Search results for ""Pinter Martin Ltd.""

Leading yoga teacher trainer Melanie Cooper brings you the essential guide to teaching yoga and adjusting asana (yoga poses). The first part of the book explores the fundamentals of teaching in a simple, clear, accessible way. The author covers how to teach crucial concepts such as breath, muscle lock and gaze, as well as more general topics including injuries, ethics and the spiritual aspects of yoga. Part 1 also includes a quick-look guide to counting the Primary Series, and teaching points for each Primary Series posture. In the second part of the book the author demonstrates helpful techniques for deepening common yoga postures, and provides a complete guide to hands-on adjustment for the Ashtanga Primary Series. With a wealth of information, clear writing, and fresh, detailed photography, this is an invaluable resource for qualified yoga teachers, student teachers, and yoga students who want to take their practice to the next level.

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An extraordinary collection of essays on literature and contemporary culture. Gripping, irreverent, smart and entirely original. Passionate about literature, O'Joyce frequently goes out of his way to antagonize a literary establishment that places profit and political correctness before artistic vision. His blunt language may put off some readers, but Joyce will not put anyone to sleep. The health of literary criticism in America today depends on voices like his. Library Journal

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When factory worker Pinquean Smallcreep, who has slotted a certain type of slot into a certain type of pulley for many years, packs his sandwiches and sets out on a journey to investigate what it is he is producing, his discoveries become increasingly more bizarre and disturbing. Peter Currell Brown's brilliantly surreal satire of automation and alienation is as exhilarating and unforgettable today as when it was first published.

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Despite being least affected by the virus itself, children and young people bore the brunt of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. When schools were closed, playgrounds taped up and play outlawed, children’s lives were closed down. The catastrophic impact on children and young people’s education, mental health, wellbeing, and life chances is becoming ever clearer, with the most disadvantaged suffering disproportionately. In May 2020 Liz Cole and Molly Kingsley founded UsForThem to advocate – in an often hostile climate – for children to be prioritised during the pandemic response. Having heard from thousands of families, and having often clashed with policymakers, they have a unique perspective on how the state’s response to the pandemic has affected our children. Here they document their shocking findings: how completely children’s health and welfare were sacrificed for that of adults; how policymakers appeared to disregard the harms they were causing; and how adults charged with protecting the young stood by and watched as children visibly struggled or slipped out of sight altogether. This dereliction of duty should haunt us for decades to come. With exclusive testimony from academics, politicians, scientists, educators, and parents, as well as former Children’s Commissioners, the book exposes the problems at the heart of policymaking which led to the systemic and ongoing betrayal of children. From public health to politics, and from media discourse to safeguarding, the authors show how children were too often used as the means to further adult interests. Ahead of the public inquiry, the authors call for an honest appraisal of what went wrong, and commitment from stakeholders to reimagine – not just recover – childhood.

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As the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, pregnancy and maternity services underwent a rapid transformation in an attempt to deal with transmission of the virus and the growing pressure on healthcare services. In a climate of fear, and with many unknowns about the virus and the risks to pregnant women and their babies, restrictions and hastily implemented policies often overrode years of work to improve maternity care, with devastating consequences for new families. Covid Babies: how pandemic health measures undermined pregnancy, birth and early parenting considers how policies put in place to protect us from the immediate threat of the virus ultimately had the unintended consequence of harming many who needed maternity and postnatal care. It highlights how hard-won gains, even when supported by overwhelming evidence, can be lost at the drop of a hat in a crisis. By learning the lessons of the pandemic – through close examination of the evidence base that is now emerging – Amy Brown shows how we can begin to move forward and unravel what has gone wrong. This is no easy task when our health services continue to face significant challenges, but one that is necessary to ensure the health and wellbeing of our new families and those who care for them.

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Many parents worry about their child’s sleep, and parents of new babies are often exhausted – but there is hope. This realistic, reassuring, and refreshing guide to sleep looks at sleep for both parents and children, and aims to empower and encourage parents to feel calm, confident and compassionate in their parenting. It strikes a balance between prioritising infant and child mental health and attachment, and being compassionate about the reality of raising a family in today’s society, with social support and understanding often in short supply. With practical and easily implementable ideas, and clear explanation of the many myths surrounding infant and baby sleep, this gentle and holistic guide is sure to allay many parents’ fears and help everyone in the family get the rest they need.

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Childhood illness affects thousands of families every year and can have a profound impact on everyone connected with a child, including their parents, siblings, extended family and community. In Why Childhood Illness Matters paediatric nurse and researcher Lyndsey Hookway explores the experience of having a sick child, explaining the effects on families and how they can best be supported by those around them. She examines how illness affects both a child and their family's quality of life, psychological wellbeing, and relationships, as well as a child's education, opportunities, sleep and play. She also explores how the effects of acute, chronic and palliative illness can be understood and managed to improve outcomes for children and their families.

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For parents of babies with feeding difficulties, the journey to a diagnosis of tongue-tie and the challenges involved in accessing treatment can be long and arduous. Information is often conflicting, and professionals do not always agree. Why Tongue-tie Matters aims to steer a course through research and practice to explain how tongue-tie impacts feeding, when you should suspect tongue-tie, and how to access assessment and treatment. With strategies that can help alleviate the feeding difficulties associated with tongue-tie, and information about recovery after division and the impact on speech and oral health, the book is an invaluable guide for parents and the health professionals supporting them.

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All babies need feeding – and yet in modern life something so simple has become an issue fraught with difficulty for new parents. Society, politics and culture have worked together to create a situation where parents are presented with a ‘choice’ – breast or bottle? Such a ‘choice’ implies that the product (the milk) and the method of delivery (breast or bottle) are equal, but is this true? In many countries bottle-feeding has become so common that it is never questioned, and indeed is often seen as the answer to parents’ problems. Not sleeping at night? Not enough milk? Mum needs medication? Reach for the formula. Every day women are told by their friends, family and even their doctors that bottle-feeding is the answer. Yet research shows that most mothers want to breastfeed, and that babies who are not breastfed are at increased risk of illness. Why Breastfeeding Matters tackles some of these issues head-on, in a frank discussion intended to help parents and others navigate the world of infant feeding. It is neither preachy nor a ‘how-to’ manual; it outlines some of the reasons why breastfeeding matters, to mothers and their babies, and explains how these issues can affect the way in which mothers use bottles and formula if they need to. Drawing on research, and the author’s experience as a lactation consultant, it is essential reading for anyone wondering about how to feed their new baby.

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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is the key text of yoga. Yet for many contemporary practitioners, its deeper treasures remain either unknown or mired in obscurity. Ranju Roy and David Charlton focus on 18 of the most important sutras and show how each one illuminates the relationship between the body, the breath and the mind in a practical, clear and contemporary manner. The sutras are carefully deconstructed, put into context and then developed into ideas for practice. They examine the interplay of three key terms: support, direction and space. They suggest that only by taking support on something can you establish a clear direction; and only then can a space open up to grow into. This formula can be applied as successfully to the body (in asana) as to the breath (in pranayama) and the mind (through meditation). With illustrated asana sequences and suggested practices, Embodying the Yoga Sutra is both a practical as well as a deeply philosophical book. Roy and Charlton give readers a whole new vocabulary with which to understand yoga as a living, vibrant and dynamic tradition.

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OMG, I'm pregnant! What do I do now? Like most nineteen-year-olds, Deirdre Curley was thinking about boys, parties and independence. She was living in Glasgow, care-free and falling in love with her ideal guy. She didn't expect to find herself staring at the pink line on an at-home pregnancy test. But suddenly there she was: definitely pregnant and wondering what on earth she should do next. In this warm and witty memoir of falling in love and falling pregnant, between stories of heartache, growing up and taking the plunge into parenthood, you'll find all the information and resources you need to help you at each stage of your pregnancy, to make sure you're doing what's best for you and your baby. The trimester-by-trimester guide takes readers through Deirdre's own experience and provides practical advice about exactly what is happening to your body (and when), and what you should be doing to ensure you stay on the right track. Growing Up Pregnant is a must-have book for all first time mums no matter what stage in life you are at. From party time to nappy time, tan marks to stretch marks, sanitary pads to breast pads, romantic dates to play dates, prosseco bottles to baby bottles – this book will give you the knowledge and tools you need to survive the changes your body and life goes through during pregnancy whilst also empowering you with the confidence to enjoy your own journey into motherhood.

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Why do mothers fail to breastfeed their babies? The majority of mothers know breastfeeding gives their baby the best start in life: improved health, superior intelligence, and closer emotional attachment are just a few of the crucial benefits. Yet a mere 17% of mothers are still breastfeeding when their babies are three months old. Why? There are plenty of books out there that offer excuses. Tiredness, sore nipples, low milk supply, breasts too big, breasts too small, excess marketing by artificial milk companies… the list goes on. This is the first book to look for answers in the mothers themselves. Controversial author and The Alpha Parent blogger Allison Dixley argues mothers fail to breastfeed because women undermine each other, using a toxic mix of deception, guilt, excuses, envy, contempt, defensiveness and sabotage. Drawing on academic research in psychology, biology, philosophy and anthropology, she sheds light on the hidden emotions of early motherhood, and reveals the deep and widespread damage artificial feeding can have on a mother’s confidence in her body, her mothering and in other women. Heart-wrenching, polemic and ultimately a call to action, this is a book that will make you angry, but a book that will make you think.

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Sheila Kitzinger, passionate campaigner for women's and babies' rights, childbirth educator and author, describes the experiences that have shaped her since childhood and the enormous changes that have taken place over the last 50 years on the subject of birth. Her work as a social anthropologist has taken her round the globe and the knowledge, wisdom and engaging warmth of her books continues to be revelatory and indispensable for thousands of women. This is a rich cross-cultural adventure, a fascinating insight into her world of babies, birth, women, social justice and challenging powerful institutions, a lifetime of dedication to positive social change.

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This adorable keepsake combines imaginative illustrations with bite-sized tips and practical information to help birthing companions take a hands-on role on the birthing day. A loving gift for any birth partner. Originally designed for the author's husband, Whoosh! is an intimately written guide, balancing scientifically accurate medical facts with humorous truisms, illustrated throughout with quirky line drawings and loving explanations. Whoosh! is a beautifully constructed pocket sized guide, intimately thought through, personal, easy to digest and lovely to read.

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Sweet Sleep is the first and most complete book on nights and naps for breastfeeding families. It is a how-to guide for making sane and safe decisions on how and where your family sleeps, including words of wisdom and reassurance from mothers, all backed up by the latest research. It's 4 a.m. You've nursed your baby five times throughout the night. You're beyond exhausted. But where can you breastfeed safely when you might fall asleep? You've heard that your bed is dangerous for babies. Or is it? Is there a way to reduce the risk? Does life really have to be this hard? No, it doesn't. Sweet Sleep is within reach. This invaluable resource will help you: - sleep better tonight in under ten minutes with the Quick Start guide - and sleep safer every night with the Safe Sleep Seven - sort out the fact and fiction of bedsharing and SIDS - learn about normal sleep at every age and stage, from newborn to new parent - direct your baby toward longer sleep when he's ready - tailor your approach to your baby's temperament - uncover the hidden costs of sleep training and "controlled crying" techniques - navigate naps at home and during daycare - handle criticism from family, friends, and health professionals - enjoy stories and tips from mothers like you - make the soundest sleep decisions for your family and your life

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Our ageing population is a modern success story, and success brings problems. The new demographic is for people to die in old age, or extreme old age, but with multiple illnesses and diagnoses, and on a cocktail of medication. But where is the balance of medicine between curing and caring? Are we neglecting the wellbeing of the dying person in our desire to fight death at all costs? Margaret McCartney, author of The Patient Paradox, examines the way we care for people at the end of life. She finds that medicine can harm as well as help, that loneliness and social isolation are endemic, and a lack of hands-on, human care means that people are not able to die where they would choose. She argues for a more compassionate and humane approach to the care of the dying which puts the needs of the individual first.

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Birth without Violence revolutionised the way we perceive the process of birth, urging us to consider birth from the infant's point of view. Why must a child emerge from the quiet darkness of the womb into a blaze of blinding light and loud voices? Why must an infant take its first breath in terror, hanging upside down as its vulnerable spine is jerked straight? Why must the infant be separated from its mother after spending nine months inside her nourishing body? Frédérick Leboyer’s Birth Without Violence is one of the milestones in the history of humanizing childbirth. It was the first book to express what mothers have always known: babies are born complete human beings with the ability to experience a full range of emotions. This Pinter & Martin edition is the definitive edition, published exactly how the author intended it.

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Upbeat and informative, Gaskin asserts that the way in which women become mothers is a women's rights issue, and it is perhaps the act that most powerfully exhibits what it is to be instinctually human. Birth Matters is a spirited manifesta showing us how to trust women, value birth, and reconcile modern life with a process as old as our species. Renowned for her practice's exemplary results and low intervention rates, Ina May Gaskin has gained international notoriety for promoting natural birth. She is a much-beloved leader of a movement that seeks to stop the hyper-medicalization of birth-which has lead to nearly a third of hospital births in America to be cesarean sections-and renew confidence in a woman's natural ability to birth.

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Many parents plan to introduce a bottle early in their child’s life, whether they’re going to use formula or expressed breastmilk. Many more find themselves going down this pathway even though they hadn’t planned to. It can be difficult to find useful information to navigate the journey of mixed feeding, balancing giving formula alongside maintaining the production of breastmilk, and parents often feel unprepared and unsupported with this decision. Breastfeeding Counsellor Karen Hall has been supporting parents to feed their babies in different feeding situations for over 10 years, and draws together her experience and understanding of what parents need to know, to have a positive experience of mixed feeding.

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How do we know whether a particular treatment really works? How reliable is the evidence? And how do we ensure that research into medical treatments best meets the needs of patients? These are just a few of the questions addressed in a lively and informative way in Testing Treatments. Brimming with vivid examples, Testing Treatments will inspire both patients and professionals. Building on the success of the first edition, Testing Treatments has now been extensively revised and updated. The Second Edition includes a thought-provoking chapter on screening, explaining why early diagnosis is not always better. Other new chapters explore how over-regulation of research can work against the best interests of patients, and how robust evidence from research can be drawn together to shape the practice of healthcare in ways that allow treatment decisions to be reached jointly by patients and clinicians. Testing Treatments urges everyone to get involved in improving current research and future treatment, and outlines practical steps that patients and doctors can take together.

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Do bottle fed babies sleep better and feed longer than breastfed babies? Are modern formula milks as good as breastmilk? Are breastfed babies woozies that want picking up all the time? And is it really easier and more convenient to bottle-feed? Many women thinking about breastfeeding their babies are put off by rumours and myths. In their award-winning, beautifully illustrated book infant feeding specialist Val Finigan and embroidery artist Lou Gardiner's tackle commonly held beliefs about breastfeeding with wisdom, warmth and wit.

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As revealing as "Freakonomics", shocking as "Fast Food Nation" and thought provoking as "No Logo", "The Politics of Breastfeeding" exposes infant feeding as one of the most important public health issues of our time. Every thirty seconds a baby dies from infections due to a lack of breastfeeding and the use of bottles, artificial milks and other risky products. In her powerful book Gabrielle Palmer describes how big business uses subtle techniques to pressure parents to use alternatives to breastmilk. The infant feeding product companies' thirst for profit systematically undermines mothers' confidence in their ability to breastfeed their babies. An essential and inspirational eye-opener, "The Politics of Breastfeeding" challenges our complacency about how we feed our children and radically reappraises a subject which concerns not only mothers, but everyone: man or woman, parent or childless, old or young. It is the 3rd fully revised and updated edition.

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It’s all in a day’s work for high-flying literary agent Alexander; manuscripts to read, deals to be done, celebrity clients to be taken out to lunch… but first there is an author to deal with whose latest book the agent thinks is, frankly, not up to scratch. However he hadn't counted on the author's resourcefulness...

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In 1997 the Albany Midwifery Practice in Peckham, South London, negotiated a pioneering NHS contract with King’s College Hospital Trust. The Albany model of midwifery care was loved and respected not only by those who experienced it first-hand, but also by the wider midwifery profession. Founded to serve one of the most disadvantaged populations in London, its innovative approach led to improved outcomes for mothers and their babies. Why, then, was the practice suddenly shut down in 2009? Although it was widely acknowledged that the Albany model offered gold-standard care, the hospital trust claimed that since March 2006 this care had been ‘unsafe’. But both the data and the methodology used to condemn the practice were flawed, and the real reasons for the closure remained obscure. Despite extensive protests by mothers and families, midwives, and many high-profile supporters, the Albany was forced to close its doors and one of the midwives was subjected to a punitive investigation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which eventually found that there was no case to answer. Midwives and campaigners have long pushed for answers about what really happened to this flagship midwifery practice. In this damning assessment, based on years of careful research and interviews, the authors reveal how a hugely successful healthcare project was undermined and dismantled, to the detriment of mothers and babies, the wider community and the midwifery profession as a whole. As maternity services are scrutinised once more, and as the NHS struggles to implement its policy of continuity of midwifery care, this hard-hitting account of the fate of the Albany could not be more relevant or more timely.

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You matter. Your body matters. Pregnancy and birth may be everyday occurrences, but they are not easy, and the after-affects can be wide-ranging and sometimes difficult to live with. Taking care of your physical and mental health is paramount, not only because a healthy, happy you will be more able to cope with the demands of parenthood, but because you are still the whole human being you were before you conceived, and you deserve to recover and thrive. With proper care postnatally, we can strengthen and support our bodies to recover – and maintain optimal physical health for life. This book aims to hold your hand and lift you up as you navigate your new body, giving you information to help you to relish motherhood, not just survive it. It deals comprehensively with the common bodily changes you may experience after birth, explaining what is normal and what may need attention. Research and interviews with health experts are complemented by women’s experiences of how they overcame a range of physical challenges postpartum, including stories that often go untold. The book does not shy away from tackling the hardest aspects of postnatal recovery, but aims to be hopeful and genuinely helpful. Not only will you understand your body better, but you’ll also gain confidence that you can and will get back to optimum health. Your Postnatal Body is relevant for everyone who’s given birth, whether you are a brand-new first-time mum or already a few years (or decades!) into motherhood.

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Feeding your baby is a big part of the first year. It can be an exciting and enjoyable time but also one that can raise many questions and concerns. What to give them? How much? And when? It can feel like everyone has an opinion on what you should do and what worked for them, with a confusing array of information online to wade through. Let’s talk about feeding your baby helps support you through this. Covering breast and formula feeding, mixed feeding, starting solids and more, this supportive and non-judgemental guide brings you the evidence, top tips and lots of support to answer all your feeding questions. Focusing on both the practicalities and emotions attached to feeding decisions, it will answer your questions big and small, supporting you to confidently feed your baby as they grow, in whatever way works for your family. With expert contributors and quotes from parents, Professor Amy Brown’s authoritative but easy-to-read style ensures that this book will inform and reassure anyone wanting to know more about how to support their baby to be a healthy and happy eater however they decide to feed them.

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You have probably heard of postnatal depression, but did you know that most cases of postnatal depression actually began in pregnancy? And that most people who have antenatal depression have had depression in the past? And did you know that postnatal depression is not caused by women’s hormones gone awry; men are suffering postnatal and perinatal depression in larger and larger numbers too? This is why “postnatal depression” has now been renamed “perinatal depression”(‘peri’ means around, as in the word “perimeter”). Why is the seemingly joyful event of new parenthood causing so much suffering? Depression seems to be related to the stresses that a modern couple undertake when they have a baby. The lack of support, lack of celebration, overload of expectations, overwhelming responsibility, isolation, judgment, blaming by the media, tiredness, mixed messages, confusion, high expectations and lack of tender loving care serve to eventually break parents and their relationships. And when we break parents, we break a baby. Babies are our future, and if we break a baby, in the long run, we break society. Postnatal depression takes a high toll on society. Dealing effectively with perinatal depression is about valuing love, connection, calm and stillness, over and above productivity, achievement and acquisition.

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Pregnancy is a time of profound physical and psychological change. The transition to motherhood can be complex and difficult, and in all the discourse about pregnancy and birth the huge personal changes that women undergo can be overlooked. In the 21st century it can seem that mothers are blamed and blame themselves for everything, as they struggle to manage their multiple identities as mothers, lovers, sisters and daughters. Why Mothering Matters is a nuanced and revealing discussion of how it can feel to become a mother in modern society. It calls for better recognition of the work of motherhood, and better support for women and families as they learn what parenting looks like for them.

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In the 21st century, women are supposed to have a choice about where they give birth. But when that choice is home, women often encounter obstacles, despite robust evidence that birth at home is safe, beneficial and should be available for women who want it. Why Home Birth Matters is a clear discussion of the reality of modern home birth, which aims to show how the home environment supports and powers the birth process, while encouraging parents to consider how it might work for them.

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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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Nurturing Your Family With Yoga is an essential guide to the practice of yoga for families and children, demonstrating how yoga can be a real part of everyday family life and bring happiness and harmony to the home. Illustrated with beautiful, inspiring photographs of children and adults practising yoga together, and with clear, concise explanations, the book is packed with fun and practical suggestions for incorporating yoga into daily life, including: The A-Z of Yoga – a wonderful, engaging game that introduces children to 26 classic yoga poses Breathing exercises to strengthen and balance the nervous system and to steady the mind Visualisations to reduce anxiety and build resilience Yoga in Bed sequence to help children settle down and sleep well With guided meditations, affirmations and reflections that will inspire and inform interesting and thoughtful discussions with children, as well as tips and tricks for adults to help you share yoga successfully, Nurturing Your Family With Yoga is all you need to help you foster health and wellbeing for your whole family.

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In this ‘antenatal course in a book’, experienced hypnobirthing and antenatal practitioner Jackie Kietz discusses labour and birth in the way that it would be covered at face-to-face birth preparation classes. From how to tell whether you’re really in labour, to choosing where and how to give birth and communicating your wishes to healthcare staff, the book is packed with essential information for new parents. As well as practical details, there are also MP3s and suggestions for ways to relax using hypnobirthing and breathing techniques to help you think positively about your upcoming birth. As a useful reminder of what’s covered in a course, or as a substitute if you don’t want to or can’t attend classes in person, this friendly, easy to follow and reassuring book is invaluable for anyone expecting a baby.

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Many mothers and those who support them do not know that they can experience negative emotions associated with breastfeeding. In modern society breastfeeding is often used – problematically – to exemplify myths about motherhood and maternal love, and is bound up with ideas of what makes a ‘good mother’. In this context nursing aversion and agitation – intense, distressing feelings that are experienced by the mother during breastfeeding – can be both unexpected and hugely upsetting, particularly when women may have already overcome significant challenges in order to breastfeed. In When Breastfeeding Sucks Zainab Yate examines what we know about this poorly understood aspect of infant feeding, in a carefully researched discussion that will be valuable for individual mothers who may be suffering, and the breastfeeding supporters who work to support them.

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In modern maternity systems one in four women have their labour induced. Why Induction Matters provides a comprehensive, evidence-based guide to this common intervention. The induction process is explained in detail, and reasons for offering induction are discussed. Options related to inducing labour or choosing to wait are explored, and women’s experiences are included throughout. The book aims to help parents make their own informed decisions about induction of labour.

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