Pregnancy Fitness covers all physical and physiological aspects of pregnancy, birth, and recovery. Practical and accessible, it delivers stretching, strengthening, and functional exercises as well as sample workout programs to take you safely and confidently through each phase of pregnancy and postpartum fitness.

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

Personal trainer, founder of Bumps & Burpees, and new mum Charlie Barker provides you with 36 workouts designed specifically for you to do safely during your pregnancy. Learn how to keep your baby safe when working out and what physical changes you can expect in each trimester. Step-by-step exercises designed to develop your strength, fitness, and flexibility, will help you to carry your growing baby in greater comfort, prepare you for childbirth, and recover well. Best of all, you can do it all at home, with minimal or no equipment. Charlie's holistic approach helps you prioritize your own health and wellbeing throughout pregnancy and early motherhood, for the benefit of you and your baby.

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

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

Pilates for Pregnancy offers over 60 gentle exercises divided into two main sections: Early Pregnancy (0 to 16 weeks) and Later Pregnancy (16 weeks to birth). In addition, Lynne offers exercises for pre- and post-pregnancy. The book covers all the current health guidelines: for instance, did you know that exercising supine during pregnancy increases your chances of developing supine hypotensive syndrome? The book is especially unique for its inclusion of a Q&A with a midwife on preparing for labour and the birth itself, a series of postnatal exercises that you can do with your baby, plus a groundbreaking new exercise programme for correcting diastasis recti (abdominal separation that occurs shortly after childbirth). With Pilates for Pregnancy you will be well on your way to attaining an enjoyable and enriching pregnancy.

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