How to Grow a Baby: A Science-Based Guide to Nurturing New Life, from Pregnancy to Childbirth and Beyond

Written by a nurse, this holistic guide for pregnancy and the postpartum experience provides foundational knowledge and intuitive wisdom to help new mothers support the optimal health of their baby and their own bodies.

Get the answers to the big questions about pregnancy:
  •  What kinds of foods should you eat and how do you prepare your body for labor and birth?
  •  How does movement impact pelvic health and the baby's position in the womb?
  •  How does the endocrine system and your brain change throughout pregnancy?
  •  How does the microbiome influence your and your baby's health?

Packed with practical information and helpful infographics, Amy J. Hammer helps you create the optimal environment for growing a baby and navigating the major transitions in a pregnancy—including nurturing pelvic floor health, the fetal and parental microbiome, and the science behind the stages of pregnancy from conception to postpartum.

By providing vital and often ignored information about reproductive science, movement, and nourishment, this book empowers parents to make informed and personal choices about their pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

AMY J. HAMMER believes in humble methods and solid tools that help readers celebrate and cultivate glorious flavors and meaningful lives. Her work focuses on reproductive health, nourishing food, movement, and the environment. She is fascinated by ecology and her writing explores the relationships between humans and their environments and the impact of this relationship on overall health. Her background in teaching yoga and movement, journalism, environmental studies, and as a registered nurse give her a unique and dynamic approach to health and wellness. Amy lives in the Great Basin Desert with her family, including one husband, two children, one brother named Bob, two cats, and ten chickens. In this arid landscape, they cultivate a thriving garden and forge meaningful connections to the land and their community. When she’s not writing, Amy enjoys doing all of the things she writes about: moving her body, gardening, making food, playing outside with her family, and living life with deep pleasure and always, a sense of humor.


MICHELLE LASSALINE is an illustrator and fine artist. In addition to painting and drawing, her interdisciplinary art practice includes sewing and textiles, papier-mâché sculpture, and performance art. Michelle’s work is in the collections of Isle Royale National Park, the White River Valley Museum, the City of Reno, and the Oats Park Art Center. She was a 2020 recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, and has received grants from the City of Seattle, Artist Trust, 4Culture, and the Nevada Arts Council. She is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree at the Maine College of Art. Michelle was born and raised in Carson City, Nevada, spent the formative years of her art practice in Reno, then moved to the Pacific Northwest where she now lives on an island in the Puget Sound.