Mothering the Mother

“A comprehensive exploration of postpartum traditions that emphasize the importance of nurturing mothers during their most vulnerable times. From traditional recipes to rituals, this book highlights sisterhood and the need for comprehensive care that honors both the mother and the newborn.”

“This wonderful book is rooted in ancestral knowledge and reminds us that to ‘mother the mother’ is both a sacred healing practice and a radical act of reclaiming life for Black women and their families. A must-read for mothers-to-be and the women who care for them.”

“This brilliant, complete, compassionate work clearly gives Black women a blueprint for survival, thriving and holistic joy.”

“Mothering the Mother is filled with the cultural wisdom that we so desperately lack in modern society. This book feels like heart-to-heart elder wisdom delivered at the perfect time to save lives, relationships, and tradition.”

“This is cultural memory made actionable; it reads like a love letter and works like a handbook. As a midwife and maternal-health advocate, I recognize a landmark text when I see one.  I highly recommend this life-affirming tome to every family and every caregiver I know.”

“This book will heal not only postpartum bodies, but relationships within families, communities, and even our country hungering to feel whole once again. Mother Shafia shows us how to do this starting at the very beginning of life.”
 

“I learned everything I know about being a midwife from the powerful, beautiful Black midwives who took me under their wings, with Mama Shafia being the first. The wisdom you hold in your hands is timeless, woven from generations of love, faith, and practical knowledge. It will not only enrich your life now, but in ways that will unfold over years to come, in moments you cannot yet imagine.”

“In Mothering the Mother, Mama Shafia Monroe has weaved together personal narratives, traditional practices and recipes to support mothers. It is an important contribution that carefully documents practices that western medicine has attempted to erase.”
 

“We do not want our mothers just to survive, we want them to thrive! Sis. Shafia Monroe brings it all home in Mothering the Mother: African American Postpartum Traditions, Recipes and Healing. She brings back the sense of ‘yes we can.’”

“Sister Shafia Monroe is an internationally acclaimed midwife not because of what she does, but how she does it. She continually reminds us that that carrying, birthing and caring for a new soul requires that each mother receives intentional care, rituals, and food based on traditional healing beliefs and practices. Mothering the Mother is her gift to everyone who accepts the responsibility of being a part of this process. Thanks to this book, even though Sister Shafia cannot personally mother every mother, her presence can be felt because she is telling us exactly what she would do if she could be there…and what the Ancestors expect when they continue to send new life into our world. Ashe.’”

“Each page of Mothering the Mother is word medicine. Wisdom, practical recipes, talk-story, well-researched facts, prayers, and a deep dive into African American culture, written in such a way that I felt wrapped in a warm soft blanket of love. Postpartum is a sacred opportunity for healing individual women, families, and communities. Mama Shafia has offered up her book, which I believe will help revive the culture of African American postpartum traditions for generations to come, while saving MotherBaby’s lives."

“Mothering The Mother is a timely, extensively researched, and easy-to-read book that succeeds in thoroughly documenting and honoring the practices, traditions, and ancestral wisdom of historic Black midwives in the American South, for improving the postpartum experience.”