happen to want to start cultivating mindfulness at that special time in your life.

[Melcat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe this book has the potential to be a good companion for anyone trying to implement a little meditation and Mindfulness during pregnancy. Its format makes it somewhat less intimidating than a full program. However, I can't really say right now if that would help, but Andy's voice is very soothing and I felt a bit reassured afterwards, which is always a good thing.

[Janet Bufton · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you find mindfulness helpful, then this book about how to apply it to fertility, pregnancy, parenthood, and loss seems pretty useful, and I'd definitely recommend it. My four star review is based on the fact that I (a Headspace user) am already convinced of its usefulness.

For those already meditating, the four meditations at the end of the book are useful for many situations beyond the topic of the book. In particular, I found the fourth one (reflective) useful, and was moved by the questions he suggests. It's likely helpful for anyone struggling with grief or loss.

If you're not convinced that meditation or mindfulness is helpful, I don't suspect this book will convince you. Anyone who's more familiar with statistical methods will find the evidence presented from studies that I think is supposed to make the case far from conclusive (the studies are very small, and usually one-off findings rather than replicated results). If you're looking for a book that makes a case for giving mindfulness a chance kind of abstracted from the values Headspace asks you to embrace, I'd instead I'd recommend checking out the relevant chapter of The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had moments of good advice within it, but some of the advice would have been better received if it had been written by the women with whom the author had consulted, not writing it from a man’s perspective. I’d read some sections again before I give birth, but it wasn’t as good as I had hoped.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

More a book on meditation/mindfulness with the word pregnancy slapped on the cover - not what I expected at all. A lot of content was just speculating on how you might feel at different stages of the pregnancy journey, which makes a lot of sweeping generalisations (of course, because everyone has different experiences). There was also a good smattering of the (male) author's experience of pregnancy, how he got into meditation and the basics of practicing meditation. A lot of this was interesting but I was looking for something more specific to mental health in pregnancy (and I'd already dabbled with the Headspace app) so, sadly, I did not find what I was looking for in this book.

Maybe it's just the head space I'm in right now but I kept skimming through the chapters to get to the practical advice/exercises but this didn't come until the last section (which my Kindle tells me was 90‰ through the book!). And even then, not all exercises were applicable to me in my third trimester (e.g. there's exercises for trying to conceive, miscarriage, etc) - it's great that there's a range of exercises to fit different circumstances but, as I only dipped into a couple, it wasn't worth the wait.

It didn't put me off that this was written by a man, however, I don't think a lot of readers will appreciate the anecdotes of his wife Lucinda breezing through pregnancy - hardly gaining any weight and tying herself in knots doing yoga. Unbelievably, he also regales readers with a story of how, at 7 months pregnant and out for a run at a country hotel, she keeps up with Mo Farah who also happens to be out for a morning run. Seriously?! I'm a person who's luckily had a pretty easy time of it aswell but I know that's not common and I feel he's in real danger of alienating and patronising his audience.

Don't waste your time or money, just download a mediation or mindfulness app instead.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book on pregnancy written by a man, so it’s limited due to that alone. While I did follow everything he said on mindfulness, I found his perspective on pregnancy very narrow. Andy Puddicomb is so knowledgeable when it comes to mindfulness and meditation (I’m a big fan of the app), but he cannot offer much to the specific audience of pregnant women. His mention of his wife who worked out most of her pregnancy, ate mindfully, and only gained 15 lbs was the nail in the coffin.

[Teal Baniago · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had this on Audible for nearly 10 months and only got through the first 5 chapters. I’ve enjoyed the Headspace app in the past, but switched to Calm after a while. I found this book to be more or less an advertisement for the Headspace app. Mindfulness DOES work, and it WILL help you have a happier, healthier pregnancy and life. You just don’t necessarily need to learn it from here.

[Fullstackpancakes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why did the male author believe that he could write a guide to a mindful pregnancy without even experiencing it himself? Based on his wife's one time pregnancy, a handful of experts in the field. Push for his app was annoying. Mansplaining at its best.

[Tash Howe · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good introduction into mindfulness when you’re pregnant or trying to convince. Though when it he mentioned how women should eat mindfully and how is wide only gained 15 pounds throughout her pregnancy really frustrated me.

[Lisa Petronio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the beginning of the book but the end really turned me off. There were many references to pain (fear-based?) during labor and delivery. It fell flat in the end.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the the Headspace app, and thus the author of this book as well. I worried this book would overlap too much with the content from the app and was pleased to find that not be the case. It wasn't an earth shattering amazing book, but I enjoyed it and has helped me stay in a nice centered place. The one critique I have is that I had to roll my eyes whenever he brought up his wife. I mean, it's sweet, but also really annoying because she comes across as perfect in non-helpful ways.

Quotes I want to keep for personal reference:
page 98:
Identity is the coming together of many ideas, accrued over many years, which we hold dear. ...
Things are constantly changing, nothing stays the same. In truth, our identity has always been evolving, shifting from one moment to the next, it's just that it has perhaps never taken such a monumental leap before.

pg 175:
Suddenly 'normal life' goes out the window and the mind keeps going back to thoughts rooted in the past, unfavorably comparing 'back then' with 'now'. Once again, we're at the same point of conflict - the one which has so often arisen in the previous months: the intersection between how we *imagined* life to be, or think it *should* be, and the actual experience itself. Life *as is is*. And as long as the flame of expectation is burning, we will continue to experience this point of tension.

...the first time mums who have somehow managed to accept the circumstances, embrace their new life and give themselves fully to the role of motherhood. They do not see themselves as defined by that role, and there is no resistance to the role they are playing in this part of the production.

pg 178: ... 'me time' is with you wherever you go. The only thing that gets in the way of 'me time' is wanting to be someplace else, or doing something different.

pg 184: As my teacher used to say: 'The mind is neurotic. Enlightenment is not about *getting rid* of neurosis, it is simply getting to *know* that neurosis, with understand and compassion.

[Alejandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this as an audiobook because I use the Headspace app to meditate and I wanted to have the pregnancy-related Guided Meditations at hand. I liked that I was familiar with the voice over, but I have to admit I was also skeptic of a pregnancy book written by a men... however, that’s precisely the first thing that the author tackles on the first chapter.

This books gave me a lot of peace not only with the idea of “labor”, it gave me hope for the parenting journey I’m about to begin AND it also gave me some sort of peace with my own human mortality. I’m not joking!

I’m not use to meditate more than 10 minutes a day, and I found myself meditating 20 minutes straight! I’ve listen to it a couple of times, just to make sure I’m taking in all the concepts and that my mind is ready for D day. I know things will probably be totally different once the moment arrives, but I’m confident this guide will help me go through some of the challenges I’m about to face.

I recommend this to all parents and soon to be parents, people dealing with infertility issues and also people interested in awareness and day to day mindfulness.

[Felicity LuHill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is extremely useful in helping you learn the importance of a mindful pregnancy, and guiding you in what a mindful pregnancy - and parenthood - looks like. I think that meditation and mindfulness is an extremely useful tool when it comes to the stress, ebb & flow of pregnancy and parenthood and reading this book really made what a mindful pregnancy is clear. However, I did find a section, particularly the first few chapters of part 2, when Puddicombe goes into detail about the trimesters and eating and exercising, to feel a little bit man-splainey. Since his perspective of pregnancy is very limited, I think it’s difficult to read about these particulars of pregnancy from
his POV. However, this section of the book is when he veers farthest away from meditation and mindfulness, so it’s not surprising that this was the least helpful.

[courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧 Oddly one of my favorite books I’ve read about pregnancy. I was most surprised as it is written by a man, but the author seems to write more as an introduction to mindfulness in pregnancy rather than pregnancy with mindfulness. I wish the last few chapters had been integrated into the book instead of saved for the end as it took away from the closure. I will definitely resort to the Mindful Guided Meditation on the Trimesters as my pregnancy progresses.

[Devon O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some really great things about this book, especially how it challenges you to change your perspective and provides you with specific exercises to complete throughout your pregnancy journey. I do wish, however, that it wasn't such a huge plug for the Headspace brand. I have purchased the book and have already jumped on the mindfulness train so I feel like the book took an unnecessary amount of time trying to sell me a product that I've already purchased.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good it was just hard to get through since I have done so much Headspace in the past. The concepts are repeated -which makes total sense but aside from it being directed at fertility, pregnancy & parenthood it didn’t feel like I learned much new. Listened in audiobook format and love Andy’s voice. However, would love to have seen the meditations sent up as individual chapters so you could find them later

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great audiobook. Definely recommended for those who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or even new mom's. I'd recommend shipping his chapter on eating. He doesn't actually discuss Mindful eating even though it is a great tool. Instead he makes fatphobic judgements that are unrelated to mindfulness practices.

[Meghan Soto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really found me at a great time. It basically just tells you to live in the now and not attach emotions to things that happen to you or feelings you experience; not to get carried away in your head. There was a weird reference to a tuna sandwich, which as a pregnant women we have to watch our mercury content, so the reference was a bit weird there. I liked it anyway.

[James Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting that the cover says, 'Headspace Diet,' and yet the version I read was the same as the title on this review. Puddicombe eschews diet: but the publishers might have changed his mind.
The book has a lof of useful ideas and practices about paying attention to what and how we eat.
It's overlong by 50 pages: repeating and padding like many of these books.

[Amy Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really liked the breathing exercises in this, thanks Deborah! You were right about how hard it is to move past the fact that a male monk is telling you what to do about pain in pregnancy and labour though 😂

[Kate Jenner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a pretty good intro to meditation if you have not done it before but as I've been using the headspace app for sometime now I didn't glean that much more from this. it would be good to have guided meditations for pain in childbirth on the app though.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this when I was trying to get pregnant and couldn't really get into it. I tried it again recently and still couldn't. It probably means that I really, really need to BE MINDFUL, but it's hard! I did get as far as downloading the app......

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice calming take on pregnancy, with some very useful meditation techniques. Good thing to read if you're a worrier or freaking out a little. I found it pretty grounding and useful in terms of focusing on being mindful.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have been better without the shout outs to his 'perfect' wife, who gained only 15lbs, ate mindfully and ran with Mo Farrah while 7months pregnant.
Did like the science and advices and I appreciated the chapter about dark thoughts.

[Wadih Antoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but very enlightening read.

Andy, as always, manages to spin a very mindful and positive view on all matters. He also manages to tie some positive connotations on scary points like pain in a nice way.

Obviously, this is more useful for someone actually going into labor but still a good read for a partner as he doesn't deal with some overall anxiety-inducing points in general.

[Shivani Kailesh Patel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not finish it, but I also don’t love headspace. I struggle with meditation. For mindfulness during pregnancy self hypnosis ended up being my ticket (the modern stuff that allows for more flexibility, not the old school Marie Mongan stuff which is very rigid).

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I like the concepts and agree that mindfulness is fantastic for pregnancy, the execution reeked of white dude mansplaining. I could go on but other reviews have already covered everything I want to say.

[Steff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed certain aspects of the book. Likewise though, with the reference being his wife solely. It’s good to read a variety of pregnancy books to get a range of views. I enjoyed the aspect of how the mind works. Easy read.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read that pairs well with the app.