I found the book an emotional read and found myself sobbing heavily especially towards the end. It is a no frills, frank account. There is no dressing up pregnancy or labour, it tells you an honest story of one woman’s experience. A lovely read. ~ Dancing In My Wellies

After writing two soul-inspiring books, Grist found herself asking, “so I’m spiritual… what next?” Pregnancy, apparently. She and her husband have nine months to embrace a transformation more powerful than any spiritual awakening, whilst simultaneously straddling real life, coping with attacks of hormones and finding a path forward as parents after a decade of doing what they please! Blazing an inspirational, hilarious and emotional trail, Grist reveals the tricks and trails of a soulful pregnancy, whilst also admitting to and fully illustrating the all-too-human moments that can befall any momma to be. ~ Mind, Body, Spirit, Issue 37. Spring 2014

Alice's book is really comforting for any expectant mum. She is so honest, funny, open about all of her thoughts and fears and what is also happening physically. Alice also shares her birth experience and what it entailed. You won't want to put this book down if you too are expecting. It will be like having a personal counselor by your bedside, as you will more than likely be able to identify with so much in the book. I hope this inspires all expectant mums to write a personal love note, like this to their unborn babies. If anyone has a friend who is expecting, this will be one of the best books you could give her! ~ Miss Eco Glam

When Alice Grist, author and publisher, fell pregnant she decided to keep a diary for her unborn child, and then was brave enough to allow it to be shared as a book. Thank you for sharing your deeply personal journey into motherhood. You have shared with us all the trials and tribulations, the love and wanting, the doubt and belief that come with pregnancy, whether it is the first, the third or the sixth. By doing so you have given new mothers everywhere a handbook to help guide them thought the very emotional and often confronting days of becoming a mother. ~ Blue Wolf Reviews

When I first started reading Dear Poppyseed by Alice Grist I was quite taken aback by the amount of subject matter I wholeheartedly agreed with. The balance between male and female is perfectly written. The content focuses not only on the intimate, in depth feelings and developments from Alice herself but also, in a wider scope, on the overall effect of her pregnancy on her family and friends. Alice is certainly someone who has explored herself. It’s clear that she has swum in deeper, darker waters than most. This is an exploration of the spiritually minded approach to pregnancy. It may not be for everyone but for me it certainly struck a chord. I am in the grasp of my body – Alice Grist This quote embodies the entirety of Dear Poppyseed for me. The battle. The wrestle with the physical self, not only in the physical sense but more certainly in a spiritual sense. Alice takes you for a walk through her mind and, while threatening, chaotic and often alarmingly intelligent the reader is made to feel as if they’re listening to her directly. This is the power being Dear Poppyseed. As a writer, if you can engage the reader to the point where they feel they are starting to develop a relationship with you, then you’ve achieved something rather special. Beautiful, saddening, anxious but always with her feet planted firmly on the surface of the earth this is not an easy read. It is a labour of love and by love I mean everything that comes with it. Everything. As a man it’s fair to assume there were some parts that are aimed purely at women but I expected this, and read them anyway. Alice has a voice that stays with you. Her writing graciously hums at the back of your subconscious. For me the most powerful pieces of writing are when she discusses her relationship with her husband. Often pregnancy diaries don’t go into the role of the man, or indeed the impact that pregnancy has on soon to be fathers. With Alice there are few punches pulled. I found myself feeling nothing but relief and recognition when reading about the complexities of Alice’s relationship with her husband. Her words make me feel safe. Normal. I think that’s what every potential or existing parent wants to feel. In conclusion Dear Poppyseed is a pregnancy diary I wish I’d read when Eve was barely the size of a fingernail. Alice is a beautiful and powerful writer. Be prepared to cry your face off when you reach the end. Be prepared to make a connection with someone who has a firm handle on her abilities not only as a writer but as a human. Her love for her new child is immovably exquisite. ~ Dust and Love Blog, http://dustandlove.com/category/reviews/

Written in a personable and instantly engaging way one minute you find yourself smiling, nodding your head in agreement and the next weeping at the sheer beauty of the heartfelt letters Alice writes to her unborn child. Simply the most divine pregnancy book you will ever read. Charlie Plunkett author of The True Diary of a Mum-to be and Baby’s First Year www.charlieplunkett.co.uk ~ Charlie Plunkett, author of The True Diary of a Mum-to be and Baby’s First Year www.charlieplunkett.co.uk

Poppyseed is a refreshing combination of being light hearted, informative, honest and deep. It touched my heart immediately, and is a must for anyone who is pregnant or thinking of having children. Bonding begins in the womb and this book is a wonderful example of how to welcome and connect lovingly to your baby from the earliest moments. I encourage all parents to follow in Alice’s footsteps and write a pregnancy diary, liberally interspersed with love letters to their own ‘poppyseed’. ~ Kitty Hagenbach, Parent/child psychotherapist – Co founder of Babies Know. (www.babiesknow.com)

As a man I find the story insightful and very moving on occasions. I love the depth of honesty and attention to detail which is both fascinating and also makes me squirm. I especially enjoyed the transformations that occurred as the birth draws nearer and nearer, and how the birth took so much longer than expected. The soulful mother has to trust her daughter to emerge when she needs and wants to, not when the doctors told her it might happen. Nick Clements Author of The New Ages of Men and Alpha Wolf ~ Nick Clements, Author of The New Ages of Men and Alpha Wolf

'Any woman who wishes to have soulful pregnancy and birth cannot afford to be without this book! Written with honesty, humor; every emotion and physical symptom rings true in a way I haven't read before in a pregnancy book. Intrinsically, this is book about balance. Balance between the physical and spiritual, the needs of the mum and the baby, the alternative and the medical. It shows that in all ways all of these can be in harmony, if approached in a soulful and mindful way. I laughed out loud, I worried with her and I supported her through her birth even though I knew that her baby had been born. This shows how caught up I was in this wonderful book!’ Colette Brown author of Menopause A Natural and Spiritual Journey ~ Colette Brown, author of Menopause A Natural and Spiritual Journey

Dear Poppyseed is a poignant account of pregnancy which manages to be both grounded and spiritual. Reading it evoked so many memories of my own three pregnancies and made me long to feel those precious first days of knowing and glowing once more. Alice successfully captures the universal emotions of motherhood through this intimate diary ~ Lucy Pearce,, author Moods of Motherhood and Moon Time:a guide to celebrating your menstrual cycle. Contributing editor JUNO magazine.

Writing this through tears! I feel as though I have just given birth, without the grunting. What an amazing book this is. Written in an honest way that shares the happiness, funniness and anxiety of the whole 'growing a baby' process. Describing it as an emotional roller coaster doesn't come close. My advice: if you're pregnant, want to be, have/haven't been, or any combination of nature that may or may not involve having a baby, read this book. You'll be sharing the experience with Alice, James, the bunnies and the cats. Dear Poppyseed, I love you x ~ Barbara Ford Hammond, http://www.barbaraford-hammond.com/

Many books have been written on impending motherhood, but none truly 'get' how a mother to be feels in preparation for bringing baby into the world. All the fears, the excitement, the preparation for birth itself, is covered here - This book is simply wonderful, you will feel like Alice is holding your hand whilst you go through the journey yourself. And, perhaps it will inspire you to write something similar for your own child - a true gift, for both of you! ~ Anna Rodgers, Miss Eco Glam

Dear Poppyseed is the personal journey of a mother during pregnancy. It's an honest account of her vulnerabilities, hopes, insecurities, dreams and visions as a mother-to-be. Alice Grist's pregnancy journal reminds us all that parenting is a rich world with so much potential for growth, even before the baby arrives in our arms. Mothers around the world will feel united at the common threads we share on this path of pregnancy. Mother and child will look back upon this journal and see it as an integral part of their lives; a record of possibility scribed from the open heart of a beautiful and inspired mother. By sharing this intimate book, other parents will feel supported and inspired during their pregnancies. ~ Veronika Sophia Robinson, Author and Founder / Editor of The Mother Magazine