Every pregnant woman should read this book! How can I stay healthy during pregnancy? What should I expect during my labour and birth? What do I need to know about caring for my baby? With so much information out there, it can be confusing. We've put together this book as a simple, concise guide to pregnancy, birth and your new baby. This book emphasises your involvement in birth and your active participation in labour. Many women want to be free to give birth using their ability and resources rather than being a passive recipient of maternity care. You will only give birth to your baby once. Take your time to enjoy the discoveries of pregnancy and the richness that birth can bring to your life. Preparing for Birth: Mothers looks at: keeping healthy in pregnancy preparing for birth and parenting how to keep your baby safe the different stages of labour and birth exploring the unexpected newborn care feeding your baby facing the challenges in the first few weeks following birth

"Giving birth is the pivotal moment of a woman's life but it is often treated as a medical procedure, and not as a rite of passage. Birthing from Within offers parents engaging and memorable ways for pregnant women, and their partners, to activate personal, social and spiritual resources that will guide them through labour and afterwards. Many birth classes teach from the 'outside', from the perspective of the professional. Yet, knowledge of anatomy and the stages of labour can often seem irrelevant in the intensity of contraction. The pregnant woman needs to know about labour and birth from her own perspective, she needs to be prepared for birthing from within. Pam England offers a method that allows a woman to fully understand her own strengths and resources. The self-discoveries made during pregnancy makes birth life-enhancing and empowers the future of the family. It is a multi-sensory and holistic approach that aims to make parents feel positively informed about what they are about to experience, confident about the birth of their child. Pain is an inevtiable part of childbirth but Birthing from Within provides resources for building pain-coping confidence in parents. It gives detailed instructions on dealing with normal labour pain and when the humane use of drugs may be called for."--Cover.

An illustrated hands-on guide to the dynamics of the female pelvis for expectant mothers, midwives, and birth professionals • Provides fully illustrated exercises to help the expectant mother prepare her pelvis for birth and gain confidence in her body’s innate ability to birth her child • Details the anatomical intricacies of the female pelvis and its capabilities for expansion and return to its original form • Presents movements and positions to ease discomfort, enhance the productivity of contractions, aid the internal expansion of the pelvis, and prevent and treat issues that may arise such as “failure to progress” The dynamic power of the female pelvis is the key to a gentle birth. Throughout pregnancy, hormones soften the ligaments and joints of the pelvis in preparation for labor, a time when the four bones of the pelvis--the two ilia (hip bones), the coccyx (tailbone), and the sacrum--do their intimate dance of release, rotation, and counter-rotation around the soon-to-be newborn. In this hands-on guide based on 15 years of research and workshops in maternity wards, movement teachers and health professionals Blandine Calais-Germain and Núria Vives Parés detail the anatomical intricacies of the female pelvis and its capabilities for expansion and return to its original form. Providing fully illustrated exercises to help the expectant mother prepare for this pelvic transformation and gain confidence in her body’s innate ability to birth her child, they also present a variety of movements and positions for use during the different stages of labor to ease discomfort, enhance the productivity of contractions, aid the internal expansion of the pelvis, and prevent and treat issues that may arise such as “failure to progress.” Ideal for the expectant mother and her birthing partner, this book will be a welcome addition to the library of every midwife, obstetrician, doula, and movement professional who teaches pregnant women.

The first complete guide for couples to the most popular method of natural childbirth. Destined to become the standard book on Lamaze, covering everything from the moment of pregnancy to the difficulties of adjusting to parenthood.

A guide to birth preparation. It takes the reader step by step through mental, emotional and physical preparation for birth. It explains why birth has become such a traumatic affair in our culture and how an individual woman can break out of this fear based birth culture and prepare for the birth in a positively and confidently.

Amidst the doctor visits, the showers, and the physical and emotional changes that come with pregnancy, it’s easy to forget to prepare yourself spiritually to welcome your newborn into the world. That’s why Éline Landon crafted for you these maternal reflections and gathered these gentle Scripture passages — to help you prayerfully live each month of your pregnancy according to God’s loving plan. As the birth of your child approaches, turn to these loving pages to refresh your soul, strengthen your faith, and gain inspiration from the example set by the many expectant couples in Scripture: From the Old Testament, Hannah will show you and your spouse how to wait patiently for the conception of the child you so desire. Tobias and Sarah will help you order your priorities in a way that produces a strong, stable family. Our Lady will teach you how to bear the uncertainties of pregnancy and prepare to raise a family without fear. The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth will help you experience Christ’s presence through the child you carry in your own womb. With the gifts of the Holy Spirit revealed here, you will learn to overcome discouragement. The Infant Jesus in the manger will teach you how to prepare interiorly for childbirth. And even Mary Magdalene will come to your aid, revealing to you certain crucial duties you have as a parent, in addition to caring for your baby. Whether you are hoping and praying for the conception of a child or are already expecting, this beautiful book will open your eyes and your heart to the grandeur of God’s plan for your family and to the unfathomable love with which He cares for those who trust in Him.

The fear and pain most women expect from pregnancy can at last be overcome. Carl Jones, a certified childbirth educator, tells how using mental imagery can help you reduce the pain of labor by controlling the fear beforehand. His easy-to-follow, eight-step method, which teaches your mind to cooperate with your body, will help make your childbirth less stressful and more natural. Whether you plan to give birth at home, in a childbearing center, or in a hospital, Carl Jones's simple exercises will put you in touch with the best instrument of birth there is—yourself.