Cover of Mama Outside, Mama Inside
A review of Mama Outside, Mama Inside, written by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Susan Gaber.
This book depicts two mamas getting ready for the arrival of their babies. Mama Outside is a bird building her nest with the help of Daddy bird. Mama Inside is a human mama (preparing) nesting in her own nursery with the help of daddy. The two mamas notice one another as they get ready for their growing brood. The two mamas’ babies arrive on the “same bright morning, Mama Inside lets her breath out with a mighty whoosh! And her baby slips into the world.” The illustrations don’t directly indicate the place of the birth, so it can be interpreted however the reader’s family births, which I like. It is not pushing an agenda for home vs. hospital birth. The Mama Outside feeds her babies naturally, as does Mama Inside. Mama Inside breastfeeds and Daddy inside is right there helping her. I enjoyed how the book concentrates on the natural ability of mamas to birth, feed, and gently nurture their babies. My boys enjoyed this book immensely and we continue to talk about their own births and their siblings births that they’ve watched.
I’ve been neglecting my book reading in favor of writing and reading blogs lately. So, I’ve decided to combine them by writing about what I’m reading. Starting this month, I’ll be reading Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen PhD and The Zen Path Through Depression by Philip Martin. So, if you’d like to join me in reading either or both of these books, please feel free. I’ll write about them as I go along and ask lots of questions that should be thought provoking even if you aren’t reading along with me. I learn so much from this online community I’ve encountered. And I look forward to our comment exchanges.
After the events of Sunday night with the very public reactions to the death of a very hated person (who I am not naming because I’m avoiding the search engines) I’m limiting my online time. I realized that I’m pretty triggered right now and I’m working through a lot of feelings of deep sadness. I don’t know what the answer is, but I know that violence is not it. I cannot feel a sense of happiness or even release because someone is dead. To write someone off as evil is to dehumanize them. We all are one, even when we don’t like what we see.
loka samasta sukhino bhavantu
May all beings everywhere be happy and free and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all
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