HOW TO GROW A BABY : a science-based guide to nurturing new life, from pregnancy to ... childbirth and beyond

Written by a nurse, this holistic guide for pregnancy and the postpartum experience provides foundational knowledge and intuitive wisdom to help new mothers support the optimal health of their baby and their own bodies. Get the answers to the big questions about pregnancy: • What kinds of foods should you eat and how do you prepare your body for labor and birth? • How does movement impact pelvic health and the baby's position in the womb? • How does the endocrine system and your brain change throughout pregnancy? • How does the microbiome influence your and your baby's health? Packed with practical information and helpful infographics, Amy J. Hammer helps you create the optimal environment for growing a baby and navigating the major transitions in a pregnancy—including nurturing pelvic floor health, the fetal and parental microbiome, and the science behind the stages of pregnancy from conception to postpartum. By providing vital and often ignored information about reproductive science, movement, and nourishment, this book empowers parents to make informed and personal choices about their pregnancy, birth, and beyond. "People have probably told you (usually over and over) that having a baby can be hard. Pregnancy can be uncomfortable, birth almost unbearably painful, breastfeeding challenging and nights long and sleepless. And while some of these were sometimes true and there were many dirty diapers and hours of cluster feeding early on, I found that knowing some of the why behind the sensations in my body and my baby's behavior helped me foster tolerance, respect and patience. Coming back to the foundations of this book-movement, nourishing food, supportive communities and taking care of our shared environment-helped guide and ground my choices as a new parent. Understanding my invaluable, incredible, monumental role in the development of my son's inner ecology built within me a sense of wonder and confidence in my new job as his mother. My desire to learn what science and research had to teach me about growing my baby acted as a bridge to accepting the multitudes of unknown complexities the art of growing a person requires"-- Provided by publisher