Before

Pregnancy; Woman To Woman

The Beauty, The Bliss, The Bothers

BLURB

Pregnancy should be peppered with beautiful growth & innocent bliss as you patiently wait to cradle your darling bundle. With every minute that passes, your heart deepens into immeasurable depths. It's sensational as you witness your body take such natural lead.

While delving into the sweetness, we should also appreciate the more peculiar and somewhat uncomfortable aspects of pregnancy life, should we not? Chubby ankles, niggling nausea, ferocious fatigue. and a few unwelcome toots.

In a frank, sincere and unfiltered tone, BEFORE sets off to explore the pregnancy terrain! Understanding the plethora of scans & the medical lingo, to learning about safe exercise, sex, sleep, nutrition, mental health all of the taboo aspects women may associate with an 'ick' factor. despite the fact we are all probably wondering, '..what's up with the swollen hoo-hoo?"

A cast of brilliant professionals in the pre and postnatal space have joined the pages of BEFORE, as well as a collection of mothers who have written letters to their pregnant selves offering true understanding & light. Women carrying twins! Women in same-sex relationships! Step mums carrying their first little wonder, and women who become spectacular mothers after suffering previous loss, long hauls with fertility, IVF and stillbirth.

This book is a palmful of love & solace for every woman who reads. CHAPTERS

INTRODUCTION

EXPECTING

EXERCISE with a Women’’s Health Physio

NUTRITION with a Nutritionist

AVOIDING HAEMORROIDS

DIABETES

THE DARLING DOULA with a Doula

SEX with a Sexologist

SLEEP with a Sleep Consultant

MENTAL HEALTH with a therapist

GETTING TO KNOW COMMON BIRTH TERMS with a midwife/birth expert

PRE-NATAL MASSAGE THERAPY with a remedial massage therapist

PREGNANCY SCANS with a sonographer

PREPARING FOR THE NEWBORN CRY with a health & wellness expert

TAMING THE TABOO with a midwife/birth expert

PLANNING FOR POSTPARTUM

SIGNS OF LABOUR with a midwife/birth expert

LETTERS TO SELF

PREGNANCY AFTER MISCARRIAGE

PREGNANCY AFTER STILLBIRTH

PREGNANCY WITH MULTIPLES

PREGNANCY VIA IVF

PREGNANCY - SAME SEX COUPLE

PREGNANCY - EXPECTING NUMBER ONE!

OTHER

THE LIFE ADMIN CHECK LIST

GRIEF TIPS (SUPPORTING THOSE WHO EXPERIENCE THE TRAUMA OF STILLBIRTH)

SURVIVING GESTATIONAL DIABETES ABOUT THE BOOK

♻ Printed Using Recycled Material

Full Colour, 232 pages

Illustrated by Catherine Malady

Cover Art by Jacqui Porter

Designer - Northwood Green

Printer - Mark Print