The Positive Birth Book

Challenging negativity and fear of childbirth, and brimming with everything you need to know about labor, birth, and the early weeks of parenting, The Positive Birth Book is the must-have guide for pregnant women. A widely acclaimed best seller since it was first published, it has empowered hundreds of thousands of women worldwide to make informed, positive choices about their births.

Fully revised and updated, this new edition will help you work out what kind of birth you really want, and learn how to maximize your chances of getting it.

Written in Milli Hill’s trademark warm and witty style, discover vital information on everything from building the ultimate birth plan to your choices and rights in the birth room; from optimal cord clamping to postnatal mental health; from the inside track on breastfeeding to a positive, gentle caesarean.

Whether you plan to have your baby in hospital, in a birth center, at home, or by elective caesarean, this essential, nonjudgmental guide shows you how to raise your expectations and have the best possible birth experience.

New for this edition:

• How to plan for a positive birth in difficult times
• Reworked chapter on choosing where to have your baby
• What you need to know about exercise in pregnancy from Charlie Launder, author of Bumps and Burpees
• Top tips for breastfeeding from Amy Brown, author of The Positive Breastfeeding Book
• New section on your rights in pregnancy and birth by Bashi Hazard of the Human Rights in Childbirth International Lawyers Network
• Essential information about your pelvic floor, core, and postnatal incontinence by Nikki Bergen, creator of the Belle Method, and Luce Brett, author of PSML