Fit For Birth And Beyond

Many older women spend months, if not years, trying for motherhood, then endure an anxious pregnancy wondering if they are eating and exercising properly. Fitness expert Suzy Clarkson has been there. Her first pregnancy at the age of 38 was relatively trouble-free, but trying to get pregnant again a few years later was very different. Following fertility treatment, she finally gave birth to her second child at the age of 45. Qualified in physiotherapy, Suzy has now devised a practical guide to assist older women through their pregnancies, using her own experiences of motherhood to support her text. This easy-to-follow fitness program will take you through each trimester, showing suitable exercises and suggesting how to develop healthy habits to achieve a safe outcome, a successful childbirth and a speedy recovery afterwards. The book is fully illustrated with step-by-step photographs showing the exercises in detail. The information she provides is based on the latest research, and is endorsed by leading specialists in obstetrics and fertility. But the book is more than its exercises. Suzy is a 'real mum' who offers encouragement and a compassionate helping hand to all older mothers. Fit for Birth and Beyond is the guide you can trust and use with confidence.

Many older women spend months, if not years, trying for motherhood, then endure an anxious pregnancy wondering if they are eating and exercising properly. Fitness expert Suzy Clarkson has been there. Her first pregnancy at the age of 38 was relatively trouble - free, but trying to get pregnant again a few years later was very different. Following fertility treatment, she finally gave birth to her second child at the age of 45. Qualified in physiotherapy, Suzy has now devised a practical guide to assist older women through their pregnancies, using her own experiences of motherhood to support her text. This easy - to - follow fitness programme will take you through each trimester, showing suitable exercises and suggesting how to develop healthy habits to achieve a safe outcome, a successful childbirth and a speedy recovery afterwards. The book is fully illustrated with step - by - step photographs showing the exercises in detail. The information she provides is based on the latest research, and is endorsed by leading specialists in obstetrics and fertility. But the book is more than its exercises. Suzy is a 'real mum' who offers encouragement and a compassionate helping hand to all older mothers. Fit for Birth and Beyond is the guide you can trust and use with confidence.

A practical, step-by-step photographic guide to yoga poses specifically chosen to support you safely through pregnancy and the first months following the birth. Yoga is more important during pregnancy than at any other time of your life. As your body becomes unfamiliar to you from trimester to trimester and as labor approaches, you need safe, strengthening, and supportive sequences to guide you on your journey. This book gives you step-by-step yoga postures specially adapted for each trimester, and relaxation techniques and simple breathing exercises will show you how to adjust to the physical demands of labor and give birth with confidence. From conception to birth, help develop shared well-being and continue to reap the benefits of yoga after the birth as you bond with your new baby and regain your shape.

Your journey through a comfortable, safe, and confident pregnancy begins with Pregnancy Fitness. This practical guide answers your questions and delivers the information, exercises, and workouts you need to maintain your personal fitness and enjoy the best possible experience in welcoming your baby to the world. Written by three experts in prenatal and postpartum fitness, pelvic floor exercise, and core restoration, Pregnancy Fitness covers all physical and physiological aspects of pregnancy, birth, and recovery so you can enjoy peace of mind throughout your pregnancy and long after delivery. You’ll get complete need-to-know information about hormones, body and posture changes, and common pregnancy aches and pains, along with critical information on diastasis recti and pelvic floor health, which aims to support and protect your body from core dysfunction. A full spectrum of stretching, strengthening, and functional exercises provides the focus, description, safety tips, and variations that allow you to progress safely through your pregnancy and to be physically prepared for birth and optimal recovery. The sample workout programs guide you through each phase of pregnancy, including postpartum, to help you establish and meet your personal fitness goals with comfort and confidence.

Written by one of the world's leading obstetricians, this extraordinary book takes a totally fresh look at what parenting means in the 21st century. Addressing both parents, the book looks at all aspects of life, through the nine months of pregnancy and the following nine of the baby's life. It is both a practical handbook for pregnancy, birth and the early months of a new baby's life, and a stimulating exploration of this period of enormous transition. Taking a holistic approach, it advocates integrated health care, i.e. both conventional and complementary therapies, and, with its exhaustive medical content, including a 160- page A-Z section, also acts as a superb source of reference.

Two leaders in pregnancy yoga share useful yoga techniques to guide expectant mothers from bump to birth and beyond Authoritative yet thoroughly accessible, this user-friendly book provides yoga techniques for pregnancy and beyond, helping expectant mothers to deal with all the physical and emotional changes you experience along the way. Authors Tara Lee and Mary Attwood—both leaders in the field—explain the important fundamentals of pregnancy yoga, such as: • Using breathwork to relax your body and reduce stress • Guided meditations and visualizations to help you feel calm and positive • Illustrated step-by-step routines to energize you and relieve muscle tension and pain • Beneficial postures for a range of common pregnancy-related conditions, including back pain, breathlessness, and swollen ankles • Advice on preparing for labor and childbirth • Post-natal exercises to get you back in shape and energized as a new mother Most importantly, Tara and Mary emphasize how every woman can take charge of her whole self to ensure a happy and healthy pregnancy and birth. The foreword by internationally celebrated Dr Gowri Motha, creator of the Gentle Birth Method, reinforces the message that pregnancy and childbirth is a positive experience to cherish and enjoy.

Being Zen(ish) is what we call it - and it's the ish that we endorse! Teresa Palmer and Sarah Wright Olsen, two moms from opposite sides of the world, are doing their best to raise happy, empathetic children while working, traveling, and maintaining their sanity. With seven kids between them, the founders of the much-loved Your Zen Mama blog know as well as anyone that motherhood doesn't exist in the highlight reel of life, and that finding even a fleeting semblance of calm among the epic ebbs and flows of parenting is usually all you can hope for. Forget perfection and prepare to get real, vulnerable, and dirty (mostly from guacamole) with Sarah and Teresa as they share knowledge they've collected over the years, from the Your Zen Mama community and expert mentors, as well as being in the trenches of parenthood themselves. In The Zen Mama Guide to Finding Your Rhythm in Pregnancy, Birth, and Beyond, you'll find: Important questions to ask and decisions to make before and during pregnancy Essential guidance from a woman's point of view for conception, pregnancy, and childbirth Nutritional and dietary advice to support the complete health of both mother and baby Practical education about the mother's body before, after, and during pregnancy Science-based methods to promote a mother's healthy body and mind Expert advice from medical professionals, chiropractors, and pediatricians Engaging, accessible advice for every step of the newborn's journey Suggestions and tips for creating a birthing plan Comforting language to address fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, and complicated labor Access to the Your Zen Mama resource guide Whether it's dealing with fertility challenges or pregnancy loss, riding out a long and complicated labor, or juggling multiple kids (and work), these mamas have been through it - and have written this book to help you find your own glimpses of Zen along the way.

‘Marie Louise is a dream come true for any parent with her uncanny ability to simplify the most important and complicated questions’ Emma Bunton, co-founder of Kit and Kin Whether you are planning for a baby, just found out you are pregnant or well into your third trimester, this book will help you to feel confident, informed and inspired about your exciting journey ahead. Through years of work with families, Senior Midwife Marie Louise reveals the key things that will make the biggest, most positive difference to you and your baby as you navigate these life-changing months. As well as this, Marie Louise is renowned for bringing complex science to life. You’ll discover fascinating facts that underpin everything you and your baby will go through, including - - How your nervous system is synced with your baby and why baby already knows a lot about you when they are born - The unique process your baby goes through to pass through the birth canal and how you work together in labour - Incredible facts about breast milk Packed with the most up-to-date findings and expert insights, you'll find everything you need to prepare for motherhood and, most importantly, understand and appreciate just how amazing you and your baby both are!