'Birth is a feminist issue!' The Art of Birth offers a radical new approach to conception, pregnancy and birth using expressive Art for self-development. Alexandra will lead you on a gentle, respectful and artistic journey into a feminine world of Art, art exercises, relaxation, positive affirmations, inner work, emotional support and pleasure, where the dream of a natural, empowered journey to motherhood and a positive birth experience can become a new reality. The Art of Birth is about creative freedom rather than technical skill, so No experience of art is necessary. You will be able to interpret your art work to see what it reveals and with this insight, rejoice in connecting with yourself and your baby on a deeper level. Alexandra's personal story contrasts the beliefs and behaviours in the United Kingdom with those of the Balinese culture, and conveys the message that a new positive birth paradigm is desperately needed. Cutting edge research is included to substantiate her claims that emotional well being during the creation of new life is paramount. Likewise, we can collectively support one of the most significant rites of passage in a woman's life. Art and birth are creative and non-intellectual processes and this is why Art can be a great asset in our preparation for birth as it allows us to access images and the unconscious. Before conception, through pregnancy, birth and beyond a woman, and her partner, can clear unhelpful emotional and psychological barriers. This book will give you the tools to empower yourself to create the experience you desire. The Art of Birth aims to inspire, educate and support pregnant women, fathers, partners, midwives, doulas, childbirth practitioners and anyone who is passionate about conscious conception, pregnancy, birth and parenting. Alexandra Florschutz, MA is a registered Art Psychotherapist (hcpc), Artist, Film Maker, Doula and Mother who lives and works in East Sussex, UK, with her son. www.theartofbirth.co.uk www.florschutz.com

A guide to help women find the joy and confidence needed for successful childbirth • Provides breathing and vocalizing exercises for use during pregnancy and labor • Contains inspiring stories from women who successfully applied these techniques • Includes links to 26-minute audio tracks of tamburã music to accompany the singing exercises Giving birth is a veritable “explosion” of joy. The baby arrives when the life force surges up so strongly in the woman that it breaks all limitations in order to spring forth. But in our modern culture, women often do not feel empowered to give birth by themselves. They want the “experts” to handle the birth for them, out of fear of the pain or the possible safety risks to them or the baby. Dr. Frédérick Leboyer, author of the groundbreaking book Birth without Violence, which looks at birth from the baby’s point of view, now explores the birth process from the mother’s perspective. Through the heartfelt letters of women sharing their experiences, which are accompanied by his advice and commentary, he reveals how women can develop the skills needed to create a successful and joyful birth. Dr. Leboyer stresses that proper breathing is the most important component for women going through childbirth. The breathing should come from the lower belly and the exhalation should be accompanied by a musical tone. Without this musical dimension, breathing is merely a physical exercise. Dr. Leboyer found that by using the music of the tambura, an Indian stringed instrument whose tones represent the embodiment of universal harmony, women are transported to a place of inner peace. The Art of Giving Birth includes breathing and singing exercises and gentle movements to be practiced throughout pregnancy and during labor. Also included are links to 26-minute audio tracks of tamburã music to accompany the exercises.

After labor, it’s time for rest: A gentle guide to zuo yuezi, the ancient Chinese practice of postpartum self-care, including sixty simple recipes. The first forty days after the birth of a child offer an essential and fleeting period of rest and recovery for the new mother. Based on Heng Ou’s own postpartum experience with zuo yuezi, a set period of “confinement” in which a woman remains at home focusing on healing and bonding with her baby, The First Forty Days revives the lost art of caring for the mother after birth. As modern mothers are pushed to prematurely “bounce back” after delivering their babies, and are often left alone to face the physical and emotional challenges of this new stage of their lives, the first forty days provide a lifeline—a source of connection, nourishment, and guidance. This book includes sixty simple recipes for healing soups, replenishing meals and snacks, and calming and lactation-boosting teas, all formulated to support the unique needs of the new mother. In addition to recipes, this warm and encouraging guide offers advice on arranging a system of help during the postpartum period, navigating relationship challenges, and honoring the significance of pregnancy and birth. Fully illustrated, it is a practical guide and inspirational read for all new mothers and mothers-to-be—the perfect ally during the first weeks with a new baby. “Bringing our attention back to the importance of the postpartum period for new mothers helps to create space for this essential period of integration and recovery . . . an invaluable companion during the first 40 days and beyond.” —Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein, filmmakers, The Business of Being Born

Essays discuss adulthood, parental relations, marriage, work, maturity, responsibility, and gaining control of one's life

Every human being is born and has gone through a process of birth. Yet the topic of birth remains deeply underrepresented in the humanities, overshadowed by a scholarly focus on death. This book explores how imagery is used ritualistically in religious, secular, and nonreligious ways during birth, through analysis of a wide variety of art, iconography, poetry, and material culture. Objects central to the book’s study include religious figurines, paintings about birth, and other items representative of pregnancy, crowning, or giving birth that have an historical or original meaning connected to religion. Contemporaryartists are also creating new art in which they represent birth and mothering as nonreligious events that are sacred or divine. Framed through the concept of social ontology, which examines the nature of the social world and studies how people create meaning out of the various objects, images, and processes that make up human social life, the book theorizes a social ontology of birth, focusing on how the meaning of imagery undergoes metamorphosis between the spheres of religion, secularity, nonreligion, and the sacred when used during birth as a rite of passage. Included in the study are more than thirty images of birth, some of which have never been written about before.

Birth as every woman would like it to be • Recommended by Lamaze International as one of the top ten books for pregnant women and their families • Includes a 45-minute DVD of six live gentle births • More than 32,000 copies sold of the original edition New parents are faced with a myriad of choices about pregnancy, labor, and birth. In Gentle Birth Choices Barbara Harper, renowned childbirth advocate, nurse, former midwife, and mother of three, helps to clarify these choices and shows how to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience. She dispels medical myths and reimagines birth without fear, pain, or violence. Harper explains the numerous gentle birth choices available, including giving birth in an independent birth center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room; finding a primary caregiver who shares your philosophy of birth; and deciding how to best use current technologies. She also provides practical advice for couples wishing to explore the option of using a doula or water during labor and birth to avoid the unwanted effects of drugs and epidurals. The Gentle Birth Choices DVD blends interviews with midwives and physicians and six actual births that illustrate the options of water birth, home birth, and vaginal birth after a prior Cesarean section. The DVD clearly reveals the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of women exercising gentle birth choices. It is a powerful instructional tool, not only for expectant parents, but also for midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors.

'Birth is a feminist issue!' The Art of Birth offers a radical new approach to conception, pregnancy and birth using expressive Art for self-development. Alexandra will lead you on a gentle, respectful and artistic journey into a feminine world of Art, art exercises, relaxation, positive affirmations, inner work, emotional support and pleasure, where the dream of a natural, empowered journey to motherhood and a positive birth experience can become a new reality. The Art of Birth is about creative freedom rather than technical skill, so No experience of art is necessary. You will be able to interpret your art work to see what it reveals and with this insight, rejoice in connecting with yourself and your baby on a deeper level. Alexandra's personal story contrasts the beliefs and behaviours in the United Kingdom with those of the Balinese culture, and conveys the message that a new positive birth paradigm is desperately needed. Cutting edge research is included to substantiate her claims that emotional well being during the creation of new life is paramount. Likewise, we can collectively support one of the most significant rites of passage in a woman's life. Art and birth are creative and non-intellectual processes and this is why Art can be a great asset in our preparation for birth as it allows us to access images and the unconscious. Before conception, through pregnancy, birth and beyond a woman, and her partner, can clear unhelpful emotional and psychological barriers. This book will give you the tools to empower yourself to create the experience you desire. The Art of Birth aims to inspire, educate and support pregnant women, fathers, partners, midwives, doulas, childbirth practitioners and anyone who is passionate about conscious conception, pregnancy, birth and parenting. Alexandra Florschutz, MA is a registered Art Psychotherapist (hcpc), Artist, Film Maker, Doula and Mother who lives and works in East Sussex, UK, with her son. www.theartofbirth.co.uk www.florschutz.com