Pregnancy Relationships

The intersection of motherhood and creative life is explored in these writings on mothering that turn the spotlight from the child to the mother herself. Here, in memoirs, testimonials, diaries, essays, and fiction, mothers describe firsthand the changes brought to their lives by pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering.

Decades before Perdita Felicien became a World Champion hurdler running the biggest race of her life at the 2004 Olympics, she carried more than a nation's hopes - she carried her mother Catherine's dreams. In 1974, Catherine is determined and tenacious, but she's also pregnant with her second child and just scraping by in St. Lucia. When she meets a wealthy white Canadian family vacationing on the island, she knows it's her chance.

An indispensable guide to the revolutionary advances in pregnancy and childbirth. After decades of research into how babies develop in the womb, Susan J. Fisher, PhD, shares her expert advice to empower expecting parents. Complete with helpful illustrations, practical tips, and the essential questions to ask health-care providers, here is everything you need to take charge of your health and your baby’s.

Infertility affects about 15 percent of couples globally, yet somehow infertility and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) are taboo subjects, often hidden and un-talked about. 1000 Needles: How to Increase Your Odds and Take Control of Your IVF Journey removes the stigma with a touch of sass and an unapologetically honest voice, exploring one couple’s IVF challenges and discoveries in order to normalize the infertility conversation.

Celebrated doula, healer, yoga teacher, and parenting coach Lori Bregman brings a holistic guide to being a more balanced, authentic, and joyful mother. Introducing the "five expressions of motherhood" - Action Mama, Flow Mama, Rebel Mama, Vulnerable Mama, and Free Mama - Lori offers supportive advice, exercises, meditations, and yoga practices to cultivate a healthy balanced life and stronger bonds. Accessible and encouraging, Mamaste provides foundational tools for parenting, relatable examples, and exercises to build self-awareness and mindfulness.

As a new dad, you'll learn to take care of your newborn while ensuring your partner's recovery. Discover how to balance self-care with your new responsibilities and gain practical tools and advice to excel in your role as a father. Your journey into fatherhood begins long before childbirth, with the effort and care you invest in your partner's well-being.

In this timely and necessary book, New York Times opinion writer Jessica Grose dismantles two hundred years of unrealistic parenting expectations and empowers today’s mothers to make choices that actually serve themselves, their children, and their communities.

Are you pregnant and feeling anxious about giving birth? Or maybe you're already a mom and would like to have a more positive birth experience the next time around. Hypnobirthing affirmations may be just what you need. This gentle, holistic approach to childbirth can help you relax and focus on your birthing goals. Listen to these affirmations before you give birth and during delivery as a way to help you relax and relieve some of the tension before your little one arrives.

Juniper French was born four months early, at 23 weeks' gestation. She weighed one pound, four ounces, and her twiggy body was the length of a Barbie doll. Her head was smaller than a tennis ball, her skin was nearly translucent, and through her chest you could see her flickering heart. Babies like Juniper, born at the edge of viability, trigger the question: Which is the greater act of love - to save her or to let her go? Kelley and Thomas French chose to fight for Juniper's life, and this is their incredible tale.

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.

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.

Lessons Learned from a First Time Mom’s Pregnancy, Unmedicated Birth, and Long-term Breastfeeding Experience offers you a balanced perspective from someone who has been through what you are on the verge of achieving. It's an effective introduction to the resources that will guide you in reaching your birthing and breastfeeding goals mixed with my experience in applying those resources.

A 360-degree guide to pregnancy for first-time parents—demystify your doubts and make healthy choices for yourself and your baby. From the wild surprise that brings tears of joy to a gradual, somewhat anxious, realization that things are going to change, pregnancy is a roller-coaster of emotions, expectations, and the promise of a new life.

So you're making a person...and no one will stop telling you what to do about it. Your friends, your neighbors, your Uber driver - everyone is giving you unsolicited advice, to which Beth and Jackie say: F--k advice! There's no "right" way to be pregnant or a new mom, only stretchy pants to be worn and choices to be made. This guide asks and answers all the essential questions, such as: Should I have an unmedicated or drugged-out birth? (Up to you!) Will I have time to pee as a new mom? (Maybe!) How do I avoid hating my partner? (That's more complicated.)

Liv Ridgely prides herself on being the responsible wrangler of all things family: stay at home mom, caretaker of elderly parents, supporter of husband Oscar's career, savior of her wayward sister. Now, with her son off to college, and her ambitious daughter, Hazel, a year away from following him, it's Liv's turn. She's even established her dream career of bringing beautiful old homes back to life in the most picturesque part of Maine. Until she learns that 16-year-old Hazel is three months pregnant.

Have first-time dad jitters? Here’s how you can gain confidence and feel empowered to be the best partner and dad you can ever be.

Breastfeeding is natural, but it is not entirely instinctive for either mothers or babies. The Nursing Mother's Companion has been among the best-selling books on breastfeeding for over 30 years, with over 1,000,000 copies sold. It is respected and recommended by professionals, including The International Lactation Consultant Association, T. Berry Brazelton, and The American Academy of Pediatrics, and is well loved by new parents for its encouraging and accessible style.

Hermione Winters is captain of her cheerleading team, and in tiny Palermo Heights, this doesn't mean what you think it means. At PHHS, the cheerleaders don't cheer for the sports teams; they are the sports team - the pride and joy of a tiny town. The team's summer training camp is Hermione's last and marks the beginning of the end of...she's not sure what. She does know this season could make her a legend. But during a camp party, someone slips something in her drink. And it all goes black.

Nearly all babies in the UK receive formula milk at some point during their first year of life. Yet finding independent and factual information about formula feeding can be surprisingly difficult, as much of the material available to parents, carers, and health professionals is generated by the formula industry for marketing purposes. How can parents make properly informed decisions about which brand to choose, how much to feed and when, and how to prepare products safely? Infant feeding specialist Shel Banks tackles all these questions and many more.

The ultimate guide for developing and maintaining a safe and secure relationship as you learn how to navigate life after having children. Learn to improve your communication, strengthen your connection, and manage common postpartum challenges as a team.