A Natural Guide To Pregnancy And Postpartum Health

Having a baby can and should be one of the most joyful experiences of a woman's life. While there are hundreds of books that provide information on how to ensure the development of a healthy baby, few of them dedicate more than a few pages to the nourishment of the mother herself during this physically and emotionally demanding time. It is rarely discussed, but women commonly experience a wide variety of ailments during the postpartum period, from depression to anxiety, backache, and loss of libido. A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health is the first book by physicians that is devoted entirely to telling women how they can prevent postpartum problems and attain optimum health after the delivery of their babies. Elements of the program, which is meant to be adopted during-or, if possible, before-pregnancy, include diet, nutritional supplementation, exercise, hormone-balancing, the use of medicinal herbs, and conventional medications. Developed by the authors in clinical practice, this program has a proven track record in helping women to avoid and overcome postpartum difficulties.

Provides essential advice for adjusting to the many challenges facing women during the first year after giving birth. • Offers practical tips for finding balance between being fully immersed in the beautiful but demanding path of motherhood and maintaining a sense of self. • Provides helpful herbal tips and recipes and includes gentle yoga exercises. • Addresses a new mother's need to replenish her body, mind, and spirit so that she can nurture her child. • By the author of The Natural Pregnancy Book and Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide. New mothers need care and support to adjust to the myriad challenges facing them after birth: changing body image, lifestyle, work arrangements, and relationships. Midwife, herbalist, and mother of four, Aviva Jill Romm shares her insights into how to make this crucial time a happy one. She provides essential advice for preparing for the postpartum period, coping during the first few days after the birth, establishing a successful breast-feeding relationship, getting enough rest, eating well even with a hectic schedule, and finding time to regain strength and tone with gentle yoga exercises. Woven throughout are helpful herbal tips and recipes to make the first year of motherhood a naturally healthy one. Natural Health after Birth also addresses a new mother's need to replenish her body, mind, and spirit so that she can nurture her child. This book provides support both for women who plan to be home full or part time during the first year and those who must return to their jobs soon after the birth. With humor and compassion, Romm offers mothers practical wisdom for attaining the delicate balance between being fully immersed in the beautiful but demanding path of motherhood and maintaining a sense of self.

From the popular YouTube channel Mama Natural, this is the first week-by-week natural pregnancy book for soon-to-be moms. For the last half-century, control over childbirth has been in favor of doctors. Many pregnancy guidebooks are conventional, fear-based, and written by male physicians deeply entrenched in the old-school medical model of birth. But change is underway. A groundswell of women are taking back their pregnancy and childbirth and embracing a natural way. Genevieve Howland, the woman behind the enormously popular Mama Natural blog and YouTube channel, has created an inspiring, fun, and informative guide that demystifies natural pregnancy and walks mom through the process one week at a time. The Mama Natural’s Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth is the modern (and yet ancient) approach to pregnancy and childbirth. “Natural” recognizes that pregnancy and birth are normal, and that having a baby is a wondrous biological process and rite of passage—not a medical condition. This book draws upon the latest research showing how beneficial and life-changing natural birth is for both babies and moms. Full of weekly advice and tips for a healthy pregnancy, Howland details vital nutrition to take, natural remedies for common and troublesome symptoms, as well as the appropriate (and inappropriate) use of interventions. Peppered throughout are positive birth and pregnancy stories from women of all backgrounds (and all stages of their natural journey) along with advice and insights from a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) plus a Registered Nurse (RN), doula, and lactation consultant. Encouraging, well-researched, and fun, The Mama Natural’s Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth will be an essential companion for women everywhere to embrace natural pregnancy and reap all the benefits for both baby and mama.

During the year after giving birth, some mothers struggle to recover from the wearying days, sleepless nights, and assorted other troubles ��� mental, physical, and spiritual ��� that childbirth brings. If you're one such woman, know that you don't stand alone. Author Allison Auth has experienced all these woes and more, growing wise along the way in the art of postpartum life ��� a healing art she illuminates and shares here with you. In these lively, plainspoken pages, Auth introduces you to powerful exercise, health, and nutrition practices that can relieve ��� and often even eliminate ��� most of the troubles you might suffer during that difficult year after your baby is born. These practices will help you find the energy, balance, and healing ��� physical and spiritual ��� that you need to care confidently for your loved ones, your home, and your soul. Auth will even teach you a surefire way to slay, once and for al

A fresh, new pregnancy guide—the first complete functional medicine book—offering women and their partners a comprehensive approach to maintain and enhance health and wellness before, during, and after pregnancy. The Wise Woman’s Guide to Your Healthiest Pregnancy and Birth combines the expertise of top-tier physical therapist Patricia Ladis—who works with superstar athletes, professional dancers, and celebrities—with Dr. Anita Sadaty, a highly regarded holistic ob-gyn with a celebrity clientele. Together, they have devised a six-step protocol beginning the six months before conception continuing forty days post-birth and beyond, incorporating holistic principles that encourage optimal wellness for mother, partner, and baby. Whether they are in their 20’s, 30’s or 40’s, this book empowers readers to be in tune with their bodies during all stages of pregnancy, and is the first book by a functional medicine dream-team aligning medical and structural body issues to avoid such potential pregnancy outcomes as osteoporosis, sciatica, pelvic prolapse, structural weakness, and postpartum depression. Each of the six stages organizes Ladis and Sadaty’s holistic principles into five easy-to-follow aspects: Body, Movement, Breathing, Nourishment, and Wisdom. They include practical applications such as foods to help reduce internal inflammation, specific exercises—with instructive photos—in each stage, breathing techniques to lower stress, and “pearls of wisdom” backed by science exploring a multicultural history of this special time in a woman’s life. For the first time, a pregnancy guide considers the importance of choices you make six months prior to conception, and the effect on genes. When both members of a couple are calm, fit, and well-nourished, the latest science suggests that together they are less likely to pass on negative genes to a child.

Written by a nurse, this holistic guide for pregnancy and the postpartum experience provides foundational knowledge and intuitive wisdom to help new mothers support the optimal health of their baby and their own bodies. Get the answers to the big questions about pregnancy: • What kinds of foods should you eat and how do you prepare your body for labor and birth? • How does movement impact pelvic health and the baby's position in the womb? • How does the endocrine system and your brain change throughout pregnancy? • How does the microbiome influence your and your baby's health? Packed with practical information and helpful infographics, Amy J. Hammer helps you create the optimal environment for growing a baby and navigating the major transitions in a pregnancy—including nurturing pelvic floor health, the fetal and parental microbiome, and the science behind the stages of pregnancy from conception to postpartum. By providing vital and often ignored information about reproductive science, movement, and nourishment, this book empowers parents to make informed and personal choices about their pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

Healthy Beginnings is the ultimate step-by-step guide to pregnancy and childbirth. It is a uniquely Canadian resource developed by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), the national body that sets Canadian clinical practice guidelines for obstetrics and gynaecology in Canada. From preconception to early postnatal care, Healthy Beginnings is an indispensable resource for mothers, mothers-to-be and caregivers. This handbook is an accessible guide with up-to-date, expert information that helps readers better understand how a body prepares for birth, and what a growing baby needs. This knowledge has been shown to make a big difference in how well a pregnancy progresses and how healthy a newborn will be. Healthy Beginnings is an excellent tool for expecting parents. It prepares them for the long, natural process that covers pregnancy, labour, birthing, maternity and breastfeeding. This must-have book is chock full of advice and sound information, so much so that it virtually turns into a user's guide to pregnancy, comforting new parents and raising their confidence level! —Dr. Corinne Leclercq President, AOGQ Healthy Beginnings is an essential guide that will help pregnant women make their way through the different stages of pregnancy. In this update covering everything from preconception to postpartum, we provide our patients with information of the utmost quality and the latest discoveries in the field. This book is an excellent starting point for anyone taking part in the wonderful adventure that is pregnancy! —Dominique Pilon MD, CCMF Association des omnipraticiens en périnatalité du Québec

For more than twenty-five years, Mothering magazine has captured an audience of educated women who appreciate its "we'll inform, you choose" approach to parenting. Having a Baby, Naturally reflects this spirit with straightforward, uncensored information about pregnancy and childbirth, addressing common concerns and questions in a compassionate, nonjudgmental style. Written by Peggy O'Mara, the longtime publisher, editor, and owner of Mothering magazine, it synthesizes the best theories and safest practices used in natural childbirth, including recommendations from the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Throughout, O'Mara reinforces her belief that each woman's pregnancy and birth experience is a one-of-a-kind event. She covers such topics as: Nutrition, diet, and exercise Emotional self-awareness during and after pregnancy A trimester-by-trimester guide to what is happening in your body and your child's Birth choices -- offering suggestions, not "rules" Pain medication alternatives Birth locations, from hospitals to home birth Relieving morning sickness with natural remedies Prenatal testing Breastfeeding Prematurity and multiple births Balancing work and family The father's role during pregnancy and beyond Difficult subjects, such as birth defects, miscarriages, and postpartum depression, are also treated with sensitivity and candor. Finally, a book for the thinking woman who believes in her own inherent capacity to make smart, informed decisions about her pregnancy and birth, just as she makes in other areas of her life. Having a Baby, Naturally is a celebration of childbirth and an accurate and objective guide to helping women fortify their spirits, develop trust in their bodies, and make the best possible choices to protect their new baby's health.