Women's bodies, women's wisdom Book

May 2008: My initial opinion of the book was overwhelmingly positive, though I do feel I need to "caution" prospective readers because it certainly will not be for everyone. I focused on the women's health aspects, ignoring the chapters on pregnancy and menopause as neither applied to me. Dr. Northrop couples traditional "Western medicine" and by-the-book discussions of female anatomy and biologial functions with a holistic, soulful approach to understanding why our bodies work the way they do, the way society and emotional footprints influence women's perceptions of themselves and, subsequently, the way our bodies react to their woman-ness. I find that this approach fits nicely with my own perceptions of understanding our bodies and maintaining health in that I appreciate such non-Western aspects as chakra energy and the benefits of acupuncture, but also realize when Western medicine may provide assistance. Also, I do believe emotional and external influences do have an impact on how we feel and that this can sometimes manifest in physical symptoms. With that said, I think sometimes Dr. Northrop takes the ideas a bit too far--it seems that many times she suggests that some sort of emotional/relationship unrest is the underlying cause of physical problems. This could certainly be upsetting to, say, a very loving and committed couple who experience fertility issues. However, taken with a grain of salt, I think Dr. Northrop's messages should be heard and I've found benefit from the book already.

February 2012:
I returned to do a light brush-up with the information after several years and found myself caught by the "Abortion" segment since the Susan G. Komen/Planned Parenthood issue has been in the news lately. Although I generally avoid the subject since I have my own very firm convictions about it, I couldn't help but sneak a peak here.

I wish I hadn't.

I was deeply troubled at what Dr. Northrup had to say about the subject. While I certainly do not want to attack her personal beliefs, I was surprised that she conveyed them in this medical book.

Dr. Northrup believes in reincarnation. Now, I have no trouble with this but here she mentions that the aborted soul will come back another time when the parents are ready (or, assuming the mother never gets pregnant again, I guess the little soul would go to another woman's uterus?) which seems to make the choice about having an abortion much easier. Now, she does not believe in abortion as a casual birth control method and she admits her anger when performing a fourth abortion on a women who is simply careless and that she wishes we lived in a world where abortions are not necessary (and believes in a grieving process for terminated pregnancies). However, she does feel it is perhaps best to have an abortion if the mother feels the pregnancy is "not right" (she is not singling out cases of rape and incest here, but even for married couples who feel that it is not the right time for them, etc.) In one example, she told of a woman who felt that her pregnancy was "wrong" and talked to her baby asking it to leave, but it stayed. Finally, she called the abortion clinic and later that day she had a miscarriage, to the mother's great relief.

The idea that there IS a soul inside the growing fetus, but that it can be aborted without blame, is one I have never encountered before. Perhaps it is not unique to Dr. Northrup, but, again, I found it a troubling inclusion in a medical book.

Moreover, she says that the damage done by carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term is perhaps so great that abortion is the more compassionate choice as the child would otherwise likely live out his/her life in misery. As the wife of a happy and well-adjusted man who was adopted (and sister-in-law to his two equally well-adjusted adopted siblings), I find Northrup's ideas deeply disturbing and offensive and I feel sorry for adopted women who read this section of the book. Certainly I do not deny that a pregnancy in which the child is wanted well before conception and loved throughout the pregnancy and into its young life is the most preferred. But to claim that when a pregnancy feels "not right" it is often best to abort is deeply troubling to me. Adoption can be a very important way to bring a family together, even if it is not with the birth parents. Also, I have friends who did not plan to conceive, and wrestled with the idea of having an abortion, but chose to keep the baby and are wonderfully loving parents. Of course, I'm sure there are those who had unwanted children and did lead miserable lives, but I felt there was not enough balance presented in this book and feel sad that adopted children might read this and think there is something inherently damaged about their spirits.

I do still feel there is some value in other aspects of Northrup's book and feel that her heart is in the right place in wanting to help women live healthy and happy lives, but the abortion segment really turned me off to her "wisdom" on pregnancy and childbirth, and I'm afraid it will do the same for many others. Moreover, I remain troubled by the idea that women's health problems are all based on underlying psychological problems, especially in the case of infertile women (see the one-star Amazon reviews for their feelings about the book if you fall into this category to see if reading the book would be troubling for you). I might suggest Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health as a more neutral and helpful book in regards to reproductive health.

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I've always tried to be a "healthy person" -- eat right (well, most of the time, haha!), avoid artificial junk, take care of my allergies, etc. It's dawned on me, however, that I really have not taken a significant or sufficient look at being a healthy WOMAN. There's a lot more I can learn and understand about specifically female aspects of health, and I like the sound of this book's approach in that it is a blend of Western medicine, holistic approaches, and some spiritual aspects. Now, to find out if it delivers! (And, yikes! it's a really long book!)