Search results for ""pinter martin ltd.""

The human rights in childbirth movement is gathering pace and followers across the globe. From Venezuela to the UK, via America and Uganda, activists, midwives, mothers, doctors and lawyers are coming together to offer rights-based solutions to the problems in maternity care. Just what are human rights though? How do they apply to pregnancy and birth? What happens when dignity is absent? And how are innovators and educators using human rights principles to revolutionise care for the next generation of women? Why Human Rights in Childbirth Matter will bust myths around human rights, explain just what your rights in pregnancy and birth are, how caregivers can champion them and provide practical inspiration for mothers, caregivers and campaigners working to improve birth for all women across the world.

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The Politics of Breastfeeding, first published in 1988, remains a hugely important book. It exposes infant feeding as one of the most important global public health issues of our time, and describes how big business and vested interests influence the intimate relationship between mothers and their babies to the detriment of all, rich or poor, in the West or in the developing world. In Why the Politics of Breastfeeding Matter, the central ideas of The Politics of Breastfeeding are distilled into a concise form, making it the perfect introduction to understanding the complex forces that govern what many think of as a simple choice to breastfeed or not.

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How and when babies eat their first solid foods can be an exciting stage for new parents, but it can also bring confusion and anxiety due to conflicting advice and opinions. When should babies have their first sold foods? What should it be? How much? Is milk still important? Does any of this really matter? Why Starting Solids Matters aims to help readers find answers to these questions by exploring the science behind the headlines. It provides a gentle introduction to the importance of the first year and beyond for the development of long term healthy eating habits and weight with much of the information just as relevant for thinking about the diet of older children and even the rest of the family too.

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In Inspired Parenting, psychologist and mother-of-five Dorka Herner shows through practical, everyday examples how we can reflect on our own parenting and see our interactions with our children through fresh eyes. What our children do can reveal much about ourselves as parents: if a five-year-old won't go to sleep alone, who needs evening cuddles, us or him? If we are bothered when our child is bored, is it because we view ourselves as useless unless we are ticking off tasks? If we think our children are careless, is it because we are too perfectionist? By understanding ourselves better, we can see the nuances in how we live together as families and appreciate that our relationships can be complex. By thinking deeply and honestly, we can see more clearly how to build the type of life we want for ourselves and our children, and how to genuinely enjoy the challenges and rewards of raising them. With a down-to-earth and realistic approach, the book invites us to examine the details of parenting and learn valuable lessons about ourselves in the process.

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Many say that breastfeeding is natural yet most health professionals teach mothers to practise responsive, baby-led feeding using a set of predetermined, latching instructions. This book describes a new, proactive, mother-led approach called biological nurturing. Biological nurturing research highlights that, under certain conditions, mothers have an inborn breastfeeding capacity aiding them to nourish and nurture their babies. However, tapping into this instinctual heritage is diametrically opposed to the thinking involved in a skills-teaching approach. Biological nurturing is quick and easy to do. Maternal comfort is a priority and the laid-back breastfeeding postures optimise baby gazing and eye-to-eye contact. Spontaneity and reciprocity are the watchwords and once comfortable, most mothers and babies discover what works through the hit and miss of the experience. The challenge for health professionals lies with promoting an oxytocin-friendly environment, understanding breastfeeding releasing mechanisms, and learning when not to intervene. This book restores confidence in nature’s biological design and in mothers’ innate capacity to breastfeed. 2nd revised and updated edition.

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The NHS is the closest thing the UK has to a national religion. No wonder: it unites people across social and class divides. But it is also under pressure, underfunded, and unravelling at the seams. When the NHS was founded, children died of whooping cough and tuberculosis, and the average person lived less than 50 years. Now childhood deaths are rare and we expect to live almost twice as long. Many of us swallow dozens of daily medications, and the NHS promises to keep treating us, rich or poor, according to need. But as social care budgets are slashed, the pressure on the NHS has reached a critical level – along with accusations of high death rates, lazy, uncaring staff morale, and unnecessary deaths at the weekend. Margaret McCartney, author of The Patient Paradox and Living with Dying, argues that the last few decades of short-term political policies have caused lasting damage to the NHS, wasting money, time, harming patients, and damaging staff morale. Instead, we need a new realisation of the founding principles of the NHS, one where patients and professionals work together to create an evidence based – not a party political – NHS. It is the only future it can survive in.

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New Thinking on Improving Maternity Care is the result of years of comparative international research, with the goal of finding and generating the best possible evidence across a range of childbirth practices, contexts, and issues in Europe. There is a general shift towards a more risk-averse approach to childbirth globally, but this is occurring at different rates in population attitudes and in use of childbirth technologies, in different countries. The drivers to such changes can also vary from country to country, but the clinical, social and economic consequences are similar. This book offers a new set of theories to help explain the nature of maternity care provision across Europe and beyond, including complexity theory, salutogenesis, and new concepts of organisational culture. The aim of the book is to examine the nature of these theories, and to apply them to a range of practical situations in a number of different countries. A fascinating book, that will become required reading for European maternity professionals.

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How different would your life be if your priority were love? In this groundbreaking book, Antonella Gambotto-Burke encourages a complete re-evaluation of motherhood, showing that our lack of respect for maternal love is at the root of our widespread dissatisfaction with modern life. Written from the heart of a woman who was herself revolutionised by her experience of motherhood, this is a book that challenges, comforts and inspires, offering positive solutions through personal revelation and intellectual exploration with some of the greatest visionaries of childcare. Mama is not only the key to a better world, but to a better relationship – with yourself, your child and your life.

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Birth and sex are often talked about as if they were contrasting experiences. In fact, they each involve the same rush of hormones in an action drama in which mind and body work in harmony. When a woman is free to follow her instincts and give birth naturally, waves of endorphins surge in the bloodstream with the same energy as in ecstatic lovemaking. Birth and sex mingle to become one in the thrilling, sweet, intense and overwhelming experience of creation. Yet in the Western high-tech birth culture the environment often inhibits the spontaneity of birth, resulting in pain and distress. Pregnancy and birth are de-sexed and treated as medical conditions. Women are turned into objects on which doctors act. In this compelling and controversial new book Sheila Kitzinger explores the complexity and depth of female sexuality during pregnancy, birth, and after the baby comes. She shows what can be done to create an environment in which a woman is able to trust her instincts and be confident in her body. By rediscovering the power and passion in our bodies, we can reclaim the spontaneity and sexual ecstasy of childbirth.

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Aṣṭāṅga Yoga is a system of practice and philosophy that has been shaped over several thousand years. Consistent practice is profoundly transformational: developing the body, evolves the mind and inviting access to our true nature. In his second book on the subject Petri Räisänen illustrates the Intermediate series positions, which are done to purify and strengthen the nervous system and energy channels throughout the body. The positions are presented both individually and as an integrated method of training, complete with clear pictures and detailed text. This inspirational guide acts as testament to the lineage of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga by including interviews with the Jois family: Śrī K. Pattabhi Jois, Pramaguru R. Sharath Jois and Saraswathi Jois. Nadi Sodhana is best suited for practitioners who have been practicing yoga consistently for several years; however, it offers a fascinating glimpse into a more advanced practice for all who wish to explore yoga beneath the surface.

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Challenging negativity and fear of childbirth, and brimming with everything you need to know about labour, birth and the early weeks of parenting, The Positive Birth Book is the must-have guide for pregnant women. A widely acclaimed bestseller since it was first published, it has empowered hundreds of thousands of women worldwide to make informed, positive choices about their births. Fully revised and updated, this new edition will help you work out what kind of birth you really want, and learn how to maximise your chances of getting it. The book’s trademark Visual Birth Plan icons can be downloaded for free to help you create a birth plan for every eventuality. Written in Milli Hill’s trademark warm and witty style, discover vital information on everything from the truth about pain and what giving birth actually feels like, to your choices and rights in the birth room; from optimal cord clamping, to postnatal mental health; from the inside track on breastfeeding, to positive, gentle caesarean. Whether you plan to have your baby in hospital, in a birth centre, at home or by elective caesarean, this essential, non-judgemental guide shows you how to raise your expectations and have the best possible birth experience. New for this edition: How to plan for a positive birth in difficult times Reworked chapter on choosing where to have your baby What you need to know about exercise in pregnancy from Charlie Launder, author of Bumps and Burpees Top tips for breastfeeding from Amy Brown, author of The Positive Breastfeeding Book New section on your rights in pregnancy and birth by Bashi Hazard of the Human Rights in Childbirth International Lawyers Network Essential information about your pelvic floor, core and postnatal incontinence by Nikki Bergen, creator of the Belle Method, and Luce Brett, author of PSML 'Completely changed my way of looking at giving birth' Ella Mills, Deliciously Ella 'Full to bursting with useful stuff - and so refreshing to read something positive about all types of birth.' Sarah Taylor 'A much-needed, brilliant, reassuring, pioneering, kick-ass book that all women should read!' Emma Jane Unsworth 'Genuinely life-changing.' Jess Brammar

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100 women bare all in an empowering collection of photographs and interviews about Womanhood. Vagina, vulva, lady garden, pussy, beaver, cunt, fanny… whatever you call it most women have no idea what’s ‘down there’. Culturally and personally, no body part inspires love and hate, fear and lust, worship and desecration in the same way. From smooth Barbie dolls to internet porn, girls and women grow up with a very narrow view of what they should look like, even though in reality there is an enormous range. Womanhood departs from the ‘ideal vagina’ and presents the gentle un-airbrushed truth, allowing us to understand and celebrate our diversity. For the first time, 100 brave and beautiful women reveal their bodies and stories on their own terms, talking about how they feel about pleasure, sex, pain, trauma, birth, motherhood, menstruation, menopause, gender, sexuality and simply being a woman.

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For many years there has been growing concern about the culture of fear that is penetrating maternity services throughout the world, and that the fear felt by maternity care workers is directly and indirectly being transferred to the women and families they serve. The consequences of fear includes increased risk of defensive practice, where the woman and her family become potential enemies to those providing her care. In addition, the prevailing risk management and 'tick box' culture in maternity services encourages maternity workers to give priority to the records instead of the childbearing woman. These factors contribute to the dissatisfaction felt by those using and providing maternity services, and the apparent lack of kindness and respect. There is however increasing evidence that kindness, compassion and mutual respect improves efficiency, effectiveness, experience and staff morale within healthcare settings. The Roar Behind the Silence provides information, inspiration and practical suggestions to support maternity care workers, policy makers, and maternity care funders across the world in their quest to deliver sensitive, compassionate and high quality maternity services. The book highlights examples of good practice, and practical tools for making change happen, using evidence and stories where appropriate. Edited by Sheena Byrom & Soo Downe, with contributions by Hana Ruth Abel, Maria Helena Bastos, Dean Beaumont, Dianne Bowser, Anna Byrom, Sheena Byrom, Penny Campling, Michael Clift, Hannah Dahlen, Raymond de Vries, Soo Downe, Ngai Fen Cheung, Julie Frohlich, Kathryn Guttridge, Jennifer Hall, Shelagh Heneghan, Milli Hill, Billie Hunter, Mavis Kirkham, Mande Limbu, Amali Lokugamage, Kerstin Uvnas Moberg, Mercedes Perez-Botella, Gill Phillips, Elizabeth Prochaska, Progress Theatre Group, Rineke Schram, Anna Ternovszky, Lucie Warren and Robin Youngson.

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To Mayim Bialik, Attachment Parenting's natural, child-led approach not only felt right emotionally, it made sense intellectually and instinctually. She found that when she followed her intuition and relaxed into her role as a mother instead of following some rigid parenting script, both she and her children thrived. Taking into account her experience as a mother (and her scientific background), Mayim presents the major tenets of Attachment Parenting.

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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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“When you came out of my tummy, the first thing you looked for was my breast.” This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of the powerful bond shared between a mother and her newborn baby. You, me and the breast is part of a delightful series of illustrated books by Monica Calaf and Mikel Fuentes, which also includes Your Daddy and Me, When you were in my tummy, and How You Were Born.

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Gabrielle Palmer's groundbreaking book "The Politics of Breastfeeding" highlighted the controversies surrounding the aggressive promotion of breast milk substitutes. She now turns her attention to complementary feeding - the first foods that a child eats besides milk. For most of human existence, children went without industrially processed foods and branded food products. Can we applaud the progress of the way children are fed today? In our unequal world one billion people risk their health through overconsumption while two billion people are hungry. The health problems of both groups start in early childhood. The power and influence of the food industry has increased dramatically in recent decades. Seductive and often unethical modern marketing methods have led to the promotion of unsuitable, unnecessary and sometimes harmful baby foods. Yet not all industrially processed foods are bad and not all 'natural' foods are good. Both poor and rich children may be inappropriately fed. What lessons can we learn from history? How do cultural and religious beliefs influence the choice of food? Can government initiatives have any effect? How can we provide good nutrition for all infants? This brief, compassionate and thought-provoking new book will be of interest to anyone who is curious about the world, its children and their nutrition, and will stimulate discussion and debate as part of the campaign to create a world where health for all is a true goal.

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Volunteers are invited to a scientific laboratory under the pretence of participating in a study about the effects of punishment on learning. They are instructed by an experimenter to administer an electric shock of increasing intensity every time a 'learner', strapped to an electric conductor, makes a mistake. How many, if any, would go right up the scale to 450 Volts? The implications of Stanley Milgram's extraordinary findings (up to 65 per cent of subjects administered the full shock) are devastating. From the Holocaust to Vietnam and Iraq, "Obedience to Authority" goes some way towards explaining how ordinary people can commit the most horrific of crimes if placed under the influence of a malevolent authority. This title is presented with a new foreword by Jerome Bruner.

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Bursting with practical ideas, reassurances and collected wisdoms, "When Your Baby Cries" will restore your sanity. Bestselling childcare author Deborah Jackson reminds us that babies soak up all the love we have to give. Here are ten effective ways to care for even the most distressed baby, while looking after your own needs as well as boosting your confidence. You can learn how to relax, become your own expert and deal with unwanted advice. You can find out how crying works and why it gets out of control. You can discover babies' secret signals and how to cope with colic. Crying babies and harassed parents everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief: here is a way to restore the harmony of family life. It comes with a new foreword by the author.

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The audition is the most vital part of what you do as an actor. Brendan McNamara's successful career as both an actor and casting director gives him a special insight into the audition process, which he shares in this fresh and insightful book. Developed from Brendan's popular workshops for actors, this practical and up-to-date guide gives you all the inspiration and advice you need to give a great audition. Includes: - How to approach agents and casting directors. - The types of auditions you are likely to face. - The pitfalls of the waiting room. - The dangers of under- and overpreparing. - What to wear and not to wear. - How to deal with recalls. - The seven deadly sins of auditions.

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Pioneering birth educator and author Janet Balaskas founded the Active Birth Movement in the 1980s. Her ideas – based on the core principle that women should take ownership of their bodies during birth and be free to assume upright positions in labour – have transformed birth for women and their birth companions across the world. In this inspiring memoir, illustrated with beautiful birth images taken by photographer Anthea Sieveking over two decades, Janet explains the essential philosophy of her approach and how the Active Birth Movement has grown and helped generations of mothers to prepare for birth, by honouring the importance of the beginning of life and empowering them to confidently trust and follow their instincts.

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The first three months of your baby’s life, sometimes called the ‘fourth trimester’, is a transitional phase, in which each of you is processing the birth experience you shared and acclimatising to a new way of being. It can be hard to interpret your new baby’s behaviour: is she arching her back because she has tummy ache, or does she simply enjoy a stretch? Does sucking his hands indicate hunger or something else? As you navigate these early days your emotions might be all over the place and it can be hard to find and trust your instinctive need to connect with your baby. In Understanding Babies, experienced movement specialist Ania Witkowska looks at what your baby needs to thrive, and how they show you they need it, revealing how you can tune in to your baby so that both of you can relax and enjoy your new life together. By explaining how your baby’s development is supported through movement and interaction, and guiding you through simple exercises and activities, she helps demystify the early days of parenting so that you can feel more joy and less anxiety as you and your baby flourish.

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Grandmothers are coming into their own. There have never been so many of them. As Naomi Stadlen explains, they have always mattered, especially in helping their families to survive. Drawing on grandmothers’ own words, Why Grandmothers Matter describes the experience of having grandchildren across many cultures, and discusses the sometimes delicate relationships between grandmother, parent-child and grandchild. This warm and thoughtful book has much to teach us about family dynamics and the role grandmothers play in wider society, and will be valuable for parents as well as grandmothers when they enter into a new phase of family life.

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The loss of a baby, however it occurs, can be heartbreaking and painful and leave parents in need of support as they grieve. While awareness about baby loss is increasing, the suffering and sadness, isolation and loneliness parents feel is often invisible and it can be hard for them to reach out, and for those around them to know how best to support them. Why Baby Loss Matters explores what happens when families experience baby loss or the end of a pregnancy, drawing on the first-hand experiences of parents who have navigated life and the fourth trimester without their baby, and the vital work of charities and services which offer support. By examining different approaches to coping with the loss of a baby and keeping memories alive, the book offers insight into the ways that families have found the support and peace that they need to continue living after saying goodbye.

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During pregnancy the focus of antenatal preparation is the birth itself, and the importance of the postnatal period is often overlooked. Yet postnatal recovery (or a lack of it) can have consequences for the long-term health and wellbeing of both mother and baby. In Why Postnatal Recovery Matters Sophie Messager draws on her experience as a scientist and doula to show that thinking ahead to after the birth can get new families off to the best possible start.

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Research shows that ‘normal’ infant sleep is not what most experts claim it to be. In fact, many of today’s sleep ‘problems’ with young babies and children predominantly occur in the developed world. In Why Your Baby’s Sleep Matters, renowned gentle parenting expert Sarah Ockwell-Smith demonstrates how nurturing babies at night helps their brain development, and covers the topics every parent of a new baby will need to know about, including naps, SIDS, night weaning, coping with your own exhaustion – and even dealing with advice and criticism from others.

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Drawing on a diversity of fast-developing disciplines including genetics, physiology, pathology as well as the history of canoeing and studies of the fluctuation of sea levels, revolutionary thinker and birth pioneer Michel Odent examines the case for viewing the genus Homo as a ‘marine chimpanzee’ – particularly adapted to coastal areas. By exploring the practical implications of this vision of our species, including in the period surrounding birth, the author raises questions about the very survival of humanity. At a time in history when human domination of Nature is more profound than ever before, are we on the cusp of a ‘symbiotic revolution’? With his characteristic ability to look at the ‘big picture’ and ask questions that challenge conventional thinking, Michel Odent once again manages to persuade readers to view themselves, and their species, in a new light.

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Since the middle of the twentieth century, the development of plastics has been one of the main factors influencing the history of medicine. For example, an anaesthesiologist was formerly an expert in delivering drugs by inhalation. Today, this expert delivers drugs through plastic catheters, in particular via intravenous and epidural routes. Traditionally, the scalpel was the symbol of surgery. Today, surgeons operate on internal organs with flexible plastic endoscopes - without cutting the skin. A typical modern woman in labour has one of her arms connected to a plastic bag through a plastic tube, while a plastic catheter is inserted in the epidural space in her spine. Focusing on obstetrics, this first book about the history of medicine in relation to the plastic revolution asks vital questions about childbirth today - and tomorrow - and demonstrates that the current turning point in the history of childbirth is also a turning point in the history of humanity. Introduced as a medical student to the surgical unit of a Paris hospital in 1949, and still involved in several fields of medicine, Michel Odent has the authority to study contemporary history from this new perspective.

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A new mother's journey is a deeply personal and individual one. Yet all too often outside influences can cloud her innate judgement, causing confusion, doubt and unhappiness. In Rosie Newman's new book Trust Your Body, Trust Your Baby, she argues that every mother already knows what she needs to know. Exploring ideas from other cultures, from new science and from the past, Rosie uncovers universal truths that are at once liberating and reassuring. This book hands the power back to the reader, providing the tools and information that parents need to make their own choices, to trust their instincts and believe in their babies. Rosie demonstrates how she found letting go and listening transformed the toughest, most important job in the world, into one that was satisfying, empowering and fun.

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When hospital-trained midwife Penny Armstrong takes on a job delivering the babies of the Amish, she encounters a way of life deeply rooted in the earth. As she renews her respect for nature, she discovers an approach to giving birth which would change her life forever. A gripping first-hand account of Armstrong's journey from student midwife in Glasgow to running her own practice in rural Pennsylvania, A Midwife's Story is a life-affirming book that never fails to enlighten, inform and surprise. Honest and ultimately very moving, it is inspirational reading for everyone interested in the art and humanity of midwifery.

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Jack wants to put on an acrobatics show in time for the holidays. Every week he practices doing somersaults and building pyramids with Mum and Dad. Do you want to join in the fun too? Jack’s Acrobatics is a collection of 24 acrobatic exercises for the whole family. From simple practice games to acrobatic tricks, Jack’s Acrobatics brings pure pleasure to young and old and helps with the development of motor skills along the way. 'Wonderful!' Peter Duncan in his foreword.

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The fourth of a delightful series of illustrated books by Monica Calaf and Mikel Fuentes gives young children the opportunity to learn about how they were born.

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A delightful and beautifully illustrated story for children about a mother’s experience of pregnancy and her joy as a child is brought into the world. When you were in my tummy is part of a delightful series of illustrated books by Monica Calaf and Mikel Fuentes, which also includes Your Daddy and Me, How you were born, and You, me and the breast.

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From pregnancy to breastfeeding through weaning and beyond, Feed Yourself, Feed Your Family is a comprehensive one-stop nutrition and cooking guide for mothers eager to nourish the whole growing family with healthy and delicious meals. Your approach to eating changes when you become pregnant, give birth, and become responsible for feeding an infant, toddler, or growing child. Featuring more than 75 easy-to-make and delicious recipes, sanity-saving, mum-tested advice, and vital information about your nutritional needs when pregnant, nursing, or weaning, Feed Yourself, Feed Your Family helps you set your family on a course for a lifetime of healthy eating. Focusing on the five basic nutritional stages between birth and the time when your baby takes a seat at the family table, and with an emphasis on organic, unprocessed foods, this invaluable resource offers: nutrition-packed, child-pleasing recipes - including make-ahead, no-cook, one-handed (while breastfeeding), on the run, or sit down meals facts on how a mother's diet affects her milk (and baby's tastes) perfect energising foods to support busy new parents learning a new way of life fridge-and cupboard-stocking suggestions for simple meals in minutes the best organic and shortcut foods in every grocery aisle, from fresh to frozen tips and nutritional information for safely shedding pounds while breastfeeding fun ways to get children involved in the kitchen and invested in the food they eat candid, reassuring stories from mothers like you

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In Breastfeeding made Easy renowned paediatrician and father-of-three Carlos Gonzalez, author of Kiss Me! How to raise your children with love and My Child Won't Eat!, brings his warmth and positivity to a subject close to his heart: breastfeeding. In his characteristic friendly style he explains how breastfeeding is a woman's right, as an integral part of her normal sexual and reproductive life. With this clear perspective he carefully explains how breastfeeding works, and gently debunks many of the myths that still surround breastfeeding, while also offering sound practical suggestions that will empower mothers to find the answers to questions they have and seek out appropriate help. The author's own experience of supporting breastfeeding mothers and their babies, coupled with his scientific understanding of human lactation, are combined in a book that is an accessible, confidence-inspiring companion for every breastfeeding mother.

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When 9-year-old Joe is unexpectedly elected prime minister, he quickly discovers that to negotiate the pitfalls of modern politics, you have to compromise. But how can he stay true to what he believes? A bittersweet tale for old and young of an idealist who went astray from the author of the acclaimed The Little Driver.

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One in six families with children under 18 in the UK is headed by a single parent, yet portrayals of single parents in the public eye are often one-sided, focusing on challenges and negative stories. Many suggest that single parents are all young mothers, living in poverty, stress and regret. Why Single Parents Matter takes a different approach, focusing on supporting the wellbeing of single parents, by examining the evidence behind the headlines and drawing on interviews with single parents from a broad range of backgrounds. The book challenges negative stories, highlights the stresses, triumphs and perseverance of single parenting, and explores the ways we can all better support the single parents in our lives.

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Squaring the Circle is a cutting-edge and comprehensive collection of the latest research and debate on normal childbirth. Based on a salutogenic approach – focusing on factors that support human health and well-being, rather than on factors that cause disease – it helps our understanding of what works and why it works, as well as helping health practitioners turn this knowledge into best practice. Written by world-renowned experts in their field, and edited by Soo Downe and Sheena Byrom, the editors of the acclaimed The Roar Behind the Silence, Squaring the Circle includes an examination of a range of associated evidence in areas as diverse as architecture for optimal birth environments, the impact of birth events on neonatal DNA methylation and the microbiome, the current knowledge base around oxytocin production in labour, and the role of emotion in the workplace. Case studies of successful change from around the world – from service users, activists and maternity care staff – provide inspiration for innovation while hints and tips help to make such change happen.

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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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