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.

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.

Since the original publication of The Birth Partner, partners, friends, relatives, and doulas have relied on Penny Simkin's guidance in caring for the new mother, from her last trimester through the early postpartum period. Now fully revised in its fifth edition, The Birth Partner remains the definitive guide to helping a woman through labor and birth, and the essential manual to have at hand during the event. The Birth Partner includes thorough information on: Preparing for labor and knowing when it has begun Normal labor and how to help the woman every step of the way Epidurals and other medications for labor Pitocin and other means, including natural ones, to induce or speed up labor Non-drug techniques for easing labor pain Cesarean birth and complications that may require it Breastfeeding and newborn care and much more For the partner who wishes to be truly helpful in the birthing room, this book is indispensable.

Featured on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 5 Live Selected as one of the Independent's 10 best pregnancy books for expectant parents Birth is a feminist issue. It's the feminist issue nobody's talking about. FEATURING A BRAND NEW CHAPTER 'A powerful read, whether you're pregnant or not' Independent 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

AN EYE-OPENING EXPLORATION OF MODERN MOTHERHOOD PACKED WITH PRACTICAL ADVICE ON NAVIGATING DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE 'It's the book that proves working mothers are shamefully mistreated' - Daily Mail 'Brearley's book leaves no stone unturned in what needs to be done to remedy these problems going forward' - Vogue UK 'Joeli is one of the most tenacious and impressive campaigners I know, and her work has had a massive positive impact on the lives of thousands of women. Her work is invaluable, from setting up a vital lifeline for women to learn about their rights on maternity discrimination, to the frontlines of the Covid-19 crisis, where she battled for women not to be left out of the picture altogether.' - Laura Bates Imagine suddenly being sacked from your job. After spending years building your career, it's all taken away in just one moment. Why? Because you told your boss you are pregnant. This happened to Joeli Brearley. And she quickly realised she wasn't alone - 54,000 women a year are forced out of their job because they dared to procreate, and three quarters of working mothers face workplace discrimination. And this was before the pandemic, with its never-ending cycle of extraordinary childcare challenges and overt pregnancy and maternity discrimination, resulting in a tsumani of mothers exiting the labour force. The Motherhood Penalty is an expose of the unscrupulous work practices and antiquated systems that we've been conditioned to accept and a toolkit for how to challenge them. It's full of practical advice to help you navigate systemic barriers when they slap you in the face. Whether you're a mother who is sick of being sidelined, undermined, and underpaid. A ''stay at home'' mother who wants to work but can't. A future parent who is scared that having children will affect your career. An employer who wants to get the best out of its parent employees, or you simply want a stronger, fairer economy, The Motherhood Penalty is a compelling manifesto for change and a call to arms for all women.

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 --

For counselor Nancy Wainer Cohen, this book is the sibling to "Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean "(Bergin & Garvey, 1983) her critically-acclaimed expose on America's growing reliance on cesarean sections. "Open Season "provides fresh insights and new information on the subject, offering guidance to childbearing couples, educators, health professionals, and scholars who value the natural path of childbirth.

Readers will find this book timely, informative, shocking, irreverent, and extremely readable. Cohen's intimate writing style presents a compendium of knowledge on childbirth in the fashion of a personal letter. Her aim is to lower America's alarming reliance on cesarean section, which is currently at 25 percent of all births, and to return the responsibility for childbirth to women by encouraging them to choose the kind of birthing experience they wish to have. In addition to cesarean section, Cohen discusses many other generally unnecessary interventions performed on women during pregnancy and childbirth--such as fetal monitoring and routinized hospital procedures.