What do you think?
Rate this book
Your Brain on Pregnancy: A Guide to Understanding and Protecting Your Mental Health During Pregnancy and Beyond
An enlightening and practical guidebook for mothers to help them navigate mental health challenges during and after pregnancy—based on cutting-edge science by one of the world’s foremost researchers of maternal mental health.
For women who are expecting, pregnancy can be a time of excitement, but it also comes with the expectation that they are supposed to feel happy and joyous—that they must be “glowing.” The truth is that many women who are pregnant experience troubling anxiety, depression, and stress, accompanied by feelings of guilt, shame, and inadequacy. They are often ashamed to seek help, chalking up their feelings to changing hormones, lack of sleep, or a phase that will eventually go away.
In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Dawn Kingston, world-renowned expert on mental health and pregnancy, reveals that more women are affected by mental health issues during pregnancy rather than after it. While postpartum depression is a real and serious issue, depression during pregnancy is lesser known but just as pernicious, if not more so. Over the course of her twenty-five years working with women and babies as a registered nurse and mental health clinician, Dr. Kingston has discovered that as many as one in four pregnant women struggle with their mental health, and without treatment, symptoms can continue after the child is born, impacting a mother’s long-term health as well as her baby’s development. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Kingston takes readers through the three most common mental health struggles—anxiety, depression, and toxic stress—and shows how common life challenges such as relationship issues, financial problems, job transitions, and lack of support are often the trigger. She also debunks the popular belief that hormonal changes are to blame. Then, using proven science-based strategies, she shares easy and effective ways expecting parents can manage the stress and other feelings caused by these challenges, and actually reverse negative effects to make a lasting difference to both them and their babies.
With real-life stories, easy-to-use self-assessments, and advice on how to talk to your doctor, this definitive and practical book breaks down stigma and gives women the tools they need to safeguard their health and their baby’s health for all the milestones to come.
For women who are expecting, pregnancy can be a time of excitement, but it also comes with the expectation that they are supposed to feel happy and joyous—that they must be “glowing.” The truth is that many women who are pregnant experience troubling anxiety, depression, and stress, accompanied by feelings of guilt, shame, and inadequacy. They are often ashamed to seek help, chalking up their feelings to changing hormones, lack of sleep, or a phase that will eventually go away.
In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Dawn Kingston, world-renowned expert on mental health and pregnancy, reveals that more women are affected by mental health issues during pregnancy rather than after it. While postpartum depression is a real and serious issue, depression during pregnancy is lesser known but just as pernicious, if not more so. Over the course of her twenty-five years working with women and babies as a registered nurse and mental health clinician, Dr. Kingston has discovered that as many as one in four pregnant women struggle with their mental health, and without treatment, symptoms can continue after the child is born, impacting a mother’s long-term health as well as her baby’s development. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Kingston takes readers through the three most common mental health struggles—anxiety, depression, and toxic stress—and shows how common life challenges such as relationship issues, financial problems, job transitions, and lack of support are often the trigger. She also debunks the popular belief that hormonal changes are to blame. Then, using proven science-based strategies, she shares easy and effective ways expecting parents can manage the stress and other feelings caused by these challenges, and actually reverse negative effects to make a lasting difference to both them and their babies.
With real-life stories, easy-to-use self-assessments, and advice on how to talk to your doctor, this definitive and practical book breaks down stigma and gives women the tools they need to safeguard their health and their baby’s health for all the milestones to come.
256 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2024
41 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 7, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced electronic copy (and a physical copy) of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This work of nonfiction does the research on mental health during pregnancy, bringing attention to the realities of anxiety and depression outside of the commonly discussed postpartum period.
This book as a whole is validating as someone who struggles with their mental health and wants to become pregnant while also being concerned about what that might look like. There are lots of potential options for care shared here, and as it's research based, it's great to be able to say "it's not just in my head."
Definitely recommend for those trying to conceive or wanting to support someone who is.
This work of nonfiction does the research on mental health during pregnancy, bringing attention to the realities of anxiety and depression outside of the commonly discussed postpartum period.
This book as a whole is validating as someone who struggles with their mental health and wants to become pregnant while also being concerned about what that might look like. There are lots of potential options for care shared here, and as it's research based, it's great to be able to say "it's not just in my head."
Definitely recommend for those trying to conceive or wanting to support someone who is.
August 14, 2024
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC!
I typically don’t read a lot of non-fiction and prefer to stay in Fantasy worlds, but I am currently pregnant with twins (in my second trimester) and I found this to be a very helpful read.
I enjoyed the self assessment quizzes and I liked that chapter 7, “Building Brain Health” actually had some unique practical solutions to try. Yes, deep breathing was of course listed but there were also some unexpected exercises to try.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is expecting and could use a guide book on reclaiming your mental health during pregnancy.
I typically don’t read a lot of non-fiction and prefer to stay in Fantasy worlds, but I am currently pregnant with twins (in my second trimester) and I found this to be a very helpful read.
I enjoyed the self assessment quizzes and I liked that chapter 7, “Building Brain Health” actually had some unique practical solutions to try. Yes, deep breathing was of course listed but there were also some unexpected exercises to try.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is expecting and could use a guide book on reclaiming your mental health during pregnancy.
Read
October 19, 2024In this book Dr Dawn Kingston, an award-winning researcher and mental health clinician who has worked in many universities across Canada, offers a number of insights and additional resources that I was very happy to have come across.
Mental Health: A New Perspective
The book is divided into eight chapters and though the focus is pregnant women and new mothers, I loved that each chapter has content that someone new to reading about mental health, depression and anxiety would also find helpful.
A glaring shortcoming that Dr Kingston exposes through this book is the focus on postpartum depression in new mothers when there is evidence that the signs for depression can often be prevalent during pregnancy. In the Canadian healthcare system, pregnancy is a time of frequent check-ins with a medical team. I see my maternity clinic monthly until week 28 after which the appointments will become biweekly and after week 36, they will see me weekly until the baby is born. These 15-30 min appointments focus on the physiological measures of my health – weight and blood pressure, and later blood work related to gestational diabetes. There isn’t a mental health professional who I can turn to readily, even though I know one would be available when I need it. Dr Kingston questions this practice of only focusing on the body and not the mind when it is well known that pregnancy is a time of transition like no other. In a system that does not focus on mental health, books like this one are important to give people the tools and information they seek.
Hormones take a lot of blame for the changing body and mood in pregnancy and Your Brain on Pregnancy addresses this belief from the very start. The book is centred around the paradigm that mental health issues are caused by brain and nervous system dysregulation. There are techniques like counseling and talk therapy that have existed for a long time to address mental illness but the takeaway that Dr Kingston wants to drive home is that nervous system regulation is a great way to build our unique toolkit. I loved that singing featured on one of the lists and its effect on improving mental health was talked about.
The Causes and Risk Factors for Depression, Anxiety and Extreme Stress
As a pregnant person, two words that come up a lot are ‘postpartum depression’. My worrying brain wanted to know if I would get it, how would I know I had it and, of course, could I do something to not get it? Family and friends tell me I will be ok and I want to believe them but I just don’t know. Your Brain on Pregnancy is the first book that laid out the causes and risk factors for depression, anxiety and extreme stress for me. The three main causes of negative impacts on our mental health that lead to manifestation of an illness are
A dysregulated nervous system
Genetics
Personality traits
The section on Personality traits was fascinating as it also talked about perfectionism and how it develops in us.
In terms of risk factors, things that allows the causes to grow are:
relationship trouble
toxic stress in the year before pregnancy
a history of mental health problems
lack of support
Learning about causes and risk factors was very helpful to me. It let me logically evaluate whether my fears around depression are valid and the support I have in place that will help me. Through stories and self-assessment tools, the book provides a number of questionnaires and how to interpret them. Some assessments included are ACEs Questionnaire, The Maternity Social Support Scale, The Brief Resilience Scale and The Recent Life Changes Questionnaire. There is a recommendation to return to each self-assessment during pregnancy and postpartum.
‘Anxiety’ is one of those words that I have used in everyday life, mimicking how friends and family use it, without quite understanding what it means. Your Brain on Pregnancy makes a distinction between anxiety and worry. It also outlines how mood swings different from depression. I am grateful to finally know what these conditions feel like and being able to check myself.
Your Brain on Pregnancy was an easy read for me. I found a plethora of information and had that bittersweet feeling at the end when my journey with this book was over. I learned so much and now I go out and use the strategies and return to the pages I bookmarked. I am glad to have read it.
Whether you are new to mental health around pregnancy and postpartum or wanting to learn the latest research, I am sure you will find something new here.
Many thanks to the publisher for an advanced review copy of this book.
This review was first published on my blog as the Non-Fiction feature of September 2024.
- Kriti, Armed with A Book | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Mental Health: A New Perspective
The book is divided into eight chapters and though the focus is pregnant women and new mothers, I loved that each chapter has content that someone new to reading about mental health, depression and anxiety would also find helpful.
A glaring shortcoming that Dr Kingston exposes through this book is the focus on postpartum depression in new mothers when there is evidence that the signs for depression can often be prevalent during pregnancy. In the Canadian healthcare system, pregnancy is a time of frequent check-ins with a medical team. I see my maternity clinic monthly until week 28 after which the appointments will become biweekly and after week 36, they will see me weekly until the baby is born. These 15-30 min appointments focus on the physiological measures of my health – weight and blood pressure, and later blood work related to gestational diabetes. There isn’t a mental health professional who I can turn to readily, even though I know one would be available when I need it. Dr Kingston questions this practice of only focusing on the body and not the mind when it is well known that pregnancy is a time of transition like no other. In a system that does not focus on mental health, books like this one are important to give people the tools and information they seek.
Hormones take a lot of blame for the changing body and mood in pregnancy and Your Brain on Pregnancy addresses this belief from the very start. The book is centred around the paradigm that mental health issues are caused by brain and nervous system dysregulation. There are techniques like counseling and talk therapy that have existed for a long time to address mental illness but the takeaway that Dr Kingston wants to drive home is that nervous system regulation is a great way to build our unique toolkit. I loved that singing featured on one of the lists and its effect on improving mental health was talked about.
The Causes and Risk Factors for Depression, Anxiety and Extreme Stress
As a pregnant person, two words that come up a lot are ‘postpartum depression’. My worrying brain wanted to know if I would get it, how would I know I had it and, of course, could I do something to not get it? Family and friends tell me I will be ok and I want to believe them but I just don’t know. Your Brain on Pregnancy is the first book that laid out the causes and risk factors for depression, anxiety and extreme stress for me. The three main causes of negative impacts on our mental health that lead to manifestation of an illness are
A dysregulated nervous system
Genetics
Personality traits
The section on Personality traits was fascinating as it also talked about perfectionism and how it develops in us.
In terms of risk factors, things that allows the causes to grow are:
relationship trouble
toxic stress in the year before pregnancy
a history of mental health problems
lack of support
Learning about causes and risk factors was very helpful to me. It let me logically evaluate whether my fears around depression are valid and the support I have in place that will help me. Through stories and self-assessment tools, the book provides a number of questionnaires and how to interpret them. Some assessments included are ACEs Questionnaire, The Maternity Social Support Scale, The Brief Resilience Scale and The Recent Life Changes Questionnaire. There is a recommendation to return to each self-assessment during pregnancy and postpartum.
‘Anxiety’ is one of those words that I have used in everyday life, mimicking how friends and family use it, without quite understanding what it means. Your Brain on Pregnancy makes a distinction between anxiety and worry. It also outlines how mood swings different from depression. I am grateful to finally know what these conditions feel like and being able to check myself.
Your Brain on Pregnancy was an easy read for me. I found a plethora of information and had that bittersweet feeling at the end when my journey with this book was over. I learned so much and now I go out and use the strategies and return to the pages I bookmarked. I am glad to have read it.
Whether you are new to mental health around pregnancy and postpartum or wanting to learn the latest research, I am sure you will find something new here.
Many thanks to the publisher for an advanced review copy of this book.
This review was first published on my blog as the Non-Fiction feature of September 2024.
- Kriti, Armed with A Book | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
January 27, 2025
“Today, we understand that the prenatal environment has the potential to rewire the unborn baby’s brain and body systems so that they are more prone to a mental health problem, and this rewiring can begin when the fertilized egg is only days old.” - Dr. Dawn Kingston. Thank you to @simonschusterca for the advanced readers copy of “Your Brain On Pregnancy”. This is a book that needed to be written. Mother’s mental health care is seriously lacking. I see it every day during my work as a doula and I can’t help but wonder if my daughter’s autism and regulatory system could have been prevented had my pregnancy been less stressful and my mental health looked out for. Although I cannot go back in time, the strategies laid out in this book will be implemented for myself, my family and my client’s for many years forward. This book is well researched and compassionately written so that mothers like myself do not feel any more guilt than we already do. I only wish the book provided more information on The Safe and Sound Protocol. I have been searching for years for a service provider in our area and the way it was foreshadowed in this book made me feel like I would learn a lot more then the few sentences that were actually written on the topic. That being, I will still be seeking out this type of support, as well as many others and referring my clients and fellow mom friends to this novel and this important topic. “One focus here has been to lay a foundation based on the neurobiology of perinatal mental health so that we can reclaim the conversation of what it means to have prenatal depression, anxiety, and stress from one of stigma and shame to the empowerment and hope that neuroplasticity offers us.”
May 10, 2025
This is the privileged woman's guide to mental health during pregnancy. I was hoping for more.
First of all, I was hoping that it would talk more about the experience of pregnancy and how it can be overwhelming and isolating. Instead, it really just focused on mental health in general, and gave stats about how women struggle with mental illness during pregnancy.
This book is accessible and easy to read, so I'll give it that! But it doesn't take into account the societal pressures that mothers have, and talks about perfectionism more as a personal challenge to be overcome.
And like I said before, I believe this book will only resonate with women who are privileged enough to have positive support systems, jobs, homes, etc. I found that it simplified stress and how to manage it. She essentially says that by deep breathing and having good sleep and low stress, techniques she says are "simple to manage," you can take control of your mental health. While not necessarily untrue, it ignores stress of poverty, housing insecurity, domestic violence, single motherhood, living in war torn neighbourhoods, racism, etc.
As a final thought, she talks about the Safe and Sound Protocol repeatedly in one chapter (saying "if you're struggling, just do this protocol that I talk about in chapter 7"). When I got to chapter 7, I came to find out that she writes only one short paragraph about this Protocol and does not actually describe how to complete the protocol. I had to Google it. I wish that she would have gone more in depth about this protocol, since she seemed to rely so heavily on it.
First of all, I was hoping that it would talk more about the experience of pregnancy and how it can be overwhelming and isolating. Instead, it really just focused on mental health in general, and gave stats about how women struggle with mental illness during pregnancy.
This book is accessible and easy to read, so I'll give it that! But it doesn't take into account the societal pressures that mothers have, and talks about perfectionism more as a personal challenge to be overcome.
And like I said before, I believe this book will only resonate with women who are privileged enough to have positive support systems, jobs, homes, etc. I found that it simplified stress and how to manage it. She essentially says that by deep breathing and having good sleep and low stress, techniques she says are "simple to manage," you can take control of your mental health. While not necessarily untrue, it ignores stress of poverty, housing insecurity, domestic violence, single motherhood, living in war torn neighbourhoods, racism, etc.
As a final thought, she talks about the Safe and Sound Protocol repeatedly in one chapter (saying "if you're struggling, just do this protocol that I talk about in chapter 7"). When I got to chapter 7, I came to find out that she writes only one short paragraph about this Protocol and does not actually describe how to complete the protocol. I had to Google it. I wish that she would have gone more in depth about this protocol, since she seemed to rely so heavily on it.
September 17, 2024
I am still trying to understand all of the changes that my body and mind went through during each of my pregnancies. Even though I am done having kids, I am still eager to learn more about how I was impacted, and continue to be affected by, all that my body went through.
This book does an excellent job of looking at maternal mental health and the unique struggles that women face during pregnancy and beyond. It outlines various triggers and vulnerabilities and offers up VERY helpful advice for regulating your nervous system as well as working through anxiety and depression. The author does this all in a particularly kind and compassionate manner. In fact, I think this was the most helpful book I have ever read regarding anxiety during pregnancy and in general (which I have a lot of and always need help with!!). Great resource for pregnancy and beyond!
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC!
This book does an excellent job of looking at maternal mental health and the unique struggles that women face during pregnancy and beyond. It outlines various triggers and vulnerabilities and offers up VERY helpful advice for regulating your nervous system as well as working through anxiety and depression. The author does this all in a particularly kind and compassionate manner. In fact, I think this was the most helpful book I have ever read regarding anxiety during pregnancy and in general (which I have a lot of and always need help with!!). Great resource for pregnancy and beyond!
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC!
November 21, 2025
I read this book over the course of 26 hours — it is no incredibly good! Coming into it as someone who is not currently pregnant but who hopes to be down the road, I can vouch that this is a good book not only for people considering mental health and pregnancy but hoping to understand mental health in general. The second chapter would be a great read for ANYONE struggling with mental health. This book has a plethora of information and is written in a trustworthy and understandable way.
I will definitely be buying the book (started with a library loan), giving it a reread, and turning back to it in the future. It is full of practices to regulate the nervous system that can start being used right away. It also has lots of self-evals that can be helpful to take at various times in one’s life (especially but not solely on the journey of pregnancy and motherhood).
I hope anyone who struggles with mental health and is or hopes to get pregnant will read this book.
I will definitely be buying the book (started with a library loan), giving it a reread, and turning back to it in the future. It is full of practices to regulate the nervous system that can start being used right away. It also has lots of self-evals that can be helpful to take at various times in one’s life (especially but not solely on the journey of pregnancy and motherhood).
I hope anyone who struggles with mental health and is or hopes to get pregnant will read this book.
July 3, 2025
I was expecting this book to be more about your hormones during different stages of pregnancy (which is my bad for not reading the chapter names before buying it lol) and instead it is more about depression, anxiety, stress, and finding positive coping skills. I did like the questionaries throughout the book that can be used throughout and after pregnancy to check-in with yourself if you may need more mental health support. as a therapist, I knew a lot of information in this book already so it wasn’t super helpful to me… however if you do not have a background in mental health, I think this book can be very helpful :)
October 21, 2024
This book isn’t what I expected. I was hoping for some neuroscience - what changes happen in the brain during pregnancy and postpartum. Structure, function, neurotransmitters, etc. maybe there isn’t much research about that - I’m not sure.
I was not expecting the book to be entirely information about mental health and mental health strategies. I’m a therapist and already knew most of this stuff - had I realized what it was really about, I wouldn’t have bought it.
I do think maybe it’s in me for not realizing, and the information there is generally helpful.
I was not expecting the book to be entirely information about mental health and mental health strategies. I’m a therapist and already knew most of this stuff - had I realized what it was really about, I wouldn’t have bought it.
I do think maybe it’s in me for not realizing, and the information there is generally helpful.
November 30, 2025
This book should be a must-read during pregnancy. I wish I would have picked it up sooner! Expecting a baby is a period of so much transition, and the emotions hit hard and unexpectedly at times. This book is well-researched, with tactical tools to help improve your mental health during pregnancy and beyond. I do wish I had the physical copy instead of the Kindle version, because there are a lot of self-assessments that were difficult to view on Kindle. But overall, it’s a super useful tool and great info!
July 26, 2024
To anyone who may be expecting or currently postpartum, this book is a practical guide to navigating your mental health during this time. This book in particular focuses on any unexpected feelings of anxiety, depression and stress during pregnancy. It debunks the theory of blaming this on hormones and provides science base strategies, resources and tools.
Thank you @simonschusterca for gifting us a copy of this book!
Thank you @simonschusterca for gifting us a copy of this book!
June 16, 2025
I thought this book was based on the workings of the brain during pregnancy and was a little surprised it was more on the workings of anxiety, stress, and depression. It did give some tools to help through pregnancy and beyond and some good research on the effects of medication, therapy, and other ways to deal with the stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression before, during and after pregnancy.
December 13, 2024
Just finished reading this and, as an expecting mom, this guide was a revelation! Understanding the mental and emotional changes happening to me during pregnancy is empowering.
It’s all about protecting my mental health and nurturing my well-being for me and my baby. A huge thank you to the publisher for gifting me this copy. Highly recommend for all the mamas-to-be out there!
It’s all about protecting my mental health and nurturing my well-being for me and my baby. A huge thank you to the publisher for gifting me this copy. Highly recommend for all the mamas-to-be out there!
March 7, 2024
Very excited to be the publicist for this one! This is the book I wish I had when I was pregnant. Answers all the questions that go unanswered in terms of women's mental health during one of the most important times of their lives, pregnancy.
June 5, 2025
Great practical strategies and information for pregnant folks who suffer from mental health issues or are perhaps worried about this element of pregnancy and passing on stress to the baby. A very interesting read.
June 28, 2025
Pretty interesting information but a lot of repetition and not a lot of time dedicated to ways to improve your mental health during pregnancy.
It also didn’t take into account much about the experience of pregnancy on the body causing mental distress which I was hoping to get into.
It also didn’t take into account much about the experience of pregnancy on the body causing mental distress which I was hoping to get into.
September 5, 2025
interesting perspectives on mental health changes possible during pregnancy, but quite limited in scope to the “easier” parts - depression, anxiety, stress. also feels geared mostly towards pregnant people who have little or no history of mental illness either.
September 21, 2025
An insightful and helpful book not only for mental health and wellness during pregnancy but beyond. Provided practical tips and tricks for home self assessment as well as different options for treatment. Would recommend for any woman regardless if pregnant or not!
August 11, 2024
This is the pre-publication endorsement I provided to the publisher after reading a pre-publication copy of this book.
“A wise and compassionate guide to safeguarding your mental health before, during, and after pregnancy. The key takeaway message? If you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, and stress, help is available. Pregnancy doesn’t have to be this hard.”
“A wise and compassionate guide to safeguarding your mental health before, during, and after pregnancy. The key takeaway message? If you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, and stress, help is available. Pregnancy doesn’t have to be this hard.”
November 11, 2024
Liked: comprehensive, science minded. Disliked: had to break up reading.
March 22, 2025
Easy to read and science based. Would recommend to all those expecting.
May 11, 2025
A great overview of mental health during and after pregnancy
May 13, 2025
Highly recommend to anyone who is thinking about maybe having kids, and even anyone who just wants some info on mental health, particularly in women.
May 27, 2025
Extremely important! Useful information on brain health and regulation whether you are pregnant or not! Easy to read, useful metrics and discussion of mental health and finding the support you need.
Read
September 4, 2025Didn’t feel like I needed this information during this pregnancy.
October 21, 2025
I thought this would give more insight into the processes that go on during pregnancy, to help you understand what's going on in your body and brain.
I was missing that.
I was missing that.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews