The Gentle Sleep Book offers gentle, reassuring and effective solutions to addressing the common sleep problems of newborns to five-year-olds. 'This book should be called The Sleep Bible and needs to be in every parent's bedside drawer' Marneta Viegas, founder of Relax Kids Are you exhausted by your baby's night-time waking or frustrated by your toddler's reluctance to go to bed? Would you prefer a gentler approach than sleep-training techniques such as controlled crying or pick up/put down? The first five years of parenting are filled with worries and preoccupations, but, for the vast majority, none of them is as pressing as the lack of sleep. In this revised and updated edition of her bestselling book, Sarah Ockwell-Smith offers a gentle, effective prescription for addressing the common sleep challenges encountered by parents of newborns to five-year-olds. Treading a carefully balanced line between the needs of sleep-deprived parents and those of the child, Sarah offers reliable, evidence-based advice including: *How long we can expect our children to sleep at each stage of development. *Why much of the popular advice on sleep is inaccurate and counterproductive. *How to approach common issues including frequent waking, night terrors and bedtime refusal. Sarah's practical suggestions for each developmental stage include how to create a consistent bedtime routine and optimal conditions for sleep, the effect of diet, and how to use comfort objects effectively. This revised and updated edition includes new chapters providing specific advice on daytime naps (when and how to drop them) and how to take care of your own needs and emotions during the early years of disrupted sleep, because your feelings and health matter too.

Who cannot have heard of Zac, Jade, Blossom or Gaia? Nobody! Television has introduced us to charismatic characters and alluring personalities with very unusual names - by traditional standards anyway. This comprehensive book presents the best of the acceptable names that might be described as international. Names that people use in Britain, America, Australia and elsewhere - basically English, but with the added flavour of European, Asian and Oriental influences.

If you are a nursing mother, you need this book, to have a healthier and happier baby, and to have a closer bonding that will last you a lifetime. Mother's milk is the best and most natural food for a baby. Written exclusively for mothers by Dr Sapna Samant, a medical expert, this book is a one-stop medical guide that will help you to breast-feed successfully. From how to hold your baby while feeding, to how to generate more milk, from taking care of sore breasts to supplementing breast milk, here finally is a book that clears all the doubts your mind has voiced.

This illustrated gift title is for expectant parents or frazzled new parents who might need a little support during their first year of parenthood. Featuring Helene the Illustrator's honest illustrations, each chapter looks at the different aspects of life with a new baby, from the first days of the newborn bubble through to the unbelievable milestone of their first birthday. Helene began illustrating her experiences of motherhood after the birth of her daughter. She found herself frequently scrolling through Instagram and finding she couldn't relate to the picture-perfect mothers who littered her feed. She started sharing her art and was stunned by the response she received, from new parents who felt just like she did. Helene's supportive, honest, empowering (and sometimes sweary) account of life with a new child unites parents from around the globe. While all parents, babies and births are different many of the emotions of new parenthood are universal. We are not alone, we're all in the same club and we've all got to do what we've got to do. We're all just making it up as we go along, hoping for the best! In The Club is the hug, hot cup of tea - or massive glass of wine - that new parents who feel overwhelmed and under-qualified need.

Current public health promotion of breastfeeding relies heavily on health messaging and individual behavior change. Women are told that "breast is best" but too little serious attention is given to addressing the many social, economic, and political factors that combine to limit women's real choice to breastfeed beyond a few days or weeks. The result: women's, infants', and public health interests are undermined. Beyond Health, Beyond Choice examines how feminist perspectives can inform public health support for breastfeeding. Written by authors from diverse disciplines, perspectives, and countries, this collection of essays is arranged thematically and considers breastfeeding in relation to public health and health care; work and family; embodiment (specifically breastfeeding in public); economic and ethnic factors; guilt; violence; and commercialization. By examining women's experiences and bringing feminist insights to bear on a public issue, the editors attempt to reframe the discussion to better inform public health approaches and political action. Doing so can help us recognize the value of breastfeeding for the public's health and the important productive and reproductive contributions women make to the world.

Breastfeeding. The mere mention of it has many mothers wracked with anxiety (how will I manage with work, other kids, what if I don't make enough milk?) or guilt about not doing it (will I be hurting my child ifl choose not to breastfeed? what will people think of me if I choose not to?). This hot-button issue is one we've talked about repeatedly in the media and in celebrity culture. Remember when Angelina Jolie posed for the cover of W nursing her new-born? Oh, the controversy! And when Barbara Walters complained about the woman breastfeeding next to her on a plane? She was forced to issue a public apology. Or what about when supermodel Gisele Bunchen declared that there should be worldwide law that mothers be required to breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life? All hell broke loose. This topic gets people riled up, and there has never been a narrative account that explores the breastfeeding big picture for parents and their children in today's world. THE BIG LETDOWN by author, journalist, and breastfeeding advocate Kimberly Seals Allers will change that for the better and open up a candid conversation about the cultural, sociological, and economic forces that shape the breastfeeding culture and how it undermines women in the process.

Introduce your child to swimming: an expert guide shown step by step in more than 200 photographs. This is a unique series of exercises to encourage co-ordination, strength and confidence, and enhance mutual enjoyment in the water for you and your baby or toddler. You can learn how to submerge your baby safely, progress through to diving and jumping, and finally experience the thrill of watching your child swim freely. It shows how your toddler can discover the freedom of buoyancy and underwater swimming, and become relaxed and independent in the water. It answers all the most frequently asked questions concerning choosing pools and equipment, and the safety of babies in the water. It is packed with entertaining games and activities, all shown in over 200 easy-to-follow photographs. In this fascinating and beautifully photographed book, Francoise Freedman shares the knowledge and expertise that led her to develop Aqualight - Birthlight's approach to introducing babies and toddlers to the world of water. All babies have the potential to enjoy water and, if encouraged a little, will welcome the freedom and challenges of buoyancy. It will take some dedication to see your child swim totally unaided for the first time, but the rewards will far outweigh your efforts. Immersing your baby is completely safe when done correctly through this gentle and progressive approach.

Based on their years of experience of founding and managing the Emmi-Pikler-Haus in Berlin, the authors here present their wisdom around caring for children from birth to three years old. Full colour illustrations offer clear instructions on all aspects of childcare, from nappies to the playroom to the dining table. This is a valuable reference for young families and any adults caring for very young children.

From hormones to stretch marks, labor pains to diaper changes, motherhood is an adventure like none other. The rapid changes in your body, your lifestyle, and your very identity call for a certain mental and emotional agility. Mindfulness can help you meet the challenge and approach every experience with your new baby with open eyes and an open heart. Based on research conducted at California Pacific Medical Center, and with a foreword by beloved meditation teacher Sylvia Boorstein, Mindful Motherhood: Practical Tools for Staying Sane During Pregnancy and Your Child's First Year (New Harbinger/Noetic Books, May 2009, $16.95) by psychologist and mom Cassandra Vieten, has been acclaimed by women's health experts, mindfulness teachers, and psychologists alike. Mindful Motherhood provides pregnant women and new moms with a brief, low-cost, easy to implement set of tools to deal with stress, difficult moments, depressed or anxious moods, and negative thought patterns during pregnancy and early motherhood. Based on the principles of mindfulness, this book also provides information, exercises, and ideas to enhance the positive emotions that are part of the experience of motherhood and improve the quality of mother-infant interactions, bringing more attention and awareness to the deep joy and satisfaction that motherhood can bring. Mindful Motherhood provides pregnant women and early moms with: 1) accessible information based on science and sound clinical theory, 2) practical tools for practicing mindfulness in everyday life, 3) stories and examples to inspire interest and clarify points, and 4) experiential exercises that will help readers integrate the information and experiences they have. Mindful Motherhood also offers current insights into the positive psychology of motherhood and mother-infant attachment, translating science and theory into jargon-free language and immediately applicable tools. This book is aimed specifically toward pregnant women and mothers with infants, who would like to deal more effectively with stress and mood during pregnancy and postpartum, who are interested in being the best parent they can be, and who want to cultivate a deeper connection to themselves and their children. The goal is to help women become the kind of present, authentic, connected, emotionally competent, psychologically-balanced, and loving mothers they want to be not to mention enjoying the extraordinary experience of motherhood to its fullest extent. Why it is Important A large body of evidence in both animal and human studies indicates that stress and mood disturbance experienced during pregnancy increases the risk for preterm birth, low birth weight, and other pregnancy-related complications, and may adversely affect the developing fetus. Postnatal mood disturbance can interfere with attachment, healthy parenting behaviors, and child development. While a wealth of evidence supports all these facts, surprisingly little information is available to women and clinicians for reducing stress and improving mood in pregnancy and postpartum. Mindful Motherhood is the only book oriented toward teaching research-based mindfulness principles to reduce stress and improve mood in pregnant women and new moms. It is an easy but informative read that gives new moms the psychology, science and health facts behind how mindfulness can enhance mother-infant attachment, and be used in childbirth.

Combining time-honoured teachings with current obstetric techniques, this essential reference empowers birthing helpers and parents to create a truly woman-centred birth experience.

A landmark book on the womb - its history, its present and the possibilities for its future - by the bestselling author of Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story 'It will change the way you think about bodies forever' Rachel Clarke, author of Dear Life 'A phenomenal book' Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women 'Sharp and political, learned and wise' Katherine May, author of Wintering The womb is the most miraculous organ in the body - with the power to bring life or cause death; to yield joy or pain - yet most of us know almost nothing about it. In this book, midwife and bestselling author Leah Hazard sets out on a journey to explore the rich past, complex present and dynamic future of the uterus. She speaks to the Californian doctor who believes women deserve a period-free life; walks in the footsteps of the Scottish woman whose Caesarean section changed childbirth forever; uncovers America's long history of forced and coercive sterilisation; observes uterine transplant surgery in Sweden and takes a very personal dive into the world of 'womb wellness'. Written with wisdom, warmth and nuance, and combining the author's years of experience as a midwife with medical history, scientific discovery and journalistic inquiry, Womb is an extraordinary exploration of a woefully under-researched and misunderstood organ. Above all, the book reveals that the uterus is more than the sum of its biological parts: it influences all our lives in the twenty-first century, and how we celebrate, medicate and legislate the womb might yet control where we go from here.

This evidence-based guide for professionals covers essential information to help support parents breastfeeding past the first six months, including starting solids alongside breastfeeding, nursing manners, and common problems and challenges. The recommendation of breastfeeding beyond six months is well-established, but many birth professionals don't feel confident enough to support parents. This book, packed with case studies of real-life parents and practical tips, helps to educate healthcare professionals - as well as parents themselves - to feel better informed. Each chapter combines professional, research-led evidence with a parent-focused resource section for a fully integrative approach. Centring families and their personal journeys, Supporting Breastfeeding Past the First Six Months and Beyond is an invaluable guide for all lactation consultants, birthing professionals, healthcare workers and parents.

Take charge of your pregnancy. For trusted advice, turn to Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month to Month from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This fully revised edition of Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month to Month offers the latest medical guidelines in straightforward, easy-to-read language to help you make the best decisions for you and your pregnancy. You can trust that the information you read is supported by medical research and the everyday experience of ob-gyns who have cared for millions of pregnant women.