'As an accomplished businesswoman, I how hard can this baby thing be? When my world turned upside down, I felt almost embarrassed asking for help. If only I had met Jo Ryan sooner. Not only did she help me have a happier baby but I also became a blissfully happy mum.' -- Donna Hay Is your household suffering sleep deprivation? Are you feeling daunted by the prospect of becoming a new parent? Jo Ryan - paediatric nurse, nanny extraordinaire and considered by many as 'the Baby Whisperer' - has spent her life, reassuring and empowering new and stressed-out parents and soothing their young babies. In her much anticipated book, Babybliss, she gives you practical and gentle advice on your baby' sleeping patterns feeding routines crawling, walking and playing personality and development and how YOU can become a confident parent. Jo also answers new parents' frequently asked questions, and shares tips and techniques on all issues relating to your baby's health and happiness, so you can create a better experience for your young family.

Many mothers-to-be find themselves torn between choosing a natural childbirth with minimal medical intervention, and the peace of mind offered by instant access to life-saving technology that only a hospital can provide.Cynthia Gabriel, a doula who has attended hundreds of births and who advises hospitals on how to facilitate low-intervention childbirths, knows that new moms can have both. In this fully updated edition of her popular and pioneering book Natural Hospital Birth, Gabriel gives moms, as well as partners and even medical personnel, concise and reassuring guidance on how to have as natural a birth as possible in a hospital setting.Gabriel shows expectant mothers how to avoid unnecessary medical interventions, how to take the initiative and consciously prepare for the kind of birth they want, and how to prepare a birth plan to share with doctors and nurses at the hospital.

In the revised edition of The Official Lamaze Guide, the authors explain why childbirth has become riskier in the U.S.—leading to a shocking increase in maternal mortality rates, incidences of postpartum depression and post traumatic stress disorder related to childbirth, and the number of babies admitted to newborn intensive care units. To increase the safety and health of childbirth, the authors recommend following six “Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices” and starting childbirth education as early in pregnancy as possible.Lamaze’s vision for the future is that formal childbirth education, in person and online, should start early in pregnancy. In the second edition of The Official Lamaze Guide, the authors share Lamaze’s belief that preparing for birth and becoming a mother takes all of pregnancy, not just six weeks of formal classes at the end of the third trimester.This new edition has been updated to reflect the latest evidence-based research on pregnancy and childbirth. Since the first edition, childbirth in the U.S. has gotten riskier. The cesarean rate has continued to rise; now almost one third of women in the U.S. have a cesarean. There’s been a shocking rise in the maternal mortality rate. More babies are admitted to NICUs, and there’s been an alarming increase in incidences of postpartum depression and post traumatic stress disorder related to childbirth. Lamaze believes that all women have the right and the responsibility to get complete and accurate information about pregnancy and birth, and to choose what’s best for them and their babies based on that information.The second edition of The Official Lamaze Guide will showcase the six Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices, which are supported by research studies that examine the benefits and risks of maternity care practices.1. Let labor begin on its own.2. Walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor.3. Bring a loved one, friend, or doula for continuous support.4. Avoid interventions that aren’t medically necessary.5. Avoid giving birth on your back and follow your body’s urges to push.6. Keep mother and baby together—it’s best for mother, baby, and breastfeeding.The mission of Lamaze International is to promote, support and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth through education and advocacy through the dedicated efforts of professional childbirth educators, providers, and parents.

Count down your pregnancy day by day with advice from a team of experts and amazing images for every stage of your baby's development.Fully updated to reflect changes in medical practice, including advice on non-invasive prenatal testing and ways to adapt special diets during pregnancy, The Day-by-day Pregnancy Book provides a comprehensive look at every week of pregnancy. From early foetal development to how your hormones prepare you for birth, Q&As with experts and mums will help put your mind at ease. The Day-by-day Pregnancy Book also breaks down the 12 hours post delivery with an hour-by-hour account and the day-by-day format continues for the first two weeks of life with a newborn baby.The Day-by-day Pregnancy Book will be your pregnancy bible - every day.

Available for the first time in full color, the up-to-date and authoritative pregnancy guide that has sold 1.5 million copies--by recognizing that "one size fits all" doesn't apply to maternity careParents love this book because it puts them in control; experts love it because it's based on the latest medical research and recommendations from leading health organizations. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn provides the information and guidance you need to make informed decisions about having a safe and satisfying pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period--decisions that reflect your preferences, priorities, and values.Unlike pregnancy guides that can overwhelm and alarm by telling you up front all the things that can possibly go wrong, this book first describes normal, healthy processes, their typical variations, and the usual care practices for monitoring them. Only then does it cover possible complications and the care practices and procedures for resolving them. Throughout, the presentation is crystal-clear, the tone is reassuring, and the voice is empowering. And the language is inclusive, reflecting today's various family configurations such as single-parent families, blended families formed by second marriages, families with gay and lesbian parents, and families formed by open adoption or surrogacy. From sensible nutrition advice to realistic birth plans, from birth doulas when desired to cesareans when needed, from reducing stress during pregnancy to caring for yourself as well as your baby after birth, this pregnancy guide speaks to today's parents-to-be like no other.

Since the original publication of The Birth Partner, new mothers' mates, friends, and relatives and doulas (professional birth assistants) have relied on Penny Simkin's guidance in caring for the new mother from the last few weeks of pregnancy through the early postpartum period. Fully revised in its fourth edition, The Birth Partner remains the definitive guide for preparing to help a woman through childbirth and the essential manual to have at hand during the event. This completely updated edition 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; 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.

This is the new edition of this bestselling guide - find out what to expect from conception to birth. From the moment after conception to feeding your newborn baby, Professor Lesley Regan - world-renowned obstetrician - draws on her professional expertise and personal experience to explain exactly what is happening week-by-week, to you and your baby during pregnancy. Demystifying complex medical jargon, enabling you to make educated choices about your pregnancy, Lesley guides you through your own physical and emotional changes and antenatal care. Find explanations, advice and reassurance to ensure you have the best possible understanding of this extraordinary and wonderful time. Stunning state-of-the-art imagery and specialist up-to-the-minute research and information describes your baby's remarkable progress in the womb. With week-by-week real life scan images revealing each stage of a baby's development throughout pregnancy.

Here is a holistic approach to childbirth that examines this profound rite-of-passage not as a medical event but as an act of self-discovery. Exercises and activities such as journal writing, meditation, and painting will help mothers analyze their thoughts and face their fears during pregnancy. For use during birth, the book offers proven techniques for coping with labor pain without drugs, a discussion of the doctor or midwife’s role, and a look at the father’s responsibilities. Childbirth education should also include what to expect after the baby is born. Here are baby basics, such as how to bathe a newborn, how to get the little one to sleep, and tips for getting nursing off to a good start. Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is a process of continuous learning and adjustment; Birthing From Within provides the necessary support and education to make each phase of birthing a rewarding experience.

Based on a survey of two thousand women and responses from readers of the first and second editions, this complete and accurate guide enables women and their partners to take control of the childbirth experience. Diana Korte and Roberta M. Scaer, both long-time La Leche leaders, analyze today's childbirth options and help readers to choose among them â?? to find "Dr. Rightâ? (or a midwife), and perhaps a labor assistant, too, and to pick a hospital, birthing center, or home birth. They describe the pros and cons of medications, fetal monitoring, induction of labor, and other medical interventions during birth, and they tell readers how to avoid an unnecessary cesarean section and ensure that all their wishes are followed. In chapters such as "If You Don't Know Your Options, You Don't Have Any,â? "The Obstetricians Black Bag of Interventions,â? and "How to Have a Normal Vaginal Birth (and Avoid an Unnecessary Cesarean)â?, Korte and Scaer are refreshingly frank but never dogmatic; they want their readers to decide for themselves what's best for them.

HypnoBirthing® has gained momentum around the globe as a positive and empowering method of childbirth. Here's why: HypnoBirthing helps women to become empowered by developing an awareness of the instinctive birthing capability of their bodies. It greatly reduces the pain of labor and childbirth; frequently eliminates the need for drugs; reduces the need for caesarian surgery or other doctor-controlled birth interventions; and it also shortens birthing and recovery time, allowing for better and earlier bonding with the baby, which has been proven to be vital to the mother-child bond. What's more, parents report that their infants sleep better and feed more easily when they haven't experienced birth trauma.HypnoBirthing founder Marie Mongan knows from her own four births that it is not necessary for childbirth to be a terribly painful experience. In this book she shows women how the Mongan Method works and how parents they can take control of the greatest and most important event of their lives.So, why is birth such a traumatic event for so many women? And why do more than 40% of births now end in caesarian section, the highest percentage in history? The answer is simple: because our culture teaches women to fear birth as a painful and unsettling experience. Fear causes three physical reactions in the body—tightening of the muscles, reduced blood flow to the birthing muscles, and the release of certain hormones—which increase the pain and discomfort of childbirth. This is not hocus-pocus this is science. (NOTE: CD is not included)

Now in its seventh edition! From the American Academy of Pediatrics, the most up-to-date, expert advice for mothers, fathers, and care providers—all in one guide.All parents want to provide the very best care for their children. This essential resource from the most respected organization in child health is the one guide pediatricians routinely recommend. Parents can safely trust the guidance, which covers everything from preparing for childbirth to toilet training and from breastfeeding to nurturing your child’s self-esteem. Whether it’s resolving common childhood health problems or detailed instructions for coping with emergency medical situations, this new and revised edition of Caring for Your Baby and Young Child has everything you need, with information on . . .• Basic care from infancy through age five• Milestones for physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth, as well as visual, hearing, language, and movement mileposts• Information on healthy development and disabilities, including what to watch for and when to seek help• Injuries, illnesses, congenital diseases, and other disabilities addressed in a complete health encyclopedia• Updated content dedicated to environmental hazards and allergies• Guidelines for prenatal and newborn care, with spotlights on maternal nutrition, exercise, and screening tests during pregnancy• An in-depth discussion of breastfeeding, including its benefits, techniques, and challenges• Revised nutrition recommendations, including the importance of early introduction of allergenic foods and obesity prevention tips• Updated safety standards: the very latest AAP recommendations, from CPR instruction, safe sleep, and immunizations to childproofing tips, car safety seats, and toy safety• Tips for choosing childcare programs• Cutting edge research on early brain development and how babies and young children think• Updated media chapter, including the effects of media and technology exposure on children and how to make the most of screen time in the homeCaring for Your Baby and Young Child is an essential childcare resource—recommended by pediatricians and trusted by parents.

The runaway New York Times bestseller that shows American parents the secrets behind France's amazingly well-behaved children.*This edition also includes Bébé Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting“On questions of how to live, the French never disappoint. . . . Maybe it all starts with childhood. That is the conclusion that readers may draw from Bringing Up Bébé.” —The Wall Street Journal“I’ve been a parent now for more than eight years, and—confession—I’ve never actually made it all the way through a parenting book. But I found Bringing Up Bébé to be irresistible.” —SlateWhen American journalist Pamela Druckerman had a baby in Paris, she didn't aspire to become a “French parent.” But she noticed that French children slept through the night by two or three months old. They ate braised leeks. They played by themselves while their parents sipped coffee. And yet French kids were still boisterous, curious, and creative. Why? How?With a notebook stashed in her diaper bag, Druckerman set out to investigate—and wound up sparking a national debate on parenting. Researched over three years and written in her warm, funny voice, Bringing Up Bébé is deeply wise, charmingly told, and destined to become a classic resource for American parents.

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 moreFor the partner who wishes to be truly helpful in the birthing room, this book is indispensable.

The viral video star behind Dude Dad offers a humorous and heartfelt guide to helping expectant fathers survive and thrive during the wild ride that is forty weeks of pregnancy.Numerous apps and books exist to help expectant parents understand their baby’s development by comparing their unborn child to a raspberry or a stalk of broccoli, but Taylor Calmus takes issue with that. First off, your baby is not some wimpy little vegetable. Your baby is a hardcore little lug nut who is straight-up growing organs on a weekly basis. Second, how big is a stalk of broccoli? And what the heck is a kumquat? Clearly this situation calls for a better approach. Enter . . . A Dude’s Guide to Baby Size.• At week nine, your little shredder resembles the circumference of a guitar pick.• At week twenty-four, your budding jalapeño is the size of some concession-stand nachos.• By week thirty-four, your little lopper is now the size of a sixteen-inch largemouth bass that weighs four to five pounds!This book is full of fun facts about your growing baby, advice on how to help Mom-to-be, as well as ideas and encouragement for you on your journey from Dude to Dude Dad.Buckle up for a wild ride full of maternity metaphors, gnarly playlists for all the special occasions, new parenting tales, dos and don’ts for expecting dads, and even an entire chapter dedicated to beef brisket!

Heng Ou, Amely Greeven, and Marisa Belger, the bestselling authors of The First Forty Days and Awakening Fertility, encourage mothers-to-be to care for themselves—and not just their babies—during pregnancy.There is so much noise surrounding pregnancy and birth. There are countless books teeming with information—what test does what, the “rights” and “wrongs” of eating, and “safe” or “risky” lifestyle choices—but few that hold a woman through the experience, acting as an elder sister, a matriarch, or as a circle of women might hold her—with compassion, nonjudgment, and, most of all, wisdom. To the authors of Nine Golden Months, this is exactly what’s needed now, in an era of high-speed living, endless demands, and more than a little anxiety and fear.A woman needs to feel connected to others, rooted in the knowledge that many have done this before her, and calmed and fortified by time-honored practices that nourish her body, soothe her mind, and hold up her spirit. The (still-growing) success of The First Forty Days showed that women are longing to experience the deeper aspects of becoming a mother. Nine Golden Months shares timeless guidance from the authors’ extraordinary circle of practitioners, guides, and wisdom-keepers specializing in prenatal care; it draws from Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, and features rituals and self-sourced wisdom, so that it addresses all aspects of a woman’s pregnancy experience: emotional, mental, physiological, and spiritual.Includes color photographs

Prenatal nutrition can be confusing. A lot of the advice you have been given about what to eat (or what not to eat) is well-meaning, but frankly, outdated or not evidenced-based. In Real Food for Pregnancy, you will get clear answers on what to eat and why, with research to back up every recommendation. Author and specialist in prenatal nutrition, Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE, has taken a long and hard look at the science and discovered a wide gap between current prenatal nutrition recommendations and what foods are required for optimal health in pregnancy and for your baby's development. There has never been a more comprehensive and well-referenced resource on prenatal nutrition. With Real Food for Pregnancy as your guide, you can be confident that your food and lifestyle choices support a smooth, healthy pregnancy.

This fourth edition of the book that introduced readers to the revolutionary, nutritionally based prenatal program for the growing number of women pregnant with multiples is now revised and expanded for an era when multiple births are on the rise and includes updated diet and exercise recommendations for the postpartum mother as well as twenty-five new recipes.You're expecting more than one baby? Congratulations! Effective, encouraging, and up-to-date, When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads is essential for you and your babies. Like all mothers-to-be, you're experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions: joy, fear, confusion, and excitement--maybe all at once. As a woman pregnant with more than one baby, you're feeling all these things . . . only more so! When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads outlines a practical, nutrition-based program to keep you and your babies healthy, and provides a comprehensive tour of what you can expect during your unique pregnancy and childbirth experience. Women who follow this program have significantly fewer complications during pregnancy--and their babies are born healthier, weighing 20 to 35 percent more than the average twin, triplet, or quad. Included is crucial information on:* Finding a qualified maternal/fetal medicine specialist
* Dietary recommendations, menus, and 75 recipes for maximizing birthweight* Safe guidelines on exercise, physical activity, and work* Reducing your risk for pregnancy complications
* Recognizing the signs of preterm labor and what to do about them
* How twin type (fraternal vs. identical) affects prenatal care* What to expect during and after delivery* Feeding and caring for your newborns . . . and yourself

Don't just survive twin parenting―thrive every step of the way with practical preparation strategies and advice from You Can Two.It's no secret that raising two babies at once has its challenges, but with the right preparation you can conquer fears for good. You Can Two delivers essential information and practical prep strategies to get expecting parents ready for the joys of twinfancy.From mental and emotional prep to feeding, and everything in between, this action-oriented guide covers the broad spectrum of how to tackle the first few months after your babies arrive. Complete with real advice and encouraging anecdotes from parents who have been there, You Can Two is a go-to reference to remember that you can do this.Get ready for two heartbeats, 20 fingers, and 20 toes, with: Step-by-step prep that guarantees you'll be ready for whatever comes your way, from gathering gear for your hospital bag to teaching your tiny humans to eat and sleep. A planning toolkit that includes checklists, trackers, questions for need-to-know answers, and to-do lists. Real support that offers insider techniques from other twin parents, along with stories for reassurance and inspiration.Whether you were hoping for twins, or are still staring in disbelief at an ultrasound with two heartbeats, You Can Two gives you the confidence to head into twin parenting with excitement―not fear.

From the author of Expecting Better, The Family Firm, and The Unexpected an economist's guide to the early years of parenting.“Both refreshing and useful. With so many parenting theories driving us all a bit batty, this is the type of book that we need to help calm things down.” —LA Times“The book is jampacked with information, but it’s also a delightful read because Oster is such a good writer.” —NPRWith Expecting Better, award-winning economist Emily Oster spotted a need in the pregnancy market for advice that gave women the information they needed to make the best decision for their own pregnancies. By digging into the data, Oster found that much of the conventional pregnancy wisdom was wrong. In Cribsheet, she now tackles an even greater challenge: decision-making in the early years of parenting.As any new parent knows, there is an abundance of often-conflicting advice hurled at you from doctors, family, friends, and strangers on the internet. From the earliest days, parents get the message that they must make certain choices around feeding, sleep, and schedule or all will be lost. There's a rule—or three—for everything. But the benefits of these choices can be overstated, and the trade-offs can be profound. How do you make your own best decision?Armed with the data, Oster finds that the conventional wisdom doesn't always hold up. She debunks myths around breastfeeding (not a panacea), sleep training (not so bad!), potty training (wait until they're ready or possibly bribe with M&Ms), language acquisition (early talkers aren't necessarily geniuses), and many other topics. She also shows parents how to think through freighted questions like if and how to go back to work, how to think about toddler discipline, and how to have a relationship and parent at the same time.Economics is the science of decision-making, and Cribsheet is a thinking parent's guide to the chaos and frequent misinformation of the early years. Emily Oster is a trained expert—and mom of two—who can empower us to make better, less fraught decisions—and stay sane in the years before preschool.

The instant New York Times bestseller • A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of 2021“Emily Oster dives into the data on parenting issues, cuts through the clutter, and gives families the bottom line to help them make better decisions.” –Good Morning AmericaFrom the bestselling author of Expecting Better and Cribsheet, the next step in data driven parenting from economist Emily Oster.In The Family Firm, Brown professor of economics and mom of two Emily Oster offers a classic business school framework for data-driven parents to think more deliberately about the key issues of the elementary years: school, health, extracurricular activities, and more.Unlike the hourly challenges of infant parenting, the big questions in this age come up less frequently. But we live with the consequences of our decisions for much longer. What's the right kind of school and at what age should a particular kid start? How do you encourage a healthy diet? Should kids play a sport and how seriously? How do you think smartly about encouraging children's independence? Along with these bigger questions, Oster investigates how to navigate the complexity of day-to-day family logistics.Making these decisions is less about finding the specific answer and more about taking the right approach. Parents of this age are often still working in baby mode, which is to say, under stress and on the fly. That is a classic management problem, and Oster takes a page from her time as a business school professor at the University of Chicago to show us that thoughtful business process can help smooth out tough family decisions.The Family Firm is a smart and winning guide to how to think clearly--and with less ambient stress--about the key decisions of the elementary school years.Parenting is a full-time job. It's time we start treating it like one.

Based on author Heng Ou’s own postpartum experience with zuo yuezi, a set period of “confinement” in which a woman remains at home focusing on healing and bonding with her baby, The First Forty Days revives the lost art of caring for the mother after birth.“A great read, especially during the second half of pregnancy. . . . Includes pantry and shopping lists to prepare beforehand, as well as step-by-step instructions for making everything from bone broth to body salves. It discusses how to approach relationships, setting guidelines for visitors, and asking for help and support from family and friends.” —Mother magazineThe first 40 days after the birth of a child offer an essential and fleeting period of rest and recovery for the new mother. As modern mothers are pushed to prematurely “bounce back” after delivering their babies and are often left alone to face the physical and emotional challenges of this new stage of their lives, The First Forty Days provides a lifeline—a source of connection, nourishment, and guidance.The book includes 60 simple recipes for healing soups, replenishing meals and snacks, and calming and lactation-boosting teas, all formulated to support the unique needs of the new mother. In addition to the recipes, this warm and encouraging guide offers advice on arranging a system of help during the postpartum period, navigating relationship challenges, and honoring the significance of pregnancy and birth.Cowritten by New York Times bestselling author Amely Greeven and Marisa Belger, The First Forty Days, fully illustrated to feel both inspiring and soothing, is a practical guide and inspirational read for all new mothers and mothers-to-be—the perfect ally during the first weeks with a new baby.Includes Color Photographs