Today, we hear stories of over-worked midwives and short-staffed hospitals, but the truth is that childbirth has never been easier. For our grandmothers, pregnancy was a journey into the unknown. Rather than ponder which pushchair to buy or fret over towelling versus disposable nappies, they worried about what lay ahead. Home births were often lonely affairs with the midwife or doctor only visiting when birth was imminent. During hospital births, medical staff rarely gave explanations and would push and prod with little offer of pain relief let alone sympathy. Standard care in labour was the O.B.E. - Oil, Bath and Enema. Nursing staff gave firm rules on how long to stay in bed, how to lie in bed and even when to go to the toilet. And life didn't get much easier after giving birth. Taking care of a home and baby was hard work when there were few washing machines, no disposable nappies and heating came from coal carried in from the back yard.

    This title explains how to chart the body's fertility signs to know which days are best for becoming pregnant or avoiding becoming pregnant, without the use of hormonal drugs. It includes dietary advice for successful conception and healthy babies and families.

    And they were right. Why then, so long after my body has healed, do I still feel broken? A whisper inside of me insists: Birth is more than a means to a baby. There was something I was supposed to do, something I was to receive through giving birth.Pregnant again, when the doctor tries to schedule another cesarean, I refuse. I will not submit to being tied down, cut open, and having my uterus extracted again without a fight.That's why I ask a midwife to help me give birth. I tell her that I’m determined and strong. But she sees through my tough-guy armor. She smiles, saying, "Birth isn’t a battle to win or lose. It’s the result of delving into your vulnerability and finding your true feminine power."In exquisite detail, Roanna holds nothing back in her powerful birth memoir, plunging the reader deep into the intimacy of this universal rite of passage. Part memoir, part manifesto, this is a must read for anyone who has given birth, will give birth, or who loves someone who will give birth.

    You’ve meticulously poured over decisions to make your baby’s transition into this world just right. But how much thought and planning have gone into your transition into motherhood? In this comprehensive and warmhearted guide, Dr. Jolene Brighten, a Naturopathic Doctor and mother, shares her tips, natural techniques, and over 30 herbal and nutritional recipes to support healing and the transition into motherhood. Healing Your Body Naturally After Childbirth provides answers and solutions to common postpartum conditions, including: - Breastfeeding support and natural solutions to enhance milk supply - Herbal preparations to heal vaginal tissues, cracked nipples and more - Natural approaches to elevating mood and easing anxiety - Autoimmune thyroid, urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, digestive support and many other conditions that can arise from childbirth

    This is the perfect companion for parents-to-be and all professionals who are engaged in and witness to the miracle of birth. "One of the most important books on childbirth...A colorful, anecdotal, and research-supported journey from both the mothers' and midwives' perspectives...A classic." (Pam England, nurse-midwife and author of Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation)

    The authors expertly and compassionately address the unusual and distressing challenges that arise for abuse survivors during the childbirth experience. The first section informs the reader of the impact of early sexual abuse on children, adults, and on all aspects of childbearing. The second section teaches skills in communication, self-help skills, counseling and psychotherapy techniques. The third covers clinical challenges and solutions for doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas, and others. Case histories throughout the book clarify and apply the content.

    The new, extensively updated Neonatal Resuscitation Program materials represent a shift in approach to the education process, eliminating the slide and lecture format and emphasizing a hands-on, interactive, simulation-based learning environment.Changes in the NRP™ Algorithm Elimination of Evaluation of Amniotic Fluid in Initial Rapid Assessment Use of Supplemental Oxygen During Neonatal Resuscitation Use of Pulse Oximetry

    (Yes, it's possible!) In "The Mommy Diet, " she shares tons of straightforward tips, personal anecdotes, easy-to-follow exercises, fashion insight, nutrition advice, and even a few of her favorite quick, easy recipes. "The Mommy Diet "helps moms-to-be stay fit, positive, and pampered during pregnancy and then steers new moms to a healthy recovery and body confidence after the baby is born. It's a warm, accessible, funny guide to everything from prepregnancy through the first nine months postpartum--an especially crucial time for new moms who want to shed their baby weight safely and establish a fitness routine--and beyond.Sweeney, who is busy taking care of two children and juggling two jobs, breaks pregnancy down trimester by trimester, addressing everything from morning sickness and food cravings to sexy maternity style, all the while reminding readers to keep up with exercise as long as their doctors approve. After the baby arrives, she details the perils and pitfalls of carrying around postpregnancy weight and how to navigate the sleep deprivation, not to mention the shell-shocked stress of all the changes to daily life.You "can "eat healthfully, be physically fit, look great, and find time to take care of yourself while you learn to be a terrific new mom. The realistic, affordable, and doable advice in "The Mommy Diet "will show you how.

    As a woman pregnant with more than one baby, you're feeling all these things . . . only more so! In When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads, Dr. Barbara Luke, an acknowledged expert on the prenatal care of multiples, outlines a practical, nutrition-based program to keep you and your babies healthy, and she offers a comprehensive tour of what you can expect during your unique pregnancy and childbirth experience. Women who follow this program have significantly fewer complications during pregnancy—and their babies are born weighing 20 to 35 percent more than the average twin, triplet, or quad. Included is crucial information on:· Finding a qualified maternal/fetal medicine specialist · Dietary guidelines for maximizing birthweight · Safe limits on exercise, physical activity, and work · Taking a leave from your job and negotiating the best deal · Reducing your risk for pregnancy complications · Recognizing the signs of preterm labor and what to do about them · What to expect during and after delivery · Feeding and caring for your newborns . . . and yourself · Getting back into shape after delivery

    Completely updated and revised, it provides the most up-to-date perspectives and research on a complete range of the theoretical, practical, and background concepts with which modern midwives should be familiar. In addition, it offers numerous summary boxes and flowcharts and provides clear guidance on how to critically appraise valuable research.Covers the full scope of theoretical and practical issues with which a newly qualified midwife must be familiarOffers critical appraisal boxes related to recent research to help the reader understand how to analyse available research, in ways they are already required to think for assignment work.Includes summary boxes and flowcharts to make the text more quickly and easily accessible to the readerOver 150 new illustrations and 30 new colour photographsAnatomy and physiology chapters have been placed at the beginning of the book.Two new chapters - Exercises for Pregnancy, Labour and the Puerperium and Childbirth.More emphasis has been placed on the puerperium, presenting the mother and midwife as partners in determining postnatal care.Discusses the new midwifery regulatory body, examining changes in legislation from a practical perspective.The chapter on antenatal investigations examines the dilemmas faced by potential parents and the challenges that adverse outcomes present to the midwife.Includes a color plate section with over 40 full-color photographs.Includes 160 new two-color line illustrations.Offers critical appraisal boxes related to recent research.

    For women who want an alternative, choice is often unavailable: Midwives are sometimes inaccessible; in eleven states they are illegal. In one of those states, even birthing centers are outlawed.When did birth become an emergency instead of an emergence? Since when is normal, physiological birth a crime? A groundbreaking journalistic narrative, Pushed presents the complete picture of maternity care in America. Crisscrossing the country to report what women really experience during childbirth, Jennifer Block witnessed several births - from a planned cesarean to an underground home birth. Against this backdrop, Block investigates whether routine C-sections, inductions, and epidurals equal medical progress. She examines childbirth as a reproductive rights issue: Do women have the right to an optimal birth experience? If so, is that right being upheld? Block's research and experience reveal in vivid detail that while emergency obstetric care is essential, there is compelling evidence that we are overusing medical technology at the expense of maternal and infant health: Either women's bodies are failing, or the system is failing women.

    Pediatric nutrition experts Castle and Jacobsen simplify nutrition information, describe how children's eating habits correspond to their stage of development, provide step-by-step feeding guidance, and show parents how to relax about feeding their kids and get healthy meals on the table fast. Prepares parents by explaining what to expect at different stages of growth, whether it be picky eating, growth spurts or poor body image Helps parents work through problems such as food allergies, nutrient deficiencies and weight management, and identifying if and when they need to seek professional helpEmpowers parents to take a whole-family approach to feeding including maximizing their own health and well-being Offers fun, easy recipes parents can make for, and with, kids"Fearless Feeding" translates complicated nutrition advice into simple feeding plans for every age and stage that take the fear out of feeding kids.

    The Whole Pregnancy Handbook is an informative and reassuring guide that will empower you to choose your pre- and post-natal care with confidence. Topics include treatments for preconception health and fertility, massage and acupressure techniques, prenatal nutrition, preparing for labor, prenatal yoga for all three trimesters, best practices of doulas and midwives, candid recollections from other moms, and so much more. Written by Joel M. Evans, MD, OB/GYN, with Robin Aronson, the former editor in chief of Parents.com, the Web site for Parents magazine. Dr. Evans is also the founder of the Center for Women's Health, an integrative holistic health center located in Darien, Connecticut.

    A one-volume complete illustrated guide for mother and baby, this revised and updated edition includes a fully-photographic first-aid section.

    Wall Street Journal A landmark event, which will change the course of obstetric care by giving parents the informtion they need to make the decisions that are best for their own families. Comprehensive, highly readable, sensitive . . . should be read by everyone who cares about someone. Marian Tompson Director, Alternative Birth Crisis Coalition American Academy of Medicine Required reading for all childbirth professionals and prospective parents. Journal of Gynecological Nursing