What happens when a mother says she is 'fine' but really she is not? Post-natal depression (PND), an illness which affects four in ten new mothers, is still stigmatised, and devastatingly misunderstood. In Fine (not Fine), Bridget Hargreave charts her own experiences of depression following the birth of her sons and records the histories of a collection of mothers with a diverse range of perinatal mental health problems, such as anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, and ante-natal depression. She includes the stories of the mother who was hospitalised with severe depression, the mother who was so anxious she was physically sick every day, the mother whose birth trauma means just hearing the word "midwife" leaves her in a cold sweat, and the mother who bravely and honestly outlines the plans she made to end her own life. Brought together by a series of interviews with mental health professionals and charities campaigning for changes in perinatal care, Fine (not Fine) tells the story of a hidden epidemic, and the remarkable people fighting it.

Offers thought-provoking theories and life-transforming ways to deal with pain What can we ask of pain? How can we be more creative and courageous in carrying pain in our lives? In this genre-bending work that is equal parts memoir and scholarly criticism, L. Ayu Saraswati provides thought-provoking theories and life-transforming ways to understand pain, specifically in relation to feminism. Arguing that pain is not merely a state we are in, Scarred reframes pain as a "transnational feminist object," something that we can carry across international borders. Drawing on her own experience traveling across twenty countries within just over a year, Saraswati aims to bring readers along on her journey so that they might ask themselves, "How can I live with pain differently?" By using pain as a lens of feminist analysis, Scarred allows us to chart how power produces and operates through pain, and how pain is embodied and embedded in relationships. Saraswati provides a heartfelt and engaging recount of her experiences while also pushing the boundaries of the respective fields her story engages with. She allows for renewed academic and personal insights to blossom by using a blend of transnational feminist theory, travel studies, and pain studies. Ultimately, Scarred invites us to reframe pain and ask how might we carry it in a more humane, life-sustaining, enchanting, and feminist way.

From its beginnings in the 1970s and 1980s, interest in the topic of gender and migration has grown. Gender and Migration seeks to introduce the most relevant sociological theories of gender relations and migration that consider ongoing transnationalization processes, at the beginning of the third millennium. These include intersectionality, queer studies, social inequality theory and the theory of transnational migration and citizenship; all of which are brought together and illustrated by means of various empirical examples. With its explicit focus on the gendered structures of migration-sending and migration-receiving countries, Gender and Migration builds on the most current conceptual tool of gender studies-intersectionality-which calls for collective research on gender with analysis of class, ethnicity/race, sexuality, age and other axes of inequality in the context of transnational migration and mobility. The book also includes descriptions of a number of recommended films that illustrate transnational migrant masculinities and femininities within and outside of Europe. A refreshing attempt to bring in considerations of queer theory and sexual identity in the area of gender migration studies, this insightful volume will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as sociology, social anthropology, political science, intersectional studies and transnational migration.

Disabled women represent one of the most marginalised minority groups in the world, hence they are largely silent while their sexuality is ignored, suppressed, forbidden and buried underneath the carpet. Until recently, most of the Global Northern published literature on the subject of the sexuality of disabled women has predominantly been constructed from hearsay and second-hand narratives in studies which draw from the perspectives of parents, service providers and advocates, without much consultation of the relevant women. By facilitating the voice of disabled women in Zimbabwe and illuminating their experiences of sexuality, this book hopes to shift the experiences of sexuality of disabled women from the periphery of society to the fore. Disability and Sexuality in Zimbabwe presents original research on an issue that is thus far not found in local research data. Whilst addressing the paucity of literature on the subject, the book informs policy and practice and enhances the existing body of knowledge by making recommendations towards the development of a disability and sexuality framework that is rooted in the African context. This book is of interest to students and scholars of African studies, disability studies, sociology, psychology, social work, nursing, education studies, geography, women's and gender studies and interdisciplinary studies. Additional audiences include a wide range of health, social care, and educational professionals and practitioners, as well donors, disabled people's organisations, charities, government departments, NGOs, supranational organisations, and policy makers

Turning thirty years of medical and cultural wisdom on its head, Sex, Lies, and Menopause challenges both the medical establishment and modern feminists to prove that menopause does not have to be deadly.

In this revolutionary work -- a landmark that signals the true beginning of feminist medicine -- a doctor, a philosopher, and a scientist prove that by postponing marriage and motherhood, women have accelerated the aging process, resulting in earlier menopause and, ultimately for thousands, earlier death.

In Sex, Lies, and Menopause, T. S. Wiley, Julie Taguchi, M.D., and Bent Formby, Ph.D., offer strong evidence that the use of synthetic hormones leads to cancer and advise women to turn to natural hormone-replacement therapy -- derived from plants, not drugs -- to help them elevate their estrogen level for greater energy, libido, and intellectual capacity.

Provocative, empowering, and scientifically sound, Sex, Lies, and Menopause addresses the inherent benefits of natural progesterone, reveals the lies advanced by the medical and drug establishments, and challenges women to demand a medical future where their health comes first. The research presented in Sex, Lies, and Menopause will at last allow women to create their own plan of action to put themselves safely on the path to better health and hormonal balance at any stage of life.

This ground breaking book is an innovative, passionate and provocative exploration of intersectionality. The sustained emphasis on activism and practice reasserts the potency of intersectionality borne out of Black feminism. The rare and pioneering international reach of this book crosses four continents. In this book context matters: there is no intersectionality without context! Resting on the premise that we cannot work for the liberation of individuals, communities and societies without intersectionality, this book asks: How does intersectionality challenge the structures and discourses of social work education, management and organisation? What is the revolutionary potential of intersectionality? Intersectional in its method and content, the blend of practice, activism, research and theory troubles geopolitical and disciplinary boundaries. The range of topics include: Islamophobia, immigration, feminist movements, social work education, violence against women and girls, gender, sexuality, race, disability, age, religion, nationality, citizenship policy and legal frameworks. This book will appeal to activists for social justice, social work practitioners, researchers, lecturers, students and those working in the field of Black feminist thinking. The focus on the activism of intersectionality provides a clear pathway into Black feminist thinking and its application to social work internationally and to emancipatory collective political activism worldwide.

"I can be a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a woman without having periods." This book explores two of the oldest and most important symbols of all time: menstruation and secondary amenorrhea. Women of menstruating age commonly experience secondary amenorrhea - a cessation of periods - but most people have never heard of the term, nor do they realise what it represents. Danielle Redland's curiosity as to why this is posits that menstrual conditions need to be decoded, not just simply treated. Surveying menstruation and Secondary Amenorrhea (SA) principally from a psychoanalytic perspective, with sociocultural, historical, political and religious angles also examined, Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Women, Menstruation and Secondary Amenorrhea draws secondary amenorrhea out of the shadows of its menstruating counterpart, and explores how narratives of womanhood and statehood dominate. Chapters on blood ideology and war amenorrhea, on Freud's treatment of Emma Eckstein and on the psycho-mythology of Pygmalion, present the reader with visions beyond patriarchy towards more thoughtful ideas on the feminine, challenging assumptions about gender, identity and what is deemed "good" for women. Rich in clinical examples, the book locates menses and their cessation at the heart of personal experience and examines psychosomatic phenomena, the link between psyche and body and the value of interpretation. From the author's own analysis to a variety of cases linked to hysteria, anorexia, stress, trauma, abuse, helplessness and hopelessness, individual stories and narratives are sensitively recovered and carefully revealed. This refreshing example of multi-layered research and psychoanalytic enquiry by a new, female writer will be of great interest to psychologists, psychotherapists, healthcare and social work professionals and readers of gender studies, history, politics and literature.

Are you tired? Achy? Depressed? Overweight?
You could be suffering from an autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune disease is the third major category of illness in the United States, yet very little is known about the many serious and chronic immune conditions. If you're one of the 50 million Americans suffering from one kind of autoimmune disease-whether it's lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or Crohn's disease-there's a good chance you'll develop another.

Written by Mary J. Shomon, a well-known patient advocate who was diagnosed with autoimmune disease in 1995, this guide to alternative and natural remedies shows you how to treat the underlying causes of immune system imbalance, not just the symptoms. It contains first-person accounts from doctors, patients, and holistic practitioners, as well as checklists, quizzes, and a proposed recovery plan. In addition, it offers detailed information about:

• The most common autoimmune conditions • The factors that can lead to autoimmune disease • Interpreting your symptoms • Procedures and treatments • Finding the right doctor

Until we find a cure, living with autoimmune disease can be frightening and frustrating. But it doesn't have to be. This valuable guide helps you understand what may be causing the disorder and helps you take the first healthy, natural steps toward correcting it.

AS SEEN ON BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS Montgomery, Alabama. 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend has big plans to make a difference in her community. She wants to help women make their own choices for their lives and bodies. But when her first week on the job takes her down a dusty country road to a tumbledown cabin and into the heart of the Williams family, Civil learns there is more to her new role than she bargained for. Neither of the two young sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling their welfare benefits, that's reason enough to have them on birth control. When Civil discovers a terrible injustice, she must choose between carrying out instructions or following her heart and decides to risk everything to stand up for what is right. Inspired by true events and a shocking chapter of recent history, Take My Hand is a novel that will open your eyes and break your heart. An unforgettable story about love and courage, it is also a timely and uplifting reminder that one person can change the world.

Women have long needed a book devoted to their unique issues with diabetes. This up-to-date and practical guide advocates simple lifestyle changes that can help women reduce their risk of getting diabetes or, if already diagnosed, prevent the disease's most serious complications. "Every Woman's Guide to Diabetes" translates the latest findings from diabetes research into proven strategies busy women can use to stay healthy and gain control over an often overwhelming disease. The authors discuss the nature of diabetes, helping readers through the complex medical decisions involved in diabetes treatment. They highlight strategies to decrease the emotional stress and social isolation that often accompany diagnosis, and offer everyday techniques for managing blood sugar.

Key features include: unique aspects of diabetes for women throughout the life cycle timetable of recommended tests and check-ups guide to medications with common dosages charts to help organize diabetes-care tasks and supplies time-management tips for better disease regulation guide to contraceptives available to women with diabetes review of issues critical to women before, during, and following pregnancy advice for overcoming barriers to weight loss and exercise plan for intelligent diet trade-offs while still enjoying meals practical tips for planning exercise strategies to avoid diabetes "burn-out"

Written by two physicians, one of whom is a woman living with diabetes, and an experienced medical writer, "Every Woman's Guide to Diabetes" recognizes the power that women have in their households to effect lifestyle changes that will benefit themselves and loved ones, including their mothers, daughters, sisters, and partners. This power can reduce the toll of the diabetes epidemic.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER * #1 GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER * USA TODAY BESTSELLER You are not broken. Being a woman is not a diagnosis. Take your body back with the groundbreaking new science for women in Hormone Intelligence. Hormonal. We all know what it means when we hear it - and feel it. While hormonal shifts are natural throughout women's lives, too many experience distressing period symptoms, struggle daily with PCOS, endometriosis, a fertility challenge, pain, low sex drive, sleep problems, acne, bloating, hot flashes, and more - all due to hormone-related problems. And too many are unable to get the answers they're really seeking from their doctors. There is a solution. In Hormone Intelligence, Yale trained and internationally renowned women's health expert, Dr. Aviva Romm, helps you identify the root causes of your symptoms and guides you through a 6-week proven program to achieve lifelong hormonal and gynecologic health. Using a holistic, dietary and lifestyle changing approach, Hormone Intelligence goes beyond treating symptoms to the deeper factors impacting women's health, so you can reclaim your body, hormones, and self. Inside Hormone Intelligence, you'll find: * Hormone Health 101: Understand the key components of the hormone epidemic and associated dietary and lifestyle triggers. * Symptoms and Root Causes Demystified: Discover what your symptoms are saying about your hormones with quizzes, checklists, trackers, and more. * A 6-Week Action Plan: Learn what foods you should indulge and avoid, how to repair your microbiome to support hormone health, how to identify environmental hormone disruptors, engage your body's natural detoxification systems and reduce hidden inflammation, and the lifestyle changes that lead to happy, healthy hormones. * Delicious, done-for-you meal plans to take you through the entire program, including vegan options. Hormone Intelligence is an invitation to a whole new relationship with your body and hormones, the exhale you've been waiting for, and the first step on the road to realizing that a diagnosis does not have to be your destiny. Extended references, a complete index, and additional resources for Hormone Intelligence can be found at the author's website.

Balance your hormones and increase energy naturally with these delicious vegan and gluten-free recipes! This cookbook features 80 recipes with nutrients and ingredients that will help you look and feel your best at any time of the month. Whether you are seeking a fertility diet or aiming to achieve natural hormone balance, this cookbook gives you the tools and information you need to eat healthier and get started today. Recipes Include: Blackberry Compote Chocolate Oatmeal - Sweet Potato Pancakes - Crunchy Spring Roll in a Bowl - "Cheesy" Bean and Veggie Quesadillas - Spicy Kung Pao Beets - Pumpkin Hummus - Superfood Snack Bars - Salted Pistachio Tahini Freezer Fudge - Banana Bonbons - Pineapple Green Juice Ice Pops - and more! *Note: While the recipes in this book were created with women in mind, they include all-natural ingredients that are healthy for everyone, regardless of age and gender!

This book presents new interdisciplinary and intersectional research about women as mothers, highlighting that alternative accounts of mothering can challenge normative societal assumptions and broaden understandings of women as mothers, mothering and motherhoods. Mothering occurs within unequal power relations associated with the disadvantages and privileges of an unjust and patriarchal society. Social inequalities associated with gender, race, class, age, ability, sexuality, violence and nationalism intersect in the lives of women as mothers, to shape their lived experiences and perspectives on mothering. Showcasing the breadth and depth of feminist research on mothering, this book gives attention to the diversity of ways in which mothering is constructed and responded to as well as how mothering is experienced. Drawing on intersectional feminist thought, the book challenges normative visions of 'good mothering' and interrogates constructs of 'bad mothering'. It brings together insights from multidisciplinary scholars who use feminist approaches in their research on mothering, to inform policy development and practice when working with women as mothers in diverse circumstances. Intersections of Mothering highlights the complexities of mothering in a contemporary world, show the benefits of considering mothering through an intersectional feminist lens, make visible lived experiences of mothers and provides challenges to dominant imaginings of and service responses to women as mothers. Intersections of Mothering will be essential reading for interdisciplinary scholars and students in criminology, gender and women's studies, motherhood studies, social welfare, social work, social policy and public health policy, in addition to practitioners and policy workers that respond to women as mothers.

Explores key challenges and dilemmas of service responses to men's domestic violence by interrogating the discursive constructions of gender and violence that underpin these. Reflects upon domestic violence systems, services and responses in ways that reverse the convention of applying theory to practice by, instead, focusing on the theorisation of practice. Promotes difficult conversations that challenge the influence of dominant gendered discourse on efforts to address domestic violence. Considers new approaches to conceptualising the problem of domestic violence in research, policy, and practice.

The current (postfeminist) gender order comprises a highly complex coexistence of old and new norms and expectations, freedom and constraints, within a neoliberal social order underpinned by individualism and involving a shift in gender performance by men and women. Health, illness and disease at different points in the life course can be used as a vehicle to illuminate structural and cultural inequalities that persist despite several decades of progressive reform in western countries. This collection brings together a number of key researchers, both established and new to the field, and based across North America, Australia, the UK and Europe, and comprises both empirical and theoretical work. Drawing on a wide range of disciplinary fields, including medical sociology, medical anthropology, nursing, gender studies, sociology of risk and age studies, all authors use heath, well-being, illness and disease as a lens through which to explore the complexities and inequalities associated with late modernity. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of age studies, medical sociology and anthropology, gender studies, healthcare and nursing.

'Daring, unsettling and original, The Weight of Loss is a debut to savour.' Victoria Gosling, author of Before the Ruins A spine-tingling debut about grief and obsession, with a shocking twist of an ending Marianne is still reeling from the death of her sister when she starts to exhibit some strange physical symptoms. Each day, it seems, her body betrays her a little bit more, and no one can explain to her what is going on. Then a doctor offers her the hope of recovery - a stay in Nede, an experimental health retreat deep in the Welsh countryside. Surrounded by high walls and cut off from the outside world, it sounds like exactly what Marianne needs. Desperate to get her life back on track, she leaves everything behind - her stressful job, her unsatisfactory relationship, her troubled family - hopeful that she finally has a chance to heal. Yet all is not as it seems at Nede. Yes, the surroundings are idyllic. Yes, the other residents seem happy. But something doesn't feel right. Marianne begins to lose control as she obsessively revisits the days and weeks leading up to her sister's death. But now she must confront a more immediate threat: a dark experiment that appears to be taking over her mind, her body and her precious memories.

Women are twice as likely as men to become depressed. While they seek help for mental disorders more often than men, they also seek to help others, trying to keep everyone happy while taking care of parents, spouses, and children. Sometimes, doing it all is doing too much. In Finding Your Emotional Balance, Dr Merry Noel Miller offers women of all ages advice for coping with life's challenges while increasing its joys. Drawing on her three decades of experience as a psychiatrist specializing in women's mental health-as well as her own personal struggles with depression and grief-she explains the special vulnerabilities and strengths of women during adolescence, the childbearing years, menopause, and late in life. Dr Miller opens each chapter with stories about women who are dealing with issues related to their stage in life. She discusses common mental disorders in the context of life stages, exploring the symptoms of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, and unresolved grief. She also offers a variety of remedies, suggesting medical and nonmedical approaches to finding emotional balance even in the most stressful times. Each chapter ends with a list of suggested readings and websites.

Lose weight for good without deprivation, skipping meals, or eliminating food groups with The Sculpt Plan, a holistic lifestyle approach designed for the busy modern woman. Have you tried every diet in the book, only to end up back where you started? So had Anita Rincon, when she developed the effective, results-driven, multi-tiered program that would become the foundation of her popular weight-loss brand, Sculpt. Inspired by her own weight loss journey of 100 pounds in 18 months, the successful approach has been perfected by Sculpt's all-female team of wellness professionals: 3 certified trainers, 3 registered dietitians, a sports nutritionist, and a recipe creator. Designed for busy women who don't have time for weeklong spa retreats or juice cleanses, it's Weight Watchers for the next generation. The Sculpt Plan is the first weight loss program to cater to both a standard diet and 5 specialty diets, including gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan, along with a workout program. And most importantly, it includes a post-loss maintenance program so you can stick to your new, healthy habits for a lifetime. The Sculpt Plan includes: Three weight-loss programs based on desired weight Simple instructions on how to get started and succeed A meal-by-meal guide and sample meals for every weight-loss group A food-swap table to easily customize your meals, with ideas for delicious new foods to try Free access to workout plans and exercise demonstrations in Sculpt's mobile app Over 60 easy recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as snacks, sides, and treats So get off the dieting rollercoaster and change your relationship with food-forever. The Sculpt Plan will show you how!

Although there are many reference guides to diseases, symptoms, and treatment for health problems of women, there is no comprehensive source for the social, political, economic and ethical issues that affect women's health decisions. "The Encyclopedia of Women's Health IssueS" provides valuable information on over 200 topics, including the issues and history surrounding diseases and medical procedures faced by women; health concerns of different ethnic groups of women; information on organizations and programs that deal with women's health; profiles on the people who have pioneered women's health services and information; and legal decisions related to women's health. An extensive bibliography and guides to good Web sites and organizations give users additional helpful resources. Among the features and benefits of this reference are

Charts and tables that present helpful facts and statistics

Contacts for Web sites and organizations that provide access to information about women's health issues--much of it free

Coverage of the issues, not just the diseases, critical to women's healthcare

Provides both basic information and guidance for further reading and research

It is unique in that it is designed and intended to be used to facilitate discussion and to disseminate awareness within real life settings - for example, in a staff room for Inset Days, or for social workers in their team meetings. This workbook has been written for anyone to be able to facilitate a session with colleagues, which takes between 1-3 hours depending on the facilitator and group's needs. The introduction details how to use the book and how to facilitate a training session using the material, including being aware of how people could be triggered by looking at this difficult subject. Will be of interest to all professionals who have a mandatory responsibility to report FGM cases such as qualified teachers, social workers, and health care professionals (nurses, midwives and health visitors particularly).