Love Letters Before Birth and Beyond [Paperback]

Mary Knight (Author), Mary M Knight (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Pregnancy has its own magic, and like the magic events in many a children's story, memory of pregnancy tends to dissipate, "POOF!" into thin air as soon as the baby is born. Unless you take notes. Love Letters Before Birth and Beyond is a combination of things: author Mary Knight's letters to her unborn son, journal "starter" exercises, and lots of room for the mom-to-be to write her own letters, her own entries, her own pregnant pauses. It's a pretty book, too--just right for keeping beside the bed for those bouts of 3 a.m. insomnia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 167 pages
• Publisher: Single Eye Pub; 1 edition (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965497003
• ISBN-13: 978-0965497008
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,375,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect gift for the expectant mother, February 19, 1998

By 

Elisabeth Hallett (Hamilton, MT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love Letters Before Birth and Beyond (Paperback)

When Mary Knight was expecting her baby, she felt inspired to write a series of letters to him. Beginning soon after conception and carrying on through pregnancy, birth and beyond, her heartfelt "love letters" record one woman's transition into motherhood. More than that, they are the first links of that mysterious mother-and-baby connection.

For anyone expecting a baby, this is a wonderful gift. It's a journal to be used and kept, perhaps to share later with your child. There are lots of inviting empty pages for recording your own "love letters," and insightful suggestions to help you get started journaling. Last but not least, this book feels delicious in your hands and opens up nicely for easy, enjoyable writing.

5.0 out of 5 stars Journaling Improves Your Health and the Health of the Baby, April 6, 2006

By 

Lauren Martin Culp "Lauren Culp, MFT" (Los Angeles, CA. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love Letters Before Birth and Beyond (Paperback)

I was so happy to find Love Letters at the beginning of my second pregnancy, and I highly recommend the journal to all of my pregnant clients and friends. Research by Mary Main suggests that even before the birth of a baby, the best indicator of raising a securely attached child is a parent's ability to create a narrative of his or her own life. The journal is an invitation to focus on your story; it is full of wonderful journal prompts shared by Mary that are honest and comforting while increasing a mother's awareness of what is really happening in her life. We know that the emotional state of a mother has an impact on the developing child. When we write, we improve our cardiac health and our immune system which will consequently provide a more positive environment for the developing baby. I look forward to sharing the journal with my daughter in the future.

Lauren Culp, LMFT, Doula

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for expectant mothers, April 5, 2006

By 

K. Rhoads (Lancaster, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love Letters Before Birth and Beyond (Paperback)

When I became pregnant with my first child, I was constantly questioning my ability to be a good mother. I was afraid that I wouldn't be good at it, and what if I didn't even like it? I didn't "ooh" and "ahh" around other women's newborns, and I never cared to hold one. Was I doing the right thing in becoming a mother? All of these fears were internalized, making me feel worried and inadequate at my impending new "career."

Then I found LOVE LETTERS BEFORE BIRTH AND BEYOND. I had wanted to keep a journal throughout my pregnancy, but I had no idea where to begin or about what things to write. Mary Knight's book gently guided me in my journaling, suggesting topics that were relevant during each stage of my pregnancy. Writing my fears down on paper gave me a sense of relief, to not have them bottled up in my heart. Because each entry begins with "Dear baby," I felt like I was actually connecting with my baby and speaking to him. I felt like I was creating a very personal account of a very special time in my life, a time that I would be able to share with my child someday.

My children are now 7 and 2, and for each of them I memorialized the time we spent together before we met. A couple of weeks ago I purchased another copy of Love Letters... for my newly-pregnant sister-in-law, and I was inspired to read the letters I had written to my youngest. My husband and I had a wonderful time reminiscing about that time in our lives, and we were surprised at how many of the details we had forgotten even though it was only a little over two years ago. Reading those letters together was a wonderful bonding experience for us.

This book has been such a gift to me and my family! I will treasure my two journals forever, and I know that my children will enjoy them in the future.