Lack of sleep, never-ending housework, and new fiscal concerns often lead to conflict, disappointment, and hurt feelings. In And Baby Makes Three Love Lab(TM) experts John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman teach couples the skills from their successful workshops, so partners can avoid the pitfalls of parenthood by: - maintaining intimacy and romance - replacing a culture of criticism and irritability with one of appreciation - preventing post-partum depression - creating a home environment that nurtures physical, emotional, and mental health, as well as cognitive and behavioral development for your baby Complete with exercises that separate the "master" from the "disaster" couples, And Baby Makes Three helps new parents positively manage the strain that comes along with their bundle of joy.

    It almost makes me want to have another child. Almost' Bryony Gordon ***Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan is a revolutionary new guide to pregnancy and childbirth that puts the power firmly in your hands. It won't tell you what fruit your baby resembles week-by-week, but it will cover the huge shifts happening in your relationships, body, work and emotional life right now, giving you practical tools, tips and real stories to help you make a plan that is uniquely yours yet flexible enough to accommodate whatever your pregnancy, birth and life throw at you.***Further Praise for Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan***'The book has everything a pregnant woman needs ... I'm sure this will be the go-to book for women in years to come' - Helen Thorn host of the Scummy Mummies podcast'Rebecca is a living, breathing Wonder Woman heroine. In a sea of complicated, important and sometimes angry debate around childbirth, she is a mast to hold onto.' - Cherry Healey, presenter and author of Letters to My FannyI can't think of a panicky question I had thought of through either of my pregnancies (and I thought of them at a rate of five per second) that wouldn't have been answered by this book. I wish I had had it, in fact. A very empowering guide to becoming a mother.' - Robyn Wilder, The Pool

    But as soon as you announce you're expecting, you may be bombarded with advice from every angle -- well-meaning friends, relatives, medical professionals, even strangers want to weigh in on what you should or shouldn't do, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed by their conflicting recommendations.Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth will help you sort fact from fiction, giving you the most accurate research, up-to-date information, and the firsthand experiences of numerous women who have been exactly where you are today. You'll get the tools you need to take care of yourself and your baby during and after your pregnancy, from tips on eating well during pregnancy to strategies for coping with stress and depression. Learn everything you need to know about:CHOOSING A GOOD HEALTH CARE PROVIDERSELECTING A PLACE OF BIRTH UNDERSTANDING PRENATAL TESTINGCOPING WITH LABOR PAINSPEEDING YOUR PHYSICAL RECOVERYADJUSTING TO LIFE AS A NEW MOTHER OUR BODIES, OURSELVES: PREGNANCY AND BIRTH IS AN ESSENTIAL RESOURCE FOR WOMEN THAT WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE MANY DECISIONS AHEAD.

    This completely revised edition of the beloved international classic is now entirely in color, with historic, never-before-seen photos in every chapter and an entirely new text.

    But none of this experience will prepare you for the world’s biggest technological marvel: a newborn baby.   Through step-by-step instructions and helpful schematic diagrams, The Baby Owner’s Manual explores hundreds of frequently asked questions: What’s the best way to swaddle a baby? How can I make my newborn sleep through the night? When should I bring the baby to a doctor for servicing? Whatever your concerns, you’ll find the answers here—courtesy of celebrated pediatrician Dr. Louis Borgenicht and his son, Joe Borgenicht. Together, they provide plenty of useful advice for anyone who wants to learn the basics of childcare.

    Once the exclusive province of the alternative lifestyle, natural parenting has gone mainstream, becoming a lucrative big business today.But those who do not subscribe to this method are often made to feel as if they are doing their children harm. Dr. Amy Tuteur understands their apprehensions. “Parenting quickly feels synonymous with guilt. And of late, there is no bigger arena for this pervasive guilt than childbirth.” As a medical professional with a long career in obstetrics and gynecology and as the mother of four children, Tuteur is no stranger to the insurmountable pressures and subsequent feelings of blame and self-condemnation that mothers experience during their children’s early years. The natural parenting movement, she contends, is not helping them raise their children better. Instead, it capitalizes on their uncertainty, manipulating parents when they are most vulnerable.In Push Back, she chronicles the movement’s history from its roots to its modern practices, incorporating her own experiences as a mother and successful OB-GYN with original research on the latest in childbirth science. She also reveals the dangerous and overtly misogynistic motives of some of its proponents—conservative men who sought to limit women’s control and autonomy. As she debunks, one by one, the guilt-inducing myths of natural birth and parenting, Dr. Tuteur empowers women to embrace the method of childbirth that is right for them, while reassuring all parents that the most important thing they can do is love and care for their children.

    Sara Wickham, author, midwifery lecturer, and consultant   Kim Osterholzer, a midwife who's caught over 500 babies since 1993, ushers readers behind the doors of Amish homes as she recounts her lively and life-changing adventures learning the heart and craft of midwifery. In A Midwife in Amish Country, Kim chronicles the escapades of her nine-year apprenticeship grappling with the joys and struggles of homebirth as she tags along with the woman who helped her birth her own children at home. With drama and insight, she recounts the beauty and painstaking effort of those early years spent catching babies next to crackling woodstoves, under lantern light, and in farmhouses powered by windmills for running water and with outhouses for bathrooms. Some births kept her from home for days on end; others she missed by heart-pounding seconds. Yet every birth enthralled her, whether she was halting hemorrhages, blowing air into tiny lungs, or bouncing through wild rides in ambulances. Too many times to count, Kim stumbled home feeling overwhelmed and inadequate—yet as she strained against her misgivings, self-doubts, and seemingly insurmountable challenges, those sacred moments transformed her into a woman of power and conviction. Her experiences taught her the heart of true midwifery—stroking, smoothing, wiping, tidying, nourishing, comforting, hearing, encouraging, validating, and witnessing. Slowly, steadily, Kim learned to play her part as midwife to the Amish—women unflagging in their passion to welcome new lives—and at last, tried and tested, took her rightful place among them.

    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."

    We expect that everything that falls under its umbrella will help make EC more approachable for a wider audience. Andrea’s approach is consistent with the philosophy of DiaperFreeBaby and makes it clear that EC is foremost about gentle communication. Furthermore, the material is organized in a manner that prevents the reader from becoming overwhelmed – a strangely frequent phenomenon, given the simplicity and naturalness of EC itself. In short, this project is a real tour de force and a great resource that EC advocates everywhere should not hesitate to recommend.” From the Directors of DiaperFreeBaby.org, the international non-profit dedicated to advocating Elimination Communication "I highly recommend this beautiful and excellent resource for EC families. It is the first multimedia version (bravo!) and thus enables readers to quickly find things in the book. Go Diaper Free is richly illustrated and is an invaluable compilation of information." Laurie Boucke, author of Infant Potty Training: A Gentle and Primeval Method Adapted to Modern Living In this practical handbook, learn the steps to starting and maintaining an Elimination Communication practice with your 0-18 month baby. Go Diaper Free is a filtered and simplified collection of all the existing EC research plus the newest findings in the field organized in a dummy-proof format. If you wish to avoid years of diaper dependence and potty training struggles, diaper rash and unexplained fussiness, filling the landfills and misunderstanding your baby's cries...then EC can work for you and this book is the perfect guide. If you are simply considering EC, in the middle of a horrid potty pause, or are already on board with EC but confused about how to begin, this book is the only resource you need. What you'll find inside: The exact steps of how to begin EC, separated into three age ranges, illustrated with photos and flowcharts; the only existing guides for starting EC older (5-18 months), working towards graduation, and completion; preventing/correcting dozens of common challenges (from potty pauses to peeing on the floor to general troubleshooting); over 100 photos of correct pottying positions; nighttime, part-time, travel, and on-the-go pottying; how to use cloth diapers with EC; and more. A readers' support webpage is also available which includes private instruction videos, downloadable forms, and a private forum, making the process a visual, hands-on experience...which is how Elimination Communication is best learned. About Elimination Communication Elimination Communication, also known as infant potty training or having a diaper free baby, is the natural alternative to diapers and toilet training. Ever wonder why the US's average age for potty independence is now 3 years old, but it's only 1 year old in over half the rest of the world? These cultures know that babies are born communicating their hygiene needs. EC is an eco-friendly practice that translates this ancient knowledge for use in the modern world. Know that 'diaper-free' really means free from dependence upon diapers. It can be practiced part time or full time, with or without a diaper as back-up. About the Author Andrea Olson, M.A., is a DiaperFreeBaby Mentor and resident EC expert at http://godiaperfree.com, which features the annual international awareness week, Go Diaper Free Week, and her EC podcast (the first of its kind). Andrea's Masters degree in Counseling Psychology has enabled her to professionally support 1,000s of parents worldwide practice EC with their babies in a balanced, psychologically sound manner.

    Bookstores are filled with month-by-month pregnancy manuals, but the shelves are virtually empty of artful, entertaining, unvarnished accounts of labor and delivery—the stories that new mothers need most.     Here is a book that transcends the limits of how-to guides and honors the act of childbirth in the twenty-first century. Eleanor Henderson and Anna Solomon have gathered true birth stories by women who have made self-expression their business, including Cheryl Strayed, Julia Glass, Lauren Groff, Dani Shapiro, and many other luminaries.     In Labor Day, you’ll read about women determined to give birth naturally and others begging for epidurals; women who pushed for hours and women whose labors were over practically before they’d started; women giving birth to twins and to ten-pound babies. These women give birth in the hospital, at home, in bathtubs, and, yes, even in the car. Some revel in labor, some fear labor, some feel defeated by labor, some are fulfilled by it—and all are amazed by it. You will laugh, weep, squirm, perhaps groan in recognition, and undoubtedly gasp with surprise. And then you’ll call every mother or mother-to-be that you know and say “You MUST read Labor Day.”

    Revised and expanded for the second edition, this text provides an action-packed, month-by-month guide to all the emotional, financial and even physical changes a father-to-be may experience during the course of his partner's pregnancy.

    But don't worry, help is on the way. This supportive guide provides step-by-step advice for a compassionate and emotionally aware process--one that focuses on positive connection rather than relying on gimmicks, pressure, or rewards (which usually backfire).Topics include:* Signs your child is ready, and how to begin * Preparing your child emotionally * Tips for coping when away from home * Advice for handling accidents and setbacks * Practical stories and tips from parentsWritten by popular parenting expert Sarah Ockwell-Smith, creator of Gentle Parenting, this is the only book you'll need to guide your child through this developmental milestone--without trauma, drama and tears (for child and parents alike!).

    Laura alone delivered the next three children, assisted by her belief that giving birth was a natural process for which a woman's body had been well designed. Therefore, she saw no need to involve the medical establishment. Her personal birth experiences confirmed her belief, and subsequent research has convinced her that with the proper mindset delivering one's own baby is the safest, most fulfilling way to give birth. Tribal women and animals can help show the way, if one is humble enough to learn from them. Shanley gives numerous references, both historical and contemporary, to support her theory. She tells of her own experiences in childbirth as well as those of other women who have given birth without medical assistance. Although many contemporary writers deal with the concept that we create our own reality according to our beliefs, no one has applied this notion to birthing experience to the extent that Laura has.For many generations, society has assumed that childbirth, with its associated fear, pain, and risks, must take place in a hospital setting in the presence of medical professionals who have no relationship to the parents and their baby. Laura Kaplan Shanley rebuffs the context of this assumption, which treats childbirth as a disease rather than as a natural process. In Unassisted Childbirth, she calls upon the thousands of years during which women gave birth without medical intervention--arguing that with the proper beliefs, women are capable of and can opt for delivering their own babies, with or without their partners. Shanley, who had her own four children at home without medical assistance, explains how women's apprehensions contribute to most difficulties encountered in labor. In addition, she points out, only after the practice of placing women in infectious hospital settings began did the risk of hemorrhaging, sickening or even dying in childbirth increase.

    Based on her research of the nutrient-rich diets of healthy and fertile populations around the world, she lays out exactly what you should and shouldn't eat when trying to conceive, during pregnancy, and while breast-feeding. In the first half of the book she explains the ways industrialized foods can prevent pregnancy, how a low-fat diet can increase your likelihood of infertility by 85 percent, what to do if breast-feeding doesn't work for you, why babies can't digest cereal, and gives step-by-step instructions on how and when to introduce your baby's first foods. In the second half of the book she equips you with more than 50 recipes for incorporating traditional fertility-boosting foods into your diet. Beautiful Babies provides you with everything you need to know about having a healthy pregnancy and nourishing your growing baby.

    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.