#Review: Umbilically Yours by Manisha K. Lohia

Reading Umbilically Yours by Manisha Kanoria Lohia felt less like flipping through a conventional parenting guide and more like being invited into the author’s personal, almost sacred journey of motherhood. What struck me first was the tenderness in her writing—the way she frames each heartbeat, each thought, as a thread in the larger tapestry of a mother–child bond. It made me pause and reflect on how often we overlook these unseen, yet powerful, connections.

The structure of the book—Seeing, Becoming, and Being—worked well for me. I appreciated how Lohia began with her own childhood observations of motherhood and then gradually transitioned into her lived experiences. It gave the book a layered quality, where memory, tradition, and spirituality blend together. Her use of Montessori principles and cultural wisdom didn’t feel like borrowed theories but rather like practices she had internalized and was now passing on with sincerity.

That said, I found some parts of the book bordering on the idealistic. At times, the poetic tone, while beautiful, made it harder to connect with the practical realities of parenting in today’s fast-paced world. Readers looking for concrete strategies might find themselves wishing for more specific examples or everyday applications.

Still, the book’s greatest merit lies in its spirit. Umbilically Yours is not about instructions—it’s about inspiration. It invites mothers (and fathers too, I’d argue) to think of parenting as a conscious, spiritual act rather than a checklist of duties. I closed the book with a sense of calm and a renewed appreciation for the quiet strength and intuition that motherhood embodies.

Find the book here.