Jane Dwinell has written an important book using real-life scenarios to illustrate her unique philosophy of childbirth, one that can only inspire women to take greater control over how and where they give birth. From her vantage point as a birth attendant, Dwinell recounts the moving birth experiences of twenty different women. Thus the reader learns that there are no right or wrong ways to give birth. In fact, the author shows how satisfying it can be for women to exercise their own strength, power and choice in the birth process instead of yielding to unnecessary technological and medical interventions. Birth, she says, is a process of wellness, not illness. Hence, most women don't need medication to help them deal with normal birth pains if they have the proper empowering support during labor.

When women give birth in a comfortable setting of their choice, the medical wrongs against them, committed in hospitals in the name of safety and technology, are prevented. In the face of opposition from an entrenched segment of the medical establishment, Dwinell dares the view that hospital care should not be routine but should be given only with good reason and the women's permission. For pregnant women and their partners, "Birth StorieS" makes a convincing argument that under normal circumstances wach women's intuitive knowledge and individual resources can help her to labor and deliver successfully in her own way. Nurses, midwives, doctors, and birth educators will find it useful to realize that there are many ways to give birth . . . that it is important for the family to be together and make their own choices . . . and that pregnant women can have safe births without excessive medical intervention. This book can also serve as a guide for professionals who want to develop this type of birthing model within their own institution.

You May Not Have Tried Everything!

Today, many couples who experience problems getting pregnant look to the miracles of modern science for help. Yet for the more than five million Americans of childbearing age who have failed to conceive within a year or more, the good news is that as many as half go on to get pregnant and have healthy babies. Getting Pregnant Naturally is filled with dozens of little-known tips for increasing the odds of conceiving and offers the essential information any couple should have before they resort to expensive, invasive, high-tech fertility treatments --

From hormones and muscles to mind and spirit, every aspect of a woman's body is affected by pregnancy-and now is the time to acknowledge that by empowering new mothers to take control of their "fourth trimester" and beyond. From the creator of the popular Wonder Weeks, Back to You is a stress-free guide to a week-by-week programme for overall postpartum recovery.Featuring interviews with doctors, lactation consultants, therapists and other experts, this book provides reassuring and encouraging information that focuses on boosting emotional and physical health. The 40-week plan eases into exercises, from meditation to strength training (with particular focus on the "PowerHouse"-pelvic floor, abdominal and back muscles), providing illustrated guides and exclusive access to the Back to You app, which features weekly 30-minute workouts. With a thorough focus on both mind and body, Back to You is one of few postpartum programmes to address the whole person for a comprehensive approach to recovery.

Changes in breastfeeding practices are affecting the health and survival of millions of Third World Children and the fertlity of their mothers. Yet, there is little detailed information on current breastfeeding practices or the determinants of feeding choices. This study attempts to create a framework for understanding the practices of mothers in certain developing countries and hence, designing culturally appropriate information programs that will enable mothers to make better feeding choices. Based on research conducted by international study teams, it focuses on the factors that determine feeding practices in four Third World cities.

A startlingly large number of women who want to breastfeed have to stop before they are ready, leaving them feeling a range of negative emotions, including grief, anger, guilt, shame and frustration, and often blaming themselves. But in a society that places little value on breastfeeding and mothers' feelings, their painful stories are often swept under the carpet to the detriment of women's mental health and experience of new motherhood. Professor Amy Brown has researched what breastfeeding really means to women, how they can feel when things don't go according to plan and importantly, how we can change things for the next generation of women. Her findings make fascinating reading for anyone with personal experience of breastfeeding difficulties, those who support mothers to make infant feeding decisions that are right for them, or those who simply want to be part of changing the conversation.

Write Now. Read Later. Treasure Forever.Your baby will always be your baby. Whether you're pregnant or a new parent, fill these twelve envelopes with memories and hopes for your bundle of joy. Then postdate, seal, and save the letters to gift to your child at a later date. Included are 12 letters that begin with a unique prompt like: On the day you were born... My wishes for you are... Your first home was like this... Seal letters with the included stickers before giving this to your child--all grown up--as a paper time capsule that captured their first fleeting years.

Two of the hottest topics today -- safety and do-it-yourself ingenuity -- are combined in 'The Safe Baby'. In a warm, breezy style that says 'Welcome', every time the reader turns a page, this book covers child-proofing essentials from making the nursery safe to keeping the baby safe in the kitchen, the bathroom, and every other space in the house. Debra Holtzman tells parents how to prevent falls and avoid poison injuries, what to do about environmental hazards and how to keep back yards safe, which pets are safe and suitable, and how to choose a babysitter or day care center that is the best fit for the child. These and many other aspects of safety are addressed in a down-to-earth, do-it-yourself manner that empowers the reader. Your parents will think, here's a mother who has been there; if she can do it, so can I.

Focussing ethnographically on private-sector maternity care in South Africa, Privileges of Birth looks at the ways healthcare and childbirth are shaped by South Africa's racialised history. Birth is one of the most medicalised aspects of the lifecycle across all sectors of society, and there is deep division between what the privileged can afford compared with the rest of the population. Examining the ethics of care in midwife-attended birth, the author situates the argument in the context of a growing literature on care in anthropological and feminist scholarship, offering a unique account of birthing care in the context of elite care services.

This book helps to ensure baby comes out bouncing. Eating the right foods in pregnancy means better health for you and your baby, so follow this menu for success. Follow trimester-by-trimester nutritional guidance on the best foods for your baby's development. Enjoy over 60 no-fuss delicious dishes for optimum nutrition, with daily menu plans, and yummy ideas for snacks, breakfasts, and lunches on the go. Plus pick up advice on breastfeeding, postnatal recovery and how to get your pre-baby figure back! Cooked up by Hope Ricciotti, an obstetrician and Associate Professor of Obstetrics at Harvard Medical School, it includes recipes created by her husband, Vincent Connelly, an experienced chef.

The Mr Men and Little Miss have been tickling children for generations with their funny and charming antics. This series gives adults the chance to laugh along as the Mr Men and Little Miss try to cope with the very grown-up world around them. Featuring Roger Hargreaves classic artwork alongside hilariously funny new text. Some of the Little Misses are going to be mums and they're approaching the news in the only way they know how. Little Miss Curious has a million questions, Little Miss Tidy is planning the perfect birth and nursery and Little Miss Greedy is eating her body weight in pickles. Will pregnancy and new motherhood be all they expect it to be? The perfect book for any mum-to-be who is excited and nervous about what motherhood might bring.