Made for This: The Catholic Mom's Guide to Birth
Made for This: The Catholic Mom's Guide to Birth is the first comprehensive book on the topic of childbirth from a Catholic and holistic point of view. Birth affects all of a woman - body, mind, heart, and soul. In Made for This, the Catholic woman can learn how to understand, prepare for, and experience her unique birth in all those ways through the lens of her Faith.
Steeped in Catholic teaching and in an understanding of the Theology of the Body as taught by Pope Saint John Paul II, Made for This helps you invite the One who designed it all in the first place to permeate your unique birth...no matter what kind of birth you have. Topics include: birth plan decisions, preparing your body, mind, and soul for motherhood, the theology of birth, practical guidance and tips for before, during, and after birth, cesarean birth, healing from birth trauma, handling loss, and so much more.
Filled with first hand testimonies from 40 Catholic mothers as well as wisdom from popes and saints, Made for This can help make your unique birth everything that God wants it to be for you and your baby.
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Endorsements
"Made for This offers solid spiritual direction in addition to the excellent childbirth preparation you are looking for. Preparing spiritually for birth enhances every aspect of being ready, not only for birth but also for the parenting of your child and the shaping of family life. This book is a unique resource: the author holds a degree in theology, and she is also a childbirth educator and a birth doula. Her book provides a clear roadmap for your journey of faith on your way to welcoming your baby into the world."
William Sears, MD, and Martha Sears, RN, authors of The Baby Book, The Birth Book, and The Healthy Pregnancy Book“Our Catholic Faith helps to shed light upon the meaning and beauty of all our experiences. From her study of theology, the knowledge gained as a childbirth educator and her own experience as a mother of five, Mary Haseltine in Made for This: The Catholic Mom’s Guide to Birth unpacks for the reader the illumination Faith brings to the miracle of the birth of a new life. This book is a valuable tool to help mothers experience pregnancy and birth as God intended -- something beautiful, redemptive and supernatural. It is a must read for expectant mothers and fathers, for couples in child-bearing years, and everyone who cares about them.”
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Archbishop of Kansas City
“Haseltine has walked a delicate line with masterful precision, bridging the sometimes contentious gap between medicated and unmedicated birth with grace, mercy, and a profound dose of faith-filled wisdom. In a culture which tends to downplay the spiritual and that struggles to acknowledge the beauty of fertility and childbirth, Mary has brought her formidable skills as a mother, a doula, and a careful theological thinker to bear on a profoundly important part of the human experience. As a woman and a mother who has experienced the gamut of hospital births, reading her book brought both joy and healing to memories I had relegated to the very dimmest places in my memory. Stock this title in every Catholic parish and medical practice and put it on your gift list for new moms.”
Jenny Uebbing, blogger at Mama Needs Coffee, mother of 5
“Made for This accomplishes the vitally important task of rebuilding a culture of life by bringing the Church’s rich teachings on motherhood and birth into the void left by the breakdown of family life and disruptions to the transmission of intergenerational wisdom. Haseltine’s engaging style and expertise as a doula combine to make this a must-read book for expecting parents.”
Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, Archbishop of Denver, CO
“Birth is wild, raw, unpredictable—and absolutely beautiful when you allow God to meet you in this profound human experience. Mary Haseltine equips every mom—whether pregnant for the first time or expecting her 10th baby—to enter fully the mystery of childbirth. By educating her mind, preparing her body and engaging her soul, this book provides every pregnant woman a crucial roadmap for the journey to motherhood.”
Edward & Beth Sri – Edward is author of Men, Women & the Mystery of Love, Beth is mother of eight and founder of Borntodothis.org
"This is the all-in-one childbirth book I was looking for but couldn't find during my entire pregnancy: a balanced, evidence-based look at women's options for childbirth, beautiful theological reflections on the sacramentality of motherhood, and inspiring birth stories from Catholic women. I will be buying this book for every pregnant woman I know!"
Christina Dehan-Jaloway, associate editor at Spoken Bride, blogger at The Evangelista
“Finally! This is a book that acknowledges not only the miraculous work that a woman’s body is doing throughout pregnancy, but also the intrinsic value of the child as well! So many Catholic mothers (myself included) have had to lean on authors who understand only partially the miracle that is taking place when God chooses to co-create a human being with us. We’ve had to guard our minds, bodies, and spirits with our childbirth preparation courses and literature because the authors have simply not understood the richness of the reality that is taking place. I am so happy that Mary has written such a comprehensive and authentic book for Catholic women to lean on as they come to understand fully the amazing title that God has given them as Mothers."
Leah A. Jacobson, MA, IBCLC, Founder and CEO The Guiding Star Project, Author of Wholistic Feminism
“For mothers seeking a companion through pregnancy and birth, Made for This offers a wise and comprehensive resource as a Catholic alternative to popular ‘how-to’ guides. Mary Haseltine celebrates the beauty and strength of women’s bodies as part of God’s loving plan. New and experienced mothers alike will appreciate the practical guidance and ways to pray through pregnancy and labor. A beautiful invitation to encounter God in the midst of bearing and birthing new life!”
Laura Kelly Fanucci, writer at Mothering Spirit, author of Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting
“Whether you are pregnant with your first child or your seventh, Mary Haseltine has given the Church a true gift by diving deep into the richness of countless aspects of motherhood. I only wish I would have had this book years ago!”
Sarah Swafford, speaker and author of Emotional Virtue - A Guide to Drama Free Relationships