A perinatal education specialist helps women who are starting to think about becoming pregnant arrive at a thorough understanding of the psychological, emotional, physical, relationship and financial challenges that such a decision brings.

As an intelligent woman, you are probably used to learning as much as you can before making major decisions. But when it comes to one of the most important decisions of your life--how you will give birth—it is hard to gather accurate, unbiased information. Surprisingly, much of the research does not support common medical opinion and practice. Birth activist Henci Goer gives clear, concise information based on the latest medical studies. The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth helps you compare and contrast your various options and shows you how to avoid unnecessary procedures, drugs, restrictions, and tests. The book covers: Cesareans Breech babies Inducing labor Electronic Fetal Monitoring Rupturing Membranes Coping with slow labor Pain medication Epistiotomy Vaginal birth after a Ceasarean Doulas Deciding on a doctor or midwife Choosing where to have your baby and much more . . .

For many women, having a baby delivers all the profound joy they anticipated and brings happiness beyond description. For women who experience depression after the birth of a baby, this joy can seem elusive. Instead, women with postpartum depression (PPD) are often gripped with feelings of deep sadness, confusion, anxiety, and despair, and they are deprived of their anticipated joy in their first precious months with their baby. At some point, the question of having another baby arises. If you ask a woman in the throes of a depression this question, she may say, no. No more children. If you ask a woman who has recovered from postpartum depression if she wants more children, she may say, yes, but I'm scared to go through that again. This book was written to accompany these women on their journey toward a subsequent pregnancy after postpartum depression. What Am I Thinking contains essential information for a woman and her family who plan on having another baby after a previous experience with postpartum depression. As these women know, planning another pregnancy can be a process filled with profound anxiety, indecision, fears, and self-doubt. What if I get depressed again? What if it's worse this next time? What if something terrible happens? What if I'm making a mistake? Filled with self-help strategies, current treatment recommendations, and practical advice, this book offers women the hope, confidence, and support they need to make this journey in spite of their anxiety. With this resource and available knowledge in hand, they are likely to feel more empowered, enabling them to proceed with confidence.

2019 National Parenting Product Award (NAPPA) Winner Finally, a calming pregnancy book that cuts through the noise to tell expectant mothers exactly what they need to know—and what they can stop obsessing about and over-researching. In The New Rules of Pregnancy, two leading OB-GYNs guide you, the modern pregnant woman, through all aspects of pregnant life in an easy-to-digest, compassionate, and motivating way. Instead of a detailed week-by-week look at your baby’s development, it’s all about you, and how to help your pregnancy go as smoothly as possible. It assumes an intelligent, busy reader (who, somewhere inside, is shouting, “Just tell me what to do!”). Every aspect of pregnant life is covered—from the practical details (how to fly pregnant) to the complex issues (“What makes it postpartum depression?”). The book also covers that critical “fourth trimester”—“Nursing” and “How to Feel Like Yourself Again”—because once the baby is born, self-care typically goes out the window, and you really need someone to have your back. Its strong point of view and expertise come from gynecologist Adrienne Simone and obstetrician Jaqueline Worth—two renowned New York doctors dedicated to bringing patients the safest, calmest, least invasive pregnancies possible. The book’s voice—motivating, supportive, real—comes from Danielle Claro, coauthor of The New Health Rules.

What if I drop my baby when I go down the steps? What if I burn the baby in the bathtub? Thoughts like these can be frightening to new mothers, but are a common symptom pregnant and postpartum women can experience. Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts addresses the nature of these intrusive, negative and unwanted thoughts. Kleiman and Wenzel offer answers to the women who seek information, clarification, and validation in this useful resource for healthcare professionals working with these mothers. Written by two clinicians who have established themselves as leading experts and authors in this specialized field, this book maintains a compassionate tone that will be a voice familiar to many women in the postpartum community. Whether you must confront these negative notions personally or in your practice, this book will explain what these thoughts are, why they are there, and what can be done about them.

Raising a baby is joyful, amazing . . . and ridiculously difficult. But with some insight into what's actually going on inside your little one's head, your job as a parent can become a little bit easier—and a lot more fun. In Think Like a Baby, coauthors Amber and Andy Ankowski—The Doctor and the Dad—show parents how to re-create classic child development experiments using common household items. These simple step-by-step experiments apply from the third trimester through age seven and beyond and help parents understand their children's physical, cognitive, language, and social development. Amazed parents won't just read about how their kids are behaving, changing, and thinking at various stages, they'll actually see it for themselves while interacting and having fun with them at the same time. Each experiment is followed by a discussion of its practical implications for parents, such as why to always bring more than one toy to a restaurant, which baby gadgets to buy (and which ones to avoid), how to get kids to be perfectly happy eating just half of their dessert, and much more.

This funny, relatable, and empathetic book for expectant parents shows that everyone knows what to expect during pregnancy . . . or do they? Full of vibrant illustrations, annotated diagrams, and first-hand accounts, Be Pregnant is a fun and comforting companion for this exciting (and highly anticipatory!) time in a pregnant person’s life. Eugenia Viti’s charming mix of insider info and humor provide a much-needed laugh about: Strangers trying to touch your belly. Feelings of inadequacy about stroller prices. The all-powerful birth plan. With quirky yet universal anecdotes, personal "Something That May Happen . . ." sections, and an inclusive illustration program welcoming all moms, Be Pregnant is the perfect gift for an expecting friend or baby shower.