Search results for ""Pinter Martin Ltd.""

Evidence continues to increase on the practical and emotional benefits of babywearing, both to parents and their children. Among many other benefits, babywearing can help parents bond with a new baby, and facilitate both breastfeeding and the care of the baby’s older siblings. Babywearing also has benefits for society at large. Children are more securely emotionally attached and there is evidence of a link between the reduced incidence of postnatal depression and babywearing. In this new book, Rosie Knowles explores all these advantages, along with the practicalities of how to babywear and babywearing culture. She demonstrates how a clearer understanding of babywearing, and the attachment parenting philosophy as a whole, can ultimately lead to a happier, healthier society.

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Perhaps you had a difficult birth. Hopefully, you have a healthy baby. That, after all, is the most important thing. Or is it? So why are you struggling to move on? Why do you keep thinking about the birth or replaying it in your mind? Why do you feel guilty when other people say “at least you have a healthy baby”? In Birth Shock, perinatal clinical psychologist Mia Scotland explains clearly what can be harmful about birth, how birth trauma can affect mothers, fathers and health professionals, and why it seems to be on the rise. If you are suffering from the effects of a difficult birth, even if the birth doesn’t sound bad to others, then this book is for you. Perhaps the birth was really bad and your baby isn’t okay. Perhaps you are a partner who feels traumatised, or you are a midwife or a doctor. In these pages you will find: a clear, concise, psychological explanation of what birth trauma actually is discussion of what causes birth trauma clear tips and advice on how to put yourself on the path to recovery Birth Shock draws on what we know about trauma, PTSD and the nature of birth and maternity systems to show how you can take steps toward letting go of any guilt, self-blame or confusion that you may be feeling.

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When breasts first start to grow, no one talks about it. There aren’t any greetings cards that say, ‘Woo Hoo! Your breasts are developing!’ but you get a birthday card when you are ten and that’s just about planet Earth going around the Sun ten times. Why don’t we say, “Woo Hoo!”? Because we live in a society where we often get uncomfortable and look at the floor when it comes to talking about breasts. They seem to be important in lots of ways but then there are these confusing rules that say when we’re allowed to notice them and talk about them, and when we’re not. This book tells you all about breasts and helps you to feel confident about their arrival. They are much more than just a pair of bumps that can fit into a bra. Breasts can do amazing things that scientists are only beginning to understand. This book says, “Woo Hoo!” and ‘Wow!’ and ‘Isn’t that amazing?’ It says, “Congratulations!” and also says, “I know this feels a bit weird too.” Your body has looked the same for a long time and now things are changing. That can take some getting used to. Let’s get to know more about our two lifelong buddies with the WHEN, HOW and WHY of breasts.

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Amity Reed became a midwife to serve women, but the reality of working in over-stretched and underfunded NHS maternity services soon shattered her illusions. She’s not alone – for every 30 midwives that train, 29 will leave the profession. Overdue is both the devastating personal story behind the statistics, and a call for change in the NHS. Real-life stories capture the moments at the heart of midwifery: life, death, birth, tragedy and joy, and are embedded in a clear-sighted examination of what is working – and what isn’t – in maternity services. The result is a book that asks – and tries to answer – questions that are at the heart of many people’s working lives: how can we follow our calling, provide for our families and keep ourselves healthy, if the workplace and its systems are working against us?

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: when adopted midwife Mariam embarks on a project to protect an abandoned premature baby, she is forced to face her own abandonment years before. Time is running out before the baby is sent to the orphanage. Mysterious characters from the city surrounding the hospital will be crucial in determining the baby’s fate, as will a workaholic British doctor with whom Mariam finds herself falling in love... Alice Allan's debut novel is an original, vivid and moving story about attachment and loss.

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The only book addressing the stark psychological impact of midwifery work while giving midwives the tools to choose a brighter future. Flourish aims to support you as a midwife to do two things: to name what’s going on around you and within you, then to find and claim your distinctive place in the midwifery world. You might be a newly qualified or early career midwife facing the challenges of finding your voice as well as your feet. Maybe you’re an established midwife but feel as though you have lost your way – and with it the energy to reshape either yourself or the environment you work in. Perhaps you're a team leader seeking to find the vocabulary to connect with your team, acknowledge what they might be feeling and reach out for resources and tools to support them to thrive, reflect and grow. As a guidebook, Flourish is a tour of discovery that reveals how ‘standard’ maternity environments and practices might be impacting you personally, and then invites you to reconnect with the core of your personality and purpose. You'll recognise more clearly the realities of trauma exposure, burnout, compassion fatigue and moral injury, and explore what's really needed for psychological safety. You'll choose from an array of exercises to practice living well in the day to day, and you'll find a way back 'home', to a place where your sense of motivation for being a midwife is rekindled – a place where you can reconnect to your values, strengths and your unique voice. Once there, you will be able to make real, rich choices about your life and your career. Kate Greenstock is a distinctive combination of practising midwife and coach, bringing the flavours of both: reality and possibility; rawness and hope.

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Dr Grantly Dick-Read died on 11 June 1959. His teaching, however, gains a growing recognition even though others are putting their names to his theories and practices. The delivery on this recording was not in fact an 'easy' one, as the baby was not fully rotated. The record, therefore, not only justifies Dick-Read's teaching but is also a tribute to his own skill as a gynaecologist. The following sleeve notes were written a month after the recording. 'When my wife informed me that she was going to have a baby, I think my reactions were typical of most husbands. I was delighted, for we both wanted to start a family, but I was also anxious. My knowledge of childbirth was limited. I had heard that pregnancy could be 'difficult', that labour itself, if not actually dangerous, meant many hours of suffering either nobly endured or alleviated with anaesthesia. My wife, however, insisted that I read "Childbirth without Fear" by Dr Grantly Dick-Read. There I learned the simple tenets upon which his teaching is founded. The fear of childbirth can be overcome by simple instruction in the truth of natural processes. The methods by which a woman can help herself and not cause her own distress - correct breathing and relaxation for use during pregnancy and labour were explained. Simple exercises (requiring only a few minutes per day) to aid the general fitness for the birth of the baby were described. Dr Dick-Read stressed that even more important than the removal of pain is the spiritual joy the mother experiences when she sees her baby into the world, a joy, which transcends the moment of birth, and has a lasting influence on the family unity. This, as Dr Dick-Read says, is the experience, which is destroyed when the sensations of birth are removed or disturbed by interference. My wife decided that she would prepare for natural childbirth. It was at this point that as a recording executive I became involved professionally. My wife volunteered to have her labour recorded and Dr Dick-Read agreed to supervise her delivery and give a commentary as the labour proceeded. In effect, we had provided Dr Dick-Read with a test of some severity. We were not asking him to choose the best result from, say, twelve cases. The patient was not even selected by him. She was having her first baby and she was over thirty. Mrs Dick-Read began the antenatal preparation, as described in the book "Antenatal Illustrated". The voices you will hear on this record are those of Dr Dick-Read, Mrs Dick-Read, the expectant mother and, towards the end of the record, a woman doctor in general practice who assisted Dr Dick-Read. Another doctor who was present primarily as an interested observer was also skilled in the administration of pain relief should the patient have desired it. A bedroom in Dr Dick-Read's house in Petersfield had been equipped with a labour bed. Trilene and Pethedine were available; for, contrary to some reports, a strongly maintained principle of Dr Dick-Read's teaching was that the patient should not be expected to suffer any unnecessary pain or discomfort. Three microphones were used. One was placed above the bed and used to pick up conversations between doctor and patient and also the atmosphere of the ward, which was calm and peaceful throughout. At each side of the bed we placed microphones for use when either Dr or Mrs Dick-Read wished to make any comment. I personally operated the recording equipment in an adjoining room during the confinement and can categorically state that at no time did I feel that my wife was asked to bear any severe discomfort. Even when owing to the incomplete rotation of the baby's head at the outlet, and in order to prevent unnecessarily prolonging the final stage of labour, a small incision was made, my wife did not feel this and did not at any stage request anaesthetic. That she was asked to do a lot of very hard work she will be the first to admit. But the joy of the birth itself is unforgettable. During the early stages of her labour I was with her and able to help during her contractions with the back-rubbing, she found so beneficial at this stage. A swishing sound on the record during the first stage contractions is made by this back-rubbing. It is during this stage that Dr Dick-Read insisted that all patients should have company. So often the expectant mother is 'left to get on with it until the second stage is reached. During the second stage considerable background noise is caused by the movement of the bed-clothes when the patient changes her position in order to use her contractions efficiently. The recording was made on tape, edited and then transferred to a long playing record. Before we started to condense the recording of a twelve-hour labour to the length of one LP record we invited reporters to hear parts of the as yet uncut tape, including the last twenty minutes. It was pointed out to them that although a very heavy task of selection lay ahead, there was nothing which needed to be suppressed for the purpose of demonstrating natural childbirth. The editing presented two major problems. Owing to the fact that our microphones were highly sensitive in order to pick up the quietly and calmly conducted comments and discussions of the doctor, his patient and his assistants, we also picked up many unwanted and distracting noises, doors closing, sterilised tins being opened, running taps, etc. These noises have been removed wherever possible from the finished record. Condensation proved more difficult, for many of the early stage contractions were very similar, and throughout the first two stages there were long periods when the patient was lying peacefully relaxed between her contractions. All that was merely repetitious or irrelevant had to be discarded. To present a twelve-hour labour on one long playing record was clearly impossible, therefore we were faced with a further problem. If we did not include some passages of rest and relaxation, we would give an impression that the patient moved rapidly from contraction to contraction; but to allow a five-minute rest its full playing time was not possible. We have tried, therefore, to maintain the impression of the overall rhythm of labour by selection of contractions and the shortening of silences. We have not condensed individual contractions. This is important in demonstrating the breath control called for during contractions. This record, then, is an account of a twelve-hour labour leading up to the dramatic moments when the baby is born. One of the most outstanding moments on this record occurs towards the end of the first side. Using his stethoscope with a microphone placed alongside it, Dr Dick-Read searches for and listens to the heart-beat of the baby while it is still in the birth canal, one hour and a half before it is born-an exciting moment for the recording technicians and the doctors when they heard the playback for the first time. Reporting on the last twenty minutes of this recording, one of Britain's leading newspapers, the "Daily Mirror", called it: "The most moving record I have ever heard". If this record helps to abolish fear, it will help to abolish pain in labour. If it helps to spread the teachings of Dr Grantly Dick-Read, then it will have done its job. His work won its due recognition when it was acknowledged and approved by His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, who also commented upon the spiritual approach inherent in Dr Dick-Read's method, saying: "The researches of the Englishman, Dr Grantly Dick-Read, differed notably from those of the Russians (notably the followers of I.P. Pavlov) in their philosophical and metaphysical postulates which were not based, like those of the Russians, on materialistic concepts". This record should help to prepare a woman for the emotional and spiritual experience which is her right, and needs to be fought for, just as much as her right to highly skilled surgery, or pain-killing drugs. There is still some opposition to Dr Dick-Read's work, especially in his own country; there are many places where lip-service is paid to his system; but if his method is followed sincerely by those responsible for the conduct of labour, the result can be as on this record. Here, then, unscripted and unrehearsed, is a record of a natural childbirth.' H.J.U.

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The first book dedicated to the subject of Ashtanga yoga, pregnancy, birth and motherhood. This in-depth book offers the guidance, shared wisdom and practical advice that every student and teacher of Ashtanga yoga needs for the journey to motherhood and beyond. Covering many aspects of this transformative time in a woman’s life, Yoga Sadhana for Mothers is an invaluable resource for anyone working with pregnant or postpartum yoga students. Includes: inspiring, first-hand stories of conception, pregnancy, birth and motherhood written by women practitioners of Ashtanga yoga from around the world, including some of Shri K. Pattabhi Jois’s most long-standing students and influential teachers clear, illustrated guidelines on modifying the Ashtanga yoga primary series during pregnancy developed in collaboration with R. Sharath Jois, director of KPJAYI in Mysore, India warm, personal interviews with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois’s daughter, Saraswathi Rangaswamy and his granddaughter Sharmila Mahesh, offering insight into family traditions passed down by Jois and his wife Amma practical guidance on postpartum recovery using Ayurvedic foods and therapeutic practices to aid healing beautiful photographs from the 1980s to the present day, documenting family life and the practice A heart-warming and indispensable companion for any practitioner of yoga who is hoping to become – or who already is – a mother.

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How do I keep my yoga practice going while I travel? What are the best postures for jet-lag? What stretches should I do after scuba-diving? Or cycling? Or the morning after a big night out? Is there a good yoga sequence for when I'm feeling tired and lonely? What do I do if there's not enough space for my mat? The answer to all these questions and much more lies within the pages of this little book. Written by a seasoned yoga teacher and international traveller, whose positive and compassionate wisdom comes through on every page, this is the only travel yoga book you will ever need.

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This acclaimed account by author of the bestselling author of Irrationailty of his own manic depression remains unique in its honesty and perception. As an eminent psychologist who suffered a severe mental breaskdown. Stuart Sutherland was ideally placed to provide an original and insightful description of his illness and often bizarre consequences. In the second part of Breakdown, Sutherland describes and assesses the various forms of therapy and drug treatments available to sufferers of manic depression and analyses the origins of mental illness. Essentail reading for anyone affected by or interested in mental illness.

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Woman as comestible. Woman as kingmaker. Woman as oblivion. Why is our culture governed by the principle of separation? Beginning with a devastating exploration of the 1960s, understood up until now as the era of female liberation, free love and the tribal sharing of drugs, Antonella Gambotto-Burke deconstructs the past two centuries and shows how we are, in fact, moving towards the age of the Nietzschean übermensch, in which femininity will, if we do not change, be erased. She skilfully draws together diverse threads, from the shockingly personal to the broadest societal trends and cutting-edge scientific research, to construct a brilliant and startling thesis that medicinal and recreational drugs have rewired our bodies and brains to an near-incomprehensible extent. Anxiety, artificial wombs, brutality, the class system, depression, dieting, racism and other issues – including the first plausible theory for rubber fetishism and other ‘kinks’ such as choking or breathplay – are explained within the context of the dominant cultural paradigm. A devastating uppercut to a patriarchal ideology that has marred billions of lives, Apple: Sex, Drugs, Motherhood and the Recovery of the Feminine completely revises our understanding of addiction, art, drug use, homosexuality, murder, pornography, sex, war, and, critically, the significance of birth, infancy and motherhood in relation to human existence. You will never see anything the same way again.

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A startlingly large number of women who want to breastfeed have to stop before they are ready, leaving them feeling a range of negative emotions, including grief, anger, guilt, shame and frustration, and often blaming themselves. But in a society that places little value on breastfeeding and mothers' feelings, their painful stories are often swept under the carpet to the detriment of women's mental health and experience of new motherhood. Professor Amy Brown has researched what breastfeeding really means to women, how they can feel when things don't go according to plan and importantly, how we can change things for the next generation of women. Her findings make fascinating reading for anyone with personal experience of breastfeeding difficulties, those who support mothers to make infant feeding decisions that are right for them, or those who simply want to be part of changing the conversation.

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Oxytocin, or the ‘hormone of health and life’, is a hugely important substance for pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding – working in a woman’s body and brain to make changes during pregnancy, optimise labour, increase milk production and support bonding. Research has shown that we can encourage the body’s oxytocin system by supporting mothers’ wellbeing through birth practices and postnatal care. We also now know that oxytocin is present in everyone, of any age, directing a whole system of effects that have consequences for family life, including bonding, stress reduction and social interaction. In Why Oxytocin Matters Kerstin Uvnäs Moberg, a leading oxytocin researcher, shows how a better understanding of our biology can be immensely helpful for new parents and those who work to support families.

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There’s a wealth of information out there for expectant mums on pregnancy and birth, but so often the dad is left out of the conversation. Male midwife Mark Harris seeks to redress the balance with this new book, drawing on his decades of experience with couples as they make the transition to being new parents. Covering topics from massage to sex, and pain relief during labour to breastfeeding, this is a lively, honest and frank discussion of pregnancy and birth from a man’s point of view. Mark explores how to harness the power of birthing hormones, how to remain calm and aware in the birthing room, how to communicate effectively, and ultimately how to live the process of becoming a father to the full.

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A beautiful book for children and their families, Milky Moments celebrates the joy of childhood and mothering, and normalises breastfeeding as a part of day-to-day life. Delightfully illustrated scenes are complemented by lyrical rhyming text that gently draws the reader into the lives of the families depicted. The hand-painted illustrations are set in a variety of locations including a playgroup, a shopping trip, parks, hospital and at home. The children’s ages range from newborn to 5 years old, baby and child breastfeeding positioning is accurate and realistic, and the love and attention to detail in the book were inspired by the guiding principles of the La Leche League and the author’s own personal experience. Inspirational, intimate and fun, Milky Moments is not only a book to treasure, but also a book that will educate and inform on the importance and normality of breastfeeding – however old you are.

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Vanda Scaravelli, legendary yoga teacher, developed an approach to yoga which is quite unlike any other being taught today. Her book, Awakening the Spine, exposes the subtle nature of this radical practice. It inspires through its philosophy and images, but does not go into detail when describing the practice of asana. Notes on Yoga: The Legacy of Vanda Scaravelli is written and compiled by Diane Long and Sophy Hoare. Diane was the first of Vanda’s regular students and remained so until Vanda’s death in 1999. Sophy began working with Vanda during the period when she was writing Awakening the Spine. In Notes on Yoga: The Legacy of Vanda Scaravelli, they share their experiences and memories of being taught by Vanda and offer instructive advice for practising asana, challenging many preconceptions about yoga. Diane and Sophy have been teachers for many years. In this book they provide a direct and illuminating insight into their work and practice. Written from the perspective of both student and teacher, it is a unique and indispensable guide for anyone interested in this approach to yoga.

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From leading midwife and the author of "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" comes this deeply compassionate and comprehensive guide to making breastfeeding a joyful experience for both mother and child. Drawing on her decades of experience in caring for pregnant women, mothers, and babies, Ina May Gaskin's newest book explores the health and psychological benefits of breastfeeding. Inspiring as well as informative, "Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding" is a powerful and practical guide filled with helpful advice, medical facts and real-life stories that will help mothers understand how and why breastfeeding works and how they can use it to more deeply connect with their children and their own bodies without fear, inhibition, or embarrassment.

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A heartfelt and moving recollection by Sandra Sabatini, the author of the classic Breath, of her encounters and training under the guidance of Vanda Scaravelli, whose book Awakening the Spine inspired generations of yoga practitioners. With photographs by David Darom.

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As water can purify your skin, so breath is capable of cleaning your whole being. That is the philosophy behind this simple yet inspiring volume on the essence of breath technique in yoga practice. "Breath" shows readers that as you reconnect with the breath through effortless observation and increased awareness, the doors within our souls can be opened leading to feelings of renewed energy, greater calmness, and clarity of mind. Whether you are a complete beginner or already practice, these subtle, gentle, and inspiring suggestions will guide you to a deeper, more natural appreciation of the essence of yoga.

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Women are over four times more likely to have a caesarean birth now than they were thirty years ago and eight times more likely than they were fifty years ago. However, as this book explains, many of these caesareans are not necessary and are often carried out for non-medical reasons, of no benefit to mother or baby. Written for expectant mothers and health professionals How to Avoid an Unnecessary Caesarean provides information to help women give birth in the way they want to. The book provides suggestions for constructive ways to achieve a natural childbirth, when this is the right option for mother and baby. As well as detailed explanations of all the pros and cons of caesarean birth, the book contains several real-life birth stories, a comprehensive glossary of terms and essential information for parents-to-be.

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Recollections of birth and death, joy and tragedy that reveal the reality of maternity care in a remote setting. In 2016, English midwife Indie joined the staff at Attat Hospital in south-western Ethiopia, where Atsede led the midwifery services. It was a meeting that would change their lives. Their close professional relationship, and deep personal friendship, led to them opening a birth centre serving the Gurage women and families of Cheha Woreda, bringing compassionate midwifery care into the heart of traditional communities. Through the two midwives’ eyes, as they recount stories from the women they have cared for over the years, we experience the lives of the Gurage people in rich detail. From one night shift which saw Atsede attend 16 births, and 17 babies born, to the day there was a donkey mysteriously tied up inside the hospital. By way of undiagnosed birth defects, the ramifications of female circumcision, obstetric emergencies, and long hours of ordinary, extraordinary births, what shines through is a deep and abiding love for the women in their care, and respect for each other and the colleagues they work alongside. A must-read for anyone with an interest in birth or maternal health, With Two Souls, the translation of the Chehaguraginya word hwetarwa, meaning pregnant, is a fascinating and moving insight into what birth can tell us about people and places, and how, when our eyes and hearts are open, we can embrace our differences and work together to benefit our communities.

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Maternal Journal is filled to the brim with ideas, support and inspiration to create your very own journal through your pregnancy, birth and parenthood. This easy-to-use and beautifully illustrated book will help you explore your creative voice and develop a regular journaling practice using artistic tools and techniques that fit in with everyday parenting. Inside, you will find more than 80 unique guided journal exercises created by leading artists, midwives, doulas and therapists to boost your creativity and wellbeing and help you reflect during this transformational stage of your life. Write a list poem with poet Hollie McNish, build a self-care alphabet with writer Laura Dockrill, or make your journaling manifesto with writer and performer Bryony Kimmings. Be a revolutionary mother with artist Barby Asante and explore daily drawings with live artist Bobby Baker. Based on the award-winning global community movement, led by artist and midwife Laura Godfrey-Isaacs and communications and content producer Samantha McGowan, Maternal Journal promotes the simple but radical concept of expressing thoughts, feelings and experiences creatively in a journal to promote positive mental health and wellbeing throughout your parenting journey.

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In the early 1980s it was discovered that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, could be passed through a mother’s milk to her baby. Almost overnight in the industrialised countries, and later in the African countries most ravaged by HIV, breastfeeding became an endangered practice. But in the rush to reduce transmission of HIV, everything we already knew about breastfeeding’s life-saving effects was overlooked, with devastating consequences for mothers and babies. In HIV and Breastfeeding – the untold story, former IBCLC Pamela Morrison, an acknowledged authority on HIV and breastfeeding, reveals how women in the world’s most poverty-stricken areas were persuaded to abandon breastfeeding as part of a short-sighted and deadly policy that led to an humanitarian disaster. The dilemma that breastfeeding, an act of nurturing which confers food, comfort and love, could be at once life-saving yet lethal, has been called ‘the ultimate paradox’. This critical account reveals how vital breastfeeding is, even in the most difficult of circumstances, and examines the lessons that can be learned from the mistakes of the past – which is particularly relevant as we deal with the consequences for mothers and babies of another global pandemic, Covid-19. With detailed information for HIV-positive mothers and their caregivers, and success stories from mothers themselves, this book is essential reading for anyone involved in protecting and supporting breastfeeding, or with a need for evidence-based information about breastfeeding and HIV.

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That maternity staff are under pressure, with many leaving their jobs each year, is well known. Personal sacrifices, long working hours, lack of resources and an overstretched system take their toll, and occasionally staff are involved in traumatic and emotionally difficult situations. Many tolerate these conditions in the service of doing a job they love, but what happens to their mental health over time? Nurturing Maternity Staff explains how the system and individuals within it relate to each other, highlighting both the vital role compassionate leadership has in creating psychologically safe working environments, as well as tools individuals can use to optimise their own mental wellbeing. Let’s dare to dream maternity services could be different.

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Across the world mothers are urged to breastfeed, but in Western society many find it difficult. Those who stop can feel unhappy and demoralised – but why should such a desired, encouraged and biologically normal behaviour seem so challenging in reality? Breastfeeding Uncovered reveals how complex social and cultural messages work against new mothers, damaging the normal physiology of breastfeeding and making it seem unmanageable. Professor Amy Brown removes the focus from the mother and instead urges society to rethink its attitude towards breastfeeding and mothering, in order to support, encourage and protect mothers who want to breastfeed their babies. This book is for anyone who has ever struggled with breastfeeding, supported new mothers or just wondered what all the fuss is about. Most of all it is a must-read for anyone who has ever thought a breastfeeding mother should cover up, or feed her baby elsewhere. This new edition has been revised and updated with new case studies and links to research, plus a chapter on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected breastfeeding, so that it continues to be an up-to-date reflection of society’s attitudes to breastfeeding.

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Becoming a parent is about so much more than just taking care of a baby – it involves changes in all areas of your life and it can be everything from fantastic and fulfilling to overwhelming and exhausting… sometimes all at once. It can be hard to work out what’s normal and what’s not, about everything from newborn baby behaviour, feeding and sleep, to your postnatal body, mental health, and relationships including who does the chores and who goes back to work and when. In this warm, reassuring and practical book, Amy Brown talks you through the first year of parenthood, helping you navigate some of the challenges caring for a newborn can bring for both parents. She focusses on you and your needs, while recognising that each family is unique, in a broad discussion that also tackles men’s mental health and dads staying home, and the experiences of single parents and same-sex couples. The central focus is on making sure you get the information and support you need, whatever your circumstances.

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Although women are often advised to exercise during pregnancy and after birth, there is little information available about the tremendous benefits of physical activity for both mother and baby, or what kinds of exercise are safe and appropriate. In Why Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Matter, Rehana Jawadwala, an exercise physiologist and perinatal yoga teacher, looks at the evidence for supporting physical activity in mothers, as well as how women’s physiology changes during pregnancy and after they give birth, answering in detail the questions that mothers and those supporting them may have.

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Making infant feeding decisions relies on parents having access to evidence-based information – but when it comes to formula feeding that can be hard to come by. Commercial interests and misunderstandings about the way breastfeeding is promoted can mean that important knowledge about formula feeding is not communicated to parents. Why Formula Feeding Matters aims to address this situation so that parents can make fully informed choices about how they feed their babies. All infants should be fed as safely and effectively as possible, and benefit from the best evidence we have about feeding practices. If you are formula feeding your baby, or thinking about doing so, this book is for you.

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Prescribing medication for breastfeeding women can be complex, and often there are no studies to show whether drugs are safe for lactating women. Yet mothers often need medication: whether short term use of painkillers, mental health drugs, or drugs to treat chronic conditions Wendy Jones gives mothers and those treating them the information they need to make decisions about medication, while allaying fears that many have about adverse effects on babies of drugs passing through breastmilk as well as explaining the cautions on patient information leaflets in all medication boxes. Why Mothers’ Medication Matters is a practical, reassuring book that aims to put mothers and babies at the heart of their own care.

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From the moment you share the news that you are pregnant or have a new baby it feels like everyone becomes an expert. Did you see that headline? Did you hear that story on TV? Have you heard the latest about what they say is best? In a world overflowing with information telling you what is best for you and your baby, making decisions can feel overwhelming. Who do you trust? Who is telling the truth? And how do you know if what they are saying is right for you? How? By becoming your own expert in sorting the media spin and politics from the actual facts and data. This isn't a book that is going to tell you which decisions to make, or that there is ever one right answer. It is not going to tell you that the same thing is always best for everyone. Instead this is a guide to help you evaluate information and evidence to decide what is right for you, your body and your baby. In three main parts it will firstly open your eyes to how information is shared in the media and how this can affect our thinking and decision making. Next it will help you spot who is funding, leading and promoting research and how this can affect the content of what is shared. Finally it will talk you through reading, understanding and evaluating evidence for yourself across topics in pregnancy, birth and caring for babies. You'll learn how to spot weaknesses in methods used, how to determine the real risk for you and your baby, and how wider context and other factors can influence what research means for you. Information is power. Making your own decisions that are right for you is empowering. #informedisbest

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Meet Chloe: passionate about midwifery and on the cusp of adulthood. As a student midwife in inner-city Leicester, Chloe finds fulfilment caring for women and families from wide-ranging backgrounds – but will her own personal challenges derail her ambitions? Having recently lost her mother, and supporting her father through addiction, Chloe must make difficult choices and reconcile her rewarding yet demanding career with loyalty for those she loves. New Walk is a profoundly moving coming-of-age story, where midwifery, birth and the decisions life throws at us combine to shape a young woman’s life.

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How often does my baby really need to feed? How do I know my baby is getting enough? Is it normal for my baby to wake at night? When you’re expecting a new baby, suddenly everyone around you becomes an expert – particularly when it comes to how to feed them. It is easy to become overwhelmed by conflicting advice, myths and exaggerated stories. The Positive Breastfeeding Book cuts through the anecdotes, giving you clear, no-judgement, non-preachy, evidence-based information to help you make the right decisions for you and your baby. It will help you understand how breastfeeding works, and supports you in developing strategies to make sure that whilst you’re looking after the baby, you’re getting taken care of too. Jam-packed with everything you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding (and a whole lot you never knew you did!), it will take you through tips for planning for your baby’s arrival, coping with those early months, and knowing what to do and where to seek help if challenges come up. It will guide you through feeding in public, going back to work, and even rediscovering a glass of wine. You’ll find plenty of real stories and guidance throughout from mothers and experts in supporting breastfeeding. There are handy chapters on formula and mixed feeding, which cut through advertising spiel and give you the facts you need to choose and use formula safely. The Positive Breastfeeding Book doesn’t promise to make it easy, nor will it get up in the middle of the night for you, but it will empower you with the knowledge and encouragement you need to feed your baby with confidence.

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100 men bare all in a collection of photographs and interviews about manhood and ‘manhood’. These days we are all less bound by gender and traditional roles, but is there more confusion about what being a man means? From veteran to vicar, from porn addict to prostate cancer survivor, men from all walks of life share honest reflections about their bodies, sexuality, relationships, fatherhood, work and health in this pioneering and unique book. Just as Bare Reality: 100 women, their breasts, their stories presented the un-airbrushed truth about breasts for women, Manhood: The Bare Reality shows us the spectrum of ‘normal’, revealing men’s penises and bodies in all their diversity and glory, dispelling body image anxiety and myths. Sensitive and compassionate, Manhood will surprise you and reassure you. It may even make you reconsider what you think you know about men, their bodies and masculinity.

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Birth In Focus offers the reader a chance to see birth made real. Water birth, breech birth, twin birth, Caesarean birth – all are shown in ‘photo stories’, with accompanying text written both by the woman and her midwife, and sometimes also the partner or a child who was present. Clear images of the birth process provide an excellent educational tool for students, as well as offering inspiration to those who may not have had the opportunity to see birth in this way. A chapter on reflection points for practitioners will help professionals and birth supporters explore further the issues highlighted in the individual stories. Foreword by Ina May Gaskin.

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Breastfeeding is the natural and healthy way to nourish your baby, yet it's not always easy. New mothers need practical information about getting off to a good start and solving breastfeeding challenges. Health professionals need this information too, because it is rarely taught in medical school. Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding covers the most common problems and questions that mothers encounter: - How do I help my baby to get a good latch - How can I know if my baby is getting enough milk - How can I help him get more? - Can I avoid sore nipples? - Will my medication affect my baby? - How do I fit breastfeeding into my life when I'm so busy? The answers are here. Dr. Jack Newman and Teresa Pitman are two of the world's foremost lactation experts and have helped tens of thousands of new mothers find solutions that work. In this comprehensive guide, they share the most current information about breastfeeding and provide new, effective strategies and solutions to make breastfeeding work for you.

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What is the future of the human capacity to give birth? What is the future of underused physiological functions? Should we expect an evolution of Homo sapiens in relation to the way babies are born? Can fast-developing scientific disciplines induce a new awareness? In this wide-ranging, interdisciplinary look at the future of birth, renowned obstetrician Michel Odent takes the question ‘Do we need midwives?’ as a starting point. If a paradigm shift occurs, what kind of midwives shall we need? For how long can we go on neutralizing the laws of natural selection? Are human beings able to raise vital questions before it is too late? Unprecedented situations should first and foremost inspire appropriate questions.

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A delightful and beautifully illustrated book for children about how parents meet, fall in love, and decide to start a family. Your Daddy and me is part of a delightful series of illustrated books by Monica Calaf and Mikel Fuentes, which also includes When you were in my tummy, How you were born, and You, me and the breast.

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Welcome to the world of sexed-up medicine, where patients have been turned into customers, and clinics and waiting rooms are jammed with healthy people, lured in to have their blood pressure taken and cholesterol, smear test, bowel or breast screening done. In the world of sexed-up medicine pharmaceutical companies gloss over research they don't like and charities often use dubious science and dodgy PR to 'raise awareness' of their disease, leaving a legacy of misinformation in their wake. Our obsession with screening swallows up the time of NHS staff and the money of healthy people who pay thousands to private companies for tests they don't need. Meanwhile, the truly sick are left to wrestle with disjointed services and confusing options. Explaining the truth behind the screening statistics and investigating the evidence behind the hype, Margaret McCartney, an award-winning writer and doctor, argues that this patient paradox - too much testing of well people and not enough care for the sick - worsens health inequalities and drains professionalism, harming both those who need treatment and those who don't.

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Most women give birth in hospitals, institutions modelled around the needs of the people who work there. The delivery room is designed around the obstetric bed which was designed for the benefit of the obstetrician rather than the woman giving birth. Despite research showing the benefit of upright positions in labour and birth, most women in the UK still give birth in the semi-reclined position, pushing their baby out against the forces of gravity. Jowitt argues that unnatural positions make labour and birth more painful and difficult for modern women than it was for their ancestors. How did we come to put the needs of care givers above those of the labouring woman? Is there anything that can be done? Starting with a short history of birth furniture, Dynamic Positions in Birth goes on to explore the anatomy and physiology of labour from an evolutionary perspective. This updated edition expands Jowitt's new biomechanical model of how the uterus works first published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2018 which has profound implications for giving mothers freedom of movement in labour and birth. It explores how rethinking positions for labour and birth could benefit mothers and their babies. Equally important is the need to change attitudes to birth so that women are encouraged to play a more active part in the birth of their babies instead of being subjected to clinical interventions designed to mitigate the adverse effects of labouring in a starkly unnatural environment. Jowitt argues that it is possible to give women labouring in hospital a better chance of giving birth naturally. The book concludes by calling for a fresh look at the environment for birth. Delivery rooms can be made more user friendly by introducing furniture designed around women’s need for physical support during labour as well as for the birth, and by hiding away the more alarming technology unless it is needed. Women need a less forbidding environment and more encouragement to move freely and adopt positions which will enhance their chance of achieving a normal birth.

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The jigsaw classroom is a cooperative learning technique with a three-decade track record of successfully reducing racial conflict and increasing positive educational outcomes. Not only does it open the door to warmer, closer friendships within and across ethnic boundaries, it has also proved effective at raising the self-esteem of students while improving their performance and increasing their liking for school and their enthusiasm about learning. The jigsaw technique was first developed in the early 1970s by psychologist Elliot Aronson and his students at the University of Texas and the University of California. Since then, hundreds of schools have used the jigsaw classroom with great success. With a new foreword by Joshua Aronson.

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In this courageous and radical book, renowned yoga therapist and mother-of-three Uma Dinsmore-Tuli explores the sexual politics of yoga from the perspective that women’s spiritual transformation is the most potent revolutionary force. It includes: a comprehensive history section covering women’s contribution to (and exclusion from) traditional hatha yoga a Goddess-inspired section guiding a woman from her first period to postmenopause illuminating personal life stories and experiences from hundreds of women specially conceived, guided yoga nidra practices instructions for womb-friendly asana and pranayama practices, including restorative yoga, for every part of a woman’s life and menstrual cycle Intimate and scholarly, irreverent and inspiring, Yoni Shakti brings womb yoga, tantra and feminism together in an astonishingly powerful combination. This revised and updated edition includes a lengthy new preface with previously censored material. It includes recently uncovered information about abusive yoga teachers and organisations, and an updated decolonising bibliography. The chapter on Yoga Nidra and the ‘Note to Men, Transgender and Non-binary readers’ have been substantially edited to reflect developments since first publication.

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New in paperback, Petri Raisanen, one of the world’s most popular yoga teachers offers the complete guide to to the yoga poses (asana), breathing techniques and philosophy of Ashtanga yoga. The most physical and dynamic form of yoga, Ashtanga combines an impressive sequence of yoga poses with special breathing techniques to heat the body internally and allow safe stretching of the muscles. Ashtanga’s enthusiasts point to the powerful impact of the practice on their overall health and well-being: regular practice tones and strengthens the muscles, cleanses the body of toxins, calms the mind and increases concentration. Each of the yoga poses in the Primary Series is presented both separately and as part of complete practice. The reader will gain a deep knowledge of the multidimensional philosophy of Ashtanga yoga and how it relates to everyday life. This is a clearly and simply written guide, packed full of knowledge and insight, that will delight beginners, advanced students and yoga teachers alike.

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Stanley Milgram revolutionized our understanding of human nature with his classic research on obedience to authority – but the obedience experiments form just a small part of an extraordinary wealth of ground-breaking research that made him one of the most important social psychologists of our times. By the time the first edition of The Individual in a Social World appeared in 1977, Milgram had moved beyond obedience to other innovative research, such as the psychology of city life, the small world phenomenon (also known as ‘six degrees of separation’), mental maps of cities, the lost-letter technique, the familiar stranger, as well as a large-scale experiment on media influence, which is still unique to the present day. In 1992, a second, posthumous edition appeared containing additional articles which Milgram had written after the first edition. This third, expanded edition of The Individual in a Social World combines articles that appeared in both of the earlier editions as well as previously uncollected material. Among the latter is, for example, an article in which Milgram provides a perspective on the Jonestown massacre and then uses it as a stepping stone for a ringing affirmation of the power of situational determinants of behavior. Another article, ‘The Social Meaning of Fanaticism,’ is almost uncanny in its relevance to our times, despite the fact that it was written several decades ago, as is his take on the potential impact of the Internet in ‘Network Love’. Stanley Milgram possessed a relentless curiosity about the hidden workings of our social world, which he tried to make visible through his experiments and think pieces brought together in this unique, revealing and engaging book – a must-read for anyone interested in social psychology.

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This is a book about fear. Fear of a virus. Fear of death. Fear of losing our jobs, our democracy, our human connections, our health and our minds. It’s also about how the government weaponised our fear against us – supposedly in our best interests – until we were the most frightened country in Europe. But why did the government deliberately frighten us, and how has this affected us as individuals and as a country? Who is involved in the decision-making that affects our lives? How are behavioural science and nudge theory being used to subliminally manipulate us? How does the media leverage fear? What are the real risks to our wellbeing? Ahead of any official inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Laura Dodsworth explores all these questions and more, in a nuanced and thought-provoking discussion of an extraordinary year in British life and politics. With stories from members of the general public who were impacted by fear, anxiety and isolation, and revealing interviews with psychologists, politicians, scientists, lawyers, Whitehall advisers and journalists, A State of Fear calls for a more hopeful, transparent and effective democracy.

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This new paperback edition features 'No Less a Woman', the breast cancer awareness campaign with Stella McCartney. 100 women bravely share un-airbrushed photographs of their breasts alongside honest, courageous, powerful and humorous stories about their breasts and their lives. Women from all walks of life took part, aged from 19 to 101, sized AAA to K, from Buddhist nun to burlesque dancer. Their perspectives and experiences are revealing and profoundly moving. Intimate, visually refreshing, maybe even surprising, Bare Reality will make you reconsider how you think and feel about your own body, and those of the women in your life.

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When it first appeared in the 1970s, The Little Red Schoolbook was banned by the UK authorities, which confiscated copies and prosecuted the publisher under the Obscene Publications Act. Why? Because this little book aimed to educate teenagers about democracy, sex and drugs - in frank, simple language - and encouraged them to view adults as "paper tigers". The Little Red Schoolbook has been unavailable for more than 40 years, but it remains surprisingly relevant for young people today. Reissued here in its original and uncensored format, with informative footnotes and a new foreword by the surviving author Soren Hansen, it encourages teenagers to have the confidence to seek information for themselves, challenge authority and question the status quo.

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The Whole Body Breathing offers a clear practice. The simplicity of this practice will have a profound effect on your whole body, and will guide you in the gradual discovery of the vitality of your spine. Sequences of walking, standing, sitting and lying down will nurture and revitalise the whole body, uncovering and awakening special places along the spine. Explore the reality of rooting into the earth and expanding into space at the same time. Following in the footsteps of Vanda Scaravelli's teaching, where awareness, breath and freedom are the essential elements, The Whole Body Breathing stimulates and supports yoga students and teachers alike in the lifelong yoga journey, with joy and playfulness.

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Spending their summer holidays at their grandparents' house by the sea, Sam and her two brothers play a series of dangerous games, pitted against each other yet united in their secrecy from the grown-ups. But when they discover a fierce dog mysteriously trapped in an electrical substation, they face their first real challenge, one from which they cannot walk away. Meanwhile, on a long weekend in Germany, their aunt, Kate, and her new lover find themselves playing games of their own. In the red-light district of Munich, will Kate's surprising challenge for her boyfriend strengthen or destroy their relationship? Many years ago, Sam's grandfather, Richard, also played an unusual game, encouraged by a stranger, as part of a scientific experiment. The choices he made then have haunted him ever since. As Sam delves into her grandfather's secret she discovers that where free will turns to blind obedience, true horror lies.

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