Others are sure it's the environment we experience in childhood. But could it be that many of our individual characteristics—our health, our intelligence, our temperaments—are influenced by the conditions we encountered before birth? That's the claim of an exciting and provocative field known as fetal origins. Over the past twenty years, scientists have been developing a radically new understanding of our very earliest experiences and how they exert lasting effects on us from infancy well into adulthood. Their research offers a bold new view of pregnancy as a crucial staging ground for our health, ability, and well-being throughout life.Author and journalist Annie Murphy Paul ventures into the laboratories of fetal researchers, interviews experts from around the world, and delves into the rich history of ideas about how we're shaped before birth. She discovers dramatic stories: how individuals gestated during the Nazi siege of Holland in World War II are still feeling its consequences decades later; how pregnant women who experienced the 9/11 attacks passed their trauma on to their offspring in the womb; how a lab accident led to the discovery of a common household chemical that can harm the developing fetus; how the study of a century-old flu pandemic reveals the high personal and societal costs of poor prenatal experience. Origins also brings to light astonishing scientific findings: how a single exposure to an environmental toxin may produce damage that is passed on to multiple generations; how conditions as varied as diabetes, heart disease, and mental illness may get their start in utero; why the womb is medicine's latest target for the promotion of lifelong health, from preventing cancer to reducing obesity. The fetus is not an inert being, but an active and dynamic creature, responding and adapting as it readies itself for life in the particular world it will enter. The pregnant woman is not merely a source of potential harm to her fetus, as she is so often reminded, but a source of influence on her future child that is far more powerful and positive than we ever knew. And pregnancy is not a nine-month wait for the big event of birth, but a momentous period unto itself, a cradle of individual strength and wellness and a crucible of public health and social equality.With the intimacy of a personal memoir and the sweep of a scientific revolution, Origins presents a stunning new vision of our beginnings that will change the way you think about yourself, your children, and human nature itself.

    Now baby care consultant Alison Scott-Wright, known by her clients as "the magicthis is a step-by-step, must-have manual for stress-free parenting.

    What can be a better way than "hearing" about it from your baby himself? Being pregnant is both an incredible privilege and significant event in the lives of women that are fortunate enough to carry a child. While it's a time filled with wonder and hope, it's also marked by dramatic physical and emotional changes and major decisions. For each of those 42 weeks, you'll get an insider's perspective - that is, your baby's view - on how he or she is developing inside the womb and what changes you might be seeing or feeling. This book is also available in a journal format!

    Lang has put her valuable knowledge into these pages. With this book in your hand, you are on your way to putting your health first and setting your baby up for lifelong wellness.- -JESSICA ALBA, co-founder of The Honest CompanyGood For Baby, Good For YouDr. Jennifer Lang has worked for decades in support of maternal and infant health. As an OB-GYN, activist, and mother herself, she knows the importance of pre-natal nutrition to mother and baby and how overwhelming all of the information available can be. The Whole 9 Months is your all-in-one pregnancy book to answer the questions you'll have at every trimester. Through simple nutritional guidelines, up-to-date pregnancy research, and real mom-to-mom advice, you'll discover how easy it can be to make good food choices for your body while growing a healthy, happy baby.This invaluable pregnancy nutritional guide contains:Information on essential baby-building nutrients, daily consumption needs, and where to find them in foodsMore than 100 quick and easy recipes for a variety of diets--including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free--with nutritional information for each recipe Suggestions and swaps (and other helpful tricks) to combat nausea and cravings Eating guides that outline what to eat (or not) while pregnant, best food choices if you have gestational diabetes, foods that stimulate breast milk production, and much more!-Eating for two- is the most important eating that you'll ever do--and The Whole 9 Months is the most comprehensive pregnancy book to help you do it right.

    Successful weaning establishes a pattern of healthy eating in babies, avoiding the pitfalls of fussy eaters restricted to a narrow diet.In this revised edition of The Contented Little Baby Book of Weaning, Gina includes the latest recommendations regarding breast-feeding and the introduction of solid food from the World Health Organisation and the UK Department of Health. She aims to take the worry out of weaning, guiding parents step-by-step through the process and shares the insight and expertise gained from personally helping to care for over 300 babies, and advising thousands more parents via her consultation service and website.Included in this revised edition:- The best time of day to introduce the first solid food- Which foods to introduce and at what age- Getting the balance of milk feeds and solids right- How to eliminate night feeds once solids are introduced- The importance of introducing finger foods at the right age- Extended parent-friendly feeding plans to take parents step-by-step through the different stages- Newly developed rotating meal planners for older children up to the end of the first year- Brand new questions and answers giving the most up-to-date advice to parents.The Contented Little Baby Book of Weaning is the definitive guide to ensuring babies eat well now and as they grow up and is as relevant and helpful to those parents who have not previously followed Gina's routines.

    Step-by-step yoga postures specially adapted for each trimester, relaxation techniques and simple breathing exercises will show you how to adjust to the physical demands of labour and give birth with minimum strain. From conception to birth, help develop shared wellbeing, with the only guide to identify the real advantages of yoga for mother and baby.

    Covering each day of pregnancy in detail, as well as labor, birth, and life with a new baby, Pregnancy Day by Day is an unprecedented and comprehensive guide that is written by a team of experts and is the one resource no parent-to-be should be without.

    Now this new, updated edition of the groundbreaking work by Robert A. Bradley, M.D., has all the information you need to approach a natural childbirth safely, confidently, and wisely. From the reasons to choose the Bradley Method to the steps you will take as your birth day approaches—and after the birth of your baby—this book is designed to help couples share completely in the birthing experience. •Build better, deeper, and more trusting communication skills with your partner in preparation for a drug-free childbirth•Learn the physical, emotional, and mental relaxation techniques essential to a natural childbirth•Discover how you and your doctor can work together toward your natural delivery •Monitor your weight, nutrition, and your overall well-being during pregnancy•Use natural prevention methods for the most common pregnancy problems•Get the most out of the bonding experience you will share with your baby and your partnerWith its time-tested wisdom, medical soundness, and reassuring first-person accounts of natural childbirth, this book is the “gold standard” of childbirth books. The Bradley Method is an essential guide for anyone considering childbirth without unnecessary medications or medical intervention and to share fully in your child’s arrival into the world.

    A new, fully revised version of the source book for pregnant women shows readers how to plan for a baby, survive tests and diagnostic screenings, emotional and physical changes, and complications.

    William Sears, "attachment parenting" encourages mothers and fathers to fully accept their babies' dependency needs. According to the growing numbers of attachment parenting advocates, consistent parental responsiveness to these needs leads to happy and emotionally well-balanced children. This practical, comprehensive, and first-ever guide to today's most talked-about nurturing style, Attachment Parenting shows how some conventional childrearing advice can be detrimental, and urges you to trust your instincts on such important matters as: Responding attentively to your baby's cries Minimizing parent-child separation Avoiding "sleep training" for infants Breastfeeding according to your baby's cues instead of a schedule "Wearing" your baby in a cloth carrier rather than relying on "baby gadgets" such as plastic carriers and carriages. In addition to expert advice from pediatricians, lactation consultants, and anthropologists -- as well as words of wisdom from hundreds of real parents -- Attachment Parenting includes an exhaustive list of print, Internet, and support-group resources. It's an indispensable, hands-on reference that allows you to confidently and joyfully develop a secure and loving bond with your young children.

    But new research suggests that the foods women eat during pregnancy can have a lasting effect on the baby's brain development and behavior, as well as the mother's waistline. While many books tell women what not to eat, there are few guides that tell women what to eat while also considering that hormonal influences during pregnancy can make it difficult to stick to a healthy diet. More and more women enter pregnancy overweight, gain an unhealthy amount of weight while pregnant, then struggle to lose the "baby weight" after the baby is born. Drawing on the latest research from the fields of medicine, nutrition, and psychology, this guide gives moms-to-be a clear understanding of what their bodies really need and how those foods contribute to the development of healthy and happy babies.

    Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful is a treasury of wisdom, information, and inspiration for pregnancy and motherhood based on the spiritual and physical practices of Kundalini yoga, which Gurmukh has taught for the last thirty years.With illustrated, step-by-step instructions, she teaches time-tested techniques, meditations, and exercises that will help you physically, mentally, and spiritually. In the timeless way that women have passed down wisdom surrounding birth and child rearing to one another for centuries, Gurmukh weaves folk stories and contemporary testimonials into a program designed to help you get profound results in the shortest possible time.The sections in this book cover each trimester of pregnancy as well as delivery and life with the baby. In her wise, gentle, and comforting voice, Gurmukh suggests meditations, exercises, and yoga positions to respond to the various needs of expectant and new mothers as you undergo dramatic body changes. Gurmukh also helps you explore and, when necessary, heal your own history and unconscious attitudes about pregnancy, birth, and parenting.In Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful, Gurmukh gives you all the tools you need to have a healthy and happy pregnancy while increasing your connection to your partner and building compassion and prosperity. The ancient practices of yoga can lead you back to your own power as a woman, capable of more than you ever dreamed. All you need is a belief in the possibility of change and a commitment of as little as three minutes a day. Gurmukh has helped thousands of women and their families find fulfillment through the healing movements and meditations of Kundalini yoga---and she can help you, too!

    Expertly written by Aviva Jill Romm, who has been providing family-centered natural health care for almost twenty years, it guides women through treating the common ills and ailments of pregnancy simply with herbs and nutrition.Aviva thoughtfully follows the woman's journey from baby's conception to birth, describing herbs that can promote and maintain a healthy pregnancy, along with those you should avoid during your term. Her herbal remedies cover such familiar concerns as anxiety, fatigue, morning sickness, and stretch marks. She also discusses the components of a healthy diet, with an emphasis on natural foods. With its detailed information and comforting voice, The Natural Pregnancy Book is a complete primer for the woman who envisions a safe pregnancy as nature intended it.

    Are all these C-sections necessary, or are some of them done simply for the sake of convenience? Inductions seem to be the norm, but are they always needed? Today, expectant mothers are often left feeling powerless, as their instincts are replaced by drugs and routine medical procedures. What you are about to discover is that you have a choice, and you have the power to plan the kind of birth that's right for you-whether it is at a birth center, a hospital, or at home. In YOUR BEST BIRTH, internationally known advocates of informed choice RickiLake and Abby Epstein inspire women to take back the birth experience, with essential advice on:· Positive and negative effects of epidurals, Pitocin, and other drugs and interventions · Inducing vs. allowing your labor to progress naturally · The truth behind our country's staggering C-section rate · Assembling your birth team and creating your birth plan.With chapters such as "Obstetricians: Finding Dr. Right," "Epidurals: You Haven't Got Time for the Pain," and "Electronic Monitors: Reading between the Lines," Lake and Epstein will encourage you to consider whatever your doctor, mother, and best friend may suggest in a new light. The book also includes inspiring birth stories, including those from well-known personalities, such as Laila Ali and Cindy Crawford. Packed with crucial advice from childbirth professionals, and delivered in a down-to-earth, engaging voice, YOUR BEST BIRTH is sure to renew your confidence and put the control back where it belongs: with parents-to-be!"Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake have taken a wonderful and constructive approach to ensuring an optimal birthing experience. Their language creates a 'climate of confidence' for pregnant women and their families, who must make key decisions about where, how and with whom to give birth in a health care system often unresponsive to our needs. This book is like a good friend giving wise counsel." --Judy Norsigian, co-editor of Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth and Executive Director, Our Bodies Ourselves

    Look for The Vegan Pregnancy Survival Guide to hit the 'shelves' in early summer 2011!