Introduction to Green Mother by Dr Sarah Myhill and Michelle McCullagh with Craig Robinson
Welcome to this blog post on Green Mother. The full title is Green Mother: Families fit for the future by Dr Sarah Myhill and Michelle McCullagh with Craig Robinson. Published a few weeks ago by Hammersmith Books, my thanks to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review. It’s available as both paperback and ebook.
Green Mother Review
I’m a long standing reader of Dr Myhill’s work. I trial and follow a lot of her advice for my ME. Her work is always clearly explained and includes the science which underpins it. I think that’s very important, not everyone wants to read the science (especially with brain fog), but it should be there to show evidence base. Green Mother covers health for children, from pre-conception, through birth to adulthood. There is advice for involving the whole tribe (after all, ‘it takes a village…’) and great resources from protocols to recipes.
Content
Green Mother covers the whole journey of childhood. There are chapters on reducing risks pre-conception for both parents, fertility and assisted conception. Parents’ key concerns are covered with chapters on pregnancy, childbirth, breast feeding and weaning, sleep and crying. Developmental areas are included too, with chapters on immunity, ailments, emotional confidence and learning. Finally, there are appendices with protocols for foundation of health, chronic and acute problems and some recipes. There is also a glossary, references and further reading suggestions.
Style
As ever the writing style is engaging and accessible. It’s peppered with quotes and observations. Personal anecdotes are given in boxes so as not to distract from the main text. Each chapter is broken down with subheadings so if you fatigue quickly you can read it section by section. The illustrations by Michelle McCullagh are a visual treat and make reading the book feel more attainable if you’re struggling with symptoms.
Cover Synopsis for Green Mother by Dr Sarah Myhill and Michelle McCullagh
A no-nonsense guide to pregnancy and child rearing for those who want to reap the advantages of modern Western life while avoiding its pitfalls
“Modern Western life is eroding the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of our children so seriously that the very survival of our species is threatened. More children than ever are fat and fatigued, learning disabled and emotionally damaged, and the responsibility lies with us. We are killing with kindness in an attempt to provide a stress-free, safe environment for our most loved.”-Sarah Myhill and Michelle McCullagh
Green Mother is for those who want the best of both worlds-to reap the advantages of modern Western life but recognise its pitfalls. This book aims to give parents, would-be parents, grandparents, siblings and all members of the ‘tribe’ that surround a new baby the theoretical and intellectual imperatives to tread this difficult path, the practical day-to-day realities that must be overcome, and the encouragement to do so. The book is beautifully illustrated with 50 of Michelle’s sketches.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this review. If you’d like to see more of our health book reviews, please see our Reading section. We’ve recently covered No Pills, No Needles (reversing diabetes and hypertension) and The Way Out (healing chronic pain).
