Top experts in the field offer encyclopedic coverage of the topics relating to pregnancy and birth, from fertility and family planning to nutrition and exercise to lifestyle changes, planning for the future, and more. In all, this comprehensive guide covers more than 300 topics of interest to expecting mothers and their partners.The Pregnancy Encyclopedia is the only book that uses an engaging Q&A style with accompanying full-color photographs, illustrations, and infographics to help you understand what's going on with your baby, your partner, and yourself.Reviews:"This is an excellent addition to public and consumer-health library collections." - Booklist (Starred Review)

    Sifting through nearly five decades of providing care for women in rural Greene County, she relates the tales that capture the life-and-death struggle of the birthing experience and the traditions, pharmacopeia, and spiritual attitudes that influenced her practice. She debunks images of the complacent southern “granny” midwife and honors the determination, talent, and complexity of midwifery.Fascinating to read, this book is part of the new genre of writing that recognizes the credibility of midwives who have emerged from their own communities and were educated through apprenticeship and personal experience. Past descriptions of southern black midwives have tended to denigrate their work in comparison with professional established medicine. Believed to be the oldest living (though retired) traditional African American midwife in Alabama, Smith is one of the few who can recount old-time birthing ways. Despite claims that midwives contributed to high infant mortality rates, Smith’s story emphasizes midwives' successes in facing medical challenges and emergencies.

    Jackie Mize--who was told it was impossible for her to have a baby and who is now the mother of four beautiful children--provides readers with a supernatural answer. Filled with powerful and intimate scriptural prayers, this little book gives readers a way to come before Father God in faith with issues from having a difficult time getting pregnant to joyfully cradling that precious gift from God in their arms. By taking an expectant mother--or a women who desperately wants to be expecting--through God's promises for her and her baby's future, Prayers and Promises for Supernatural Childbirth is a bundle of joy that delivers hope and encouragement, while chasing away doubts and fears. Specific issues covered in the scriptural prayers include: fulfillment over barrenness; the threat of miscarriage; a joyful delivery day; and dedicating one's baby to God.

    With a little patience, presence, and skill, you can transform nearly any meal into a baby-friendly food. Who knew a little planning could have the whole family eating together and better?In the past, humans thrived without “baby food” (which came about in the mid-nineteenth century). Think about it: the human race has made it this far largely on whole food. Only in recent decades have we begun overthinking and over-processing our foods, which has led to chronic dieting, chronic disease, disordered eating, body distrust, and epidemic confusion about the best way to feed ourselves and families. Eating is an innate skill that has been overcomplicated by marketing schemes and a dieting culture.We, as humans, are Born to Eat, and it seems only natural for us to start at the beginning—babies are born to eat, too. When babies show signs of readiness for solid foods, they can eat what we eat and become healthy, happy eaters in the process. By honoring self-regulation (also an innate skill) and focusing on a whole food foundation, we foster healthier children and families.Aside from the United States, almost every other country is accepting of this approach, known as baby-led weaning. With advice, instructions, and recipes from nutritionist and wellness experts Wendy Jo Peterson and Leslie Schilling, you can ensure that your infant is introduced to healthy and tasty food as early as possible.

    A sleep researcher with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, Dr. Polly Moore has created a simple, foolproof method based on the basic human rest and activity cycle (BRAC), which occurs every hour and a half. According to the BRAC, baby should go back for a nap a mere 90 minutes after waking up—that's right: 90 minutes.The program is called N.A.P.S.—Note time when baby wakes up, Add 90 minutes, Play, feed, or pursue other activities, then, at the end of the 90 minutes, Soothe baby back to sleep. When baby wakes up again, whether after a short or a long nap, start the cycle over. And, although it sounds counterintuitive, frequent napping actually helps baby sleep through the night. In a reassuring and accessible style, Dr. Moore explains how and why the program works; the benefits of napping—a happier, healthier baby with a headstart on cognitive development and emotional intelligence; how to implement it for babies at various ages, from two weeks to a year; and how to use it to solve common sleep programs, such as a baby's need to be held, baby waking up too early in the morning, baby getting a second wind before bedtime, baby confusing day and night, and more. The Wire-O-bound book includes a guided journal for recording baby's sleepy signals and sleep difficulties, a daily log for keeping track of baby's nap times, and space to note baby's milestones—all peppered with humorous, inspirational quotes.

    Yet so much about motherhood happens in your head. What everyone really wants to know: Is this normal? -Even after months of trying, is it normal to panic after finding out you’re pregnant? -Is it normal not to feel love at first sight for your baby? -Is it normal to fight with your parents and partner? -Is it normal to feel like a breastfeeding failure? -Is it normal to be zonked by “mommy brain?” In What No One Tells You, two of America’s top reproductive psychiatrists reassure you that the answer is yes. With thirty years of combined experience counseling new and expectant mothers, they provide a psychological and hormonal backstory to the complicated emotions that women experience, and show why it’s natural for “matrescence”—the birth of a mother—to be as stressful and transformative a period as adolescence. Here, finally, is the first-ever practical guide to help new mothers feel less guilt and more self-esteem, less isolation and more kinship, less resentment and more intimacy, less exhaustion and more pleasure, and learn other tips to navigate the ups and downs of this exciting, demanding time

    What's a doula? In short, it's a trained professional who provides physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother before, during, and just after birth. Studies have shown that when doulas attend births, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier, and breastfeeding is easier.The Mindful Mom-To-Be offers concrete, prescriptive health information, including natural solutions for aches and pains, colds, or trouble sleeping, but Lori Bregman's primary goal is to help expectant moms find what works best for them.With themes like "Living in Joy," "Destress and Decompress," and "Mothering Yourself" to accompany each month of pregnancy, Bregman encourages soon-to-be mothers to take time to explore their inner thoughts and fears, and examine their expectations of motherhood before their child arrives. Her spiritual exercises are positive, fun, and easy to put into practice.

    The rapid changes in your body, your lifestyle, and your very identity call for a certain mental agility. Mindfulness can help you meet the challenge and approach every experience with your new baby with open eyes and an open heart.Easy ten-minute meditation exercises and yoga poses throughout this book will help you cultivate greater flexibility and mindful awareness during pregnancy, childbirth, and your baby's first year. Whenever you have a moment to spare, open Mindful Motherhood and discover a skill that will help you find balance and fulfillment during those times when you feel most overwhelmed.Co-published with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS).Mindful Motherhood contains what so many other parenting books omit:: the consoling information that each mother has the ability to know, deep within, how to care for her child. Mindful Motherhood is a gem.-Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Women's Bodies, Women's WisdomWise, soothing, and helpful-this is really good stuff for new mothers.-Jack Kornfield, author of The Wise Heart

    Yet as a mother-to-be, you're likely juggling so much that you simply don't have the time-or energy!-to ensure that you're always eating right. That's where this fully updated edition of the pregnancy classic comes in, making it easy to fulfill the needs of you and your baby. Eating for Pregnancy will provide you with all you need to know about nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy.Here are 150 nutrient-rich recipes, more than 30 new to this edition, designed with you and your family in mind. Each highlights "What's in this for baby and me?" and provides handy nutritional breakdowns and meal-planning advice. You'll also find:Tips to help you minimize unnecessary weight gain and keep your nutrient intake highFresh, fast, family-friendly recipes with realistic menu plansThe most up-to-date information on supplements, sources, environmental concerns, and high-risk pregnanciesAn expanded vegetarian section-now with vegan recipesHelpful information for diabetics, including ADA exchanges, recipe tips, and dining-out strategiesA unique Nine-Months-Later section, covering breastfeeding, postpartum depression, and weight loss after pregnancy-with illustrated exercises

    And it provides you with essential information about your health. The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles and Optimize Your Fertility brings together over 1,000 meticulously researched scientific references in a textbook-quality guide to understanding your menstrual cycle.   In this book you’ll learn: What a normal cycle looks like; The best way to chart your cycle and increase your fertility awareness; How best to manage critical aspects of your health, including better sleep, exercise and a healthier diet; Natural methods for managing period pain and PMS; How to successfully avoid pregnancy without the pill; and How to plan ahead if you do want to get pregnant. The Fifth Vital Sign aims to better connect women with their menstrual cycles, to break the myth that ovulation is only important when you're ready to have a baby.   READ THE FIFTH VITAL SIGN TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR HEALTH AND FERTILITY Whether children are a part of your future plans or not, your health matters. Start learning more now, and take control of your health.   ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner. She teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and overall health monitoring. In her work, Lisa draws heavily from the current scientific literature and presents an evidence-based approach to fertility awareness and menstrual cycle optimization.

    Share the experiences, successes, and struggles of many other women before and after childbirth in this all-in-one mothercare guide about family, work, the baby (or second or third baby), and you. Includes checklists, plan-ahead suggestions, questionnaires, and much more.Drawn from three years of research, the author's own experience, and the candid recollections of many mothers—married and single, birth and adoptive, older and younger— the nine chapters in this comprehensive guide cover all aspects of the postpartum experience, including:what the new mom should expect when she goes homewhat postpartum is and how long it lastswhere to find breastfeeding helphow to ask for helpthe new mom's home-care optionsrealistic going-back-to-work optionshow to relieve the isolation of at-home motheringwhat to say (and not to say) to family membersand much more

    Most doctors are trained to think of a “good” birth only in terms of its medical success. But Dr. Anne Lyerly knows firsthand that there are many other important elements that often get overlooked. Her three-year study of a diverse group of over one hundred expectant moms asked what matters most to women during childbirth. The results, presented to the public for the first time in A Good Birth, show what really matters goes beyond the clinical outcome or even the usual questions of hospital versus birthing center, and reveal universal needs of women, like the importance of feeling connected, safe, and respected.Bringing a new perspective to childbirth, the book’s wisdom is drawn from in-depth interviews with women with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, and whose birth stories range from quick and simple to complicated and frightening. Describing what went well, what didn’t, and what they’d do differently next time, these mothers give voice to the complete experience of childbirth, helping both women and their healthcare providers develop strategies to address the emotional needs of the mother, going beyond the standard birth plans and conversations. Transcending the “medical” versus “natural” childbirth debate, A Good Birth paves the entryway to motherhood, turning our attention to the deeper and more important question of what truly makes for the best birth possible.

    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.

    Applying the wisdom and insights he has gained through twenty years of communicating with these spirit babies, Makichen helps you resolve issues about starting a family…actively participate in the psychic process of creating a child…and move past your worries and fears about becoming parents. From the seven essential chakras that link our body, mind, and spirit to why pregnant women are superpsychic, you’ll discover:* How to create the energy that nurtures spirit babies* How to understand how past lives and chakras relate to your unborn child* The conception contract–what it is and what it means for you and your child* How karmic pairings affect conception and pregnancy* Why miscarriages occur and what they can signifyPlus spirit babies and guardian angels…spirit babies and adoption…spirit babies and dreams…and much moreFeaturing inspirational examples of couples who are now happy parents, as well as breath exercises and healing meditations at the end of each chapter, Spirit Babies tells you everything you need to know to become the parent you were meant to be.

    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.