Move over Lamaze and Bradley! Already taking the west coast by storm, the McMoyler Method offers a modern, medically savvy approach to labor and delivery that addresses the hopes and fears of todays about helping moms cope, involving partners every step of the way, and working with doctors and nurses for the best birth-no matter how it happens.

    The first handbook for the paoidly growing number of American women choosing single motherhood, written by the director of the national organization, Single Mothers by Choice.

    The Nursing Mother’s Companion has been among the best-selling books on breastfeeding for 25 years, and is respected and recommended by professionals and well loved by new parents for its encouraging and accessible style. Kathleen Huggins equips breastfeeding mothers with all the information they need to overcome potential difficulties and nurse their babies successfully from the first week through the toddler years, or somewhere in between.   This fully updated and extensively revised edition provides new information on topics such as:• Nursing after a cesarean• How to resume breastfeeding after weaning (relactation)• Nursing a “near-term” (3–to–5 weeks premature) baby• Treating postpartum headaches and nausea• Nutritional supplements to alleviate postpartum depression• Sharing a baby with baby (co-sleeping) and the risk of SIDS• Introducing solid foods• Expressing, storing, and feeding breast milk• Reviews of breast pumps   Readers will also find Huggins’s indispensable problem-solving “survival guides,” set off by colored bands on the pages for quick reference, as well as appendices on determining baby’s milk needs in the first six weeks and the safety of various drugs during breast-feeding. Now more than ever, The Nursing Mother’s Companion is the go-to guide every new mother should have at hand.

    Written for mothers and fathers, obstetricians, nurses, midwives, scientists, insurance professionals, and anyone contemplating having a child, this passionate exposé documents how, in the most expensive maternity care system in the world, women have lost control over childbirth and what the disturbing results of this phenomenon have been. Born in the USA examines issues including midwifery and the safety of out-of-hospital birth, how the process of becoming a doctor can adversely affect both practitioners and their patients, and why there has been a rise in the use of risky but doctor-friendly interventions, including the use of Cytotec, a drug that has not been approved by the FDA for pregnant women. Most importantly, this gripping investigation, supported by many troubling personal stories, explores how women can reclaim the childbirth experience for the betterment of themselves and their children.Born in the USA tells:* Why women are 70% more likely to die in childbirth in America than in Europe* What motivates obstetricians to use dangerous and unnecessary drugs and procedures* How the present malpractice crisis has been aggravated by the fear of accountability* Why procedures such as cesarean section and birth inductions are so readily used

    We'd just toss out our birth control pills and before we knew it, we'd be rocking our little one to sleep. Little did we know what was in store for us, or the energy it would take to face all of the crazy, unpredictable and (sometimes) irrational emotions we felt along the way. Neither did our husbands. Sound familiar?If your idea of foreplay is screaming, "I'm ovulating; it's time!!!" to your oblivious husband... If your ovulation schedule is ruling your life and every trip to the drug store includes a bulk purchase of pregnancy sticks... If you're running out of answers to the chronic questioning from the pregnancy paparazzi about your plans for parenthood ... Then this is the book for you. Whether it's been three months or three years since you've been trying, the more complicated and overwhelming the process becomes.The Conception Chronicles shares candid humor, hold-nothing-back banter and practical advice on everything that goes along with trying to start a family: from dealing with your fertile friends to the battery of tests you may have to face; from surviving "sex on demand" to navigating the ins and outs of high-tech fertility treatments. This book will guide you through the emotional journey to motherhood, offering compassion and laughter like only your best girlfriends can. And we promise you'll never hear us say, "Relax and you'll be pregnant in no time."

    The true stories she tells of couples who share your hopes, fears, frustrations, and the comfort only God can bring will encourage your heart.Infertility strikes at the core of what it means to be a woman or man, tests marriages, and shakes faith. The honest, open, and emotionally resonant first-person stories in Empty Womb, Aching Heart will touch your life--as you "cry in the diaper aisle," wonder if you "are less of a woman," ask "How far should we go?" or whisper to God, "It's not fair."

    Doulas, or professional labor assistants, have led thousands of expectant women through the birthing process in a way that’s safe and meaningful, and that creates the birth and postbirth experience all mothers long for. What exactly do doulas do?How to find one that suits you.What are the “trade secrets” only doulas know but every woman should be aware of (even if you don’t have a doula)?In The Doula Guide to Birth, senior-level doula Ananda Lowe and award-winning health reporter Rachel Zimmerman have written a most comprehensive book that draws on the wisdom of these skilled experts, whose experience with doctors, midwives, nurses, and hospitals makes them invaluable advocates before, during, and after birth. * Labor techniques anyone can use* Pain medication: do you, don’t you—and when?* What dads and loved ones need and can do best* When should you really go to the hospital in labor?* How to prepare for unexpected medical procedures, including cesareans and epidural* Postpartum—what it’s really like * A clip-out chart of labor techniques, birth plan worksheets, and much more Combining science, wit, warmth, and support, as well as the inspirational stories of dozens of mothers and their partners, you’ll find the “doula viewpoint” on every major pregnancy and delivery issue, making this one of the most important childbirth books you’ll ever read and recommend.

    Offering a direct and no-nonsense approach to birth preparation, this book is designed to give mothers, fathers, birth partners and everyone involved, confidence in the birth process. Hypnobirthing expert Suzy Ashworth explores the physiology and psychology of the mind and body during pregnancy and birth, and shares tools and techniques to help women work with the physiology of the birthing body rather than against it. This book explores: Why women are fearful of giving birth and how to eliminate these fears during pregnancy Practical tools and techniques promoting deep relaxation and mindfulness  How to unify birth partners and care providers, to ensure the birthing environment is stress-free and has the most conducive set up for a calm and relaxing birth Breathing techniques and visualizations to help with the sensations of birth Birth is a natural and normal event and, while it can be unpredictable, this book will show how women can make it a gentle and enjoyable experience, and a positively memorable first step into motherhood.

    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.

    This book is still the only comprehensive resource on this topic. Hilary Flower gives complete and in-depth answers to a wide range of questions related to breastfeeding during pregnancy and tandem nursing. Drawn from a great reservoir of mother wisdom, this book pools the stories of over 300 mothers from around the world. Extensive reviews of medical research and discussions with experts in the fields of nutrition, obstetrics, and anthropology have provided the author with a thorough understanding of this important topic. Each person's experience will be a one-of-a-kind adventure, full of surprises and choices. Adventures in Tandem Nursing provides an essential source of support, humor, and information for the journey. The 2nd edition has the latest research on safety and nutrition, many more mothers' stories and quotes, checklists to keep you on track, chapter summaries, online resources, and all new photos and illustrations. You will also find four additional chapters: high risk pregnancy, the nursling's needs, closely spaced babies, and "triandem" nursing.

    Focusing on pregnancy and the postpartum, "Mother Food" explores lactogenic foods and herbs and how they enhance milk production, prevent postpartum depression, increase energy, promote gentle weightloss and detox, improve the mother's and baby's immune systems, and also how they affect a baby's IQ, colic, allergy, and even her like or dislike of the taste of her mother's milk. Expert opinions are reviewed and traditional systems of medicine are succinctly explained. Written in an easy-to-read style and replete with remedies and recipes, "Mother Food" is both practical and informative. Recommended by lactation consultants and approved by the La Leche League International Book Evaluation Committee, "Mother Food" has become a favorite of mothers who want to learn what they can do to optimize both the quantity and quality of their milk, while contributing to their own and their baby's best health.

    In Gentle Birth Choices Barbara Harper, renowned childbirth advocate, nurse, former midwife, and mother of three, helps to clarify these choices and shows how to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience. She dispels medical myths and reimagines birth without fear, pain, or violence. Harper explains the numerous gentle birth choices available, including giving birth in an independent birth center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room; finding a primary caregiver who shares your philosophy of birth; and deciding how to best use current technologies. She also provides practical advice for couples wishing to explore the option of using a doula or water during labor and birth to avoid the unwanted effects of drugs and epidurals.The Gentle Birth Choices DVD blends interviews with midwives and physicians and six actual births that illustrate the options of water birth, home birth, and vaginal birth after a prior Cesarean section. The DVD clearly reveals the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of women exercising gentle birth choices. It is a powerful instructional tool, not only for expectant parents, but also for midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors.

    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.

    It’s the feminist issue nobody’s talking about.For too long women have been told, ‘a healthy baby is all that matters’. This book dares to say women matter too.Finally blasting the feminist spotlight into the labour ward, Milli Hill encourages women everywhere to stand and deliver, insisting that birth is no longer left off the list in discussions about female power, control and agency.From the importance of birth plans to your human rights in childbirth, and including birth stories from women across the world, this call-to-arms will help you find your voice, take an active role in your choices, and change the way you think about childbirth.Praise for Give Birth Like a Feminist‘I feel so lucky to have read Milli’s book while pregnant, she completely changed my way of looking at giving birth’ Ella Mills, author of Deliciously Ella

    Her new preface to this 2003 edition of a book that has been read, applauded, and loved by women all over the world, makes it clear that the issues surrounding childbirth remain as controversial as ever.