Why did no one tell me this? The doulas' honest guide for expectant parents
Book - 2020
Full of honest advice and inclusive options, Why Did No One Tell Me This? is the funny, personality-filled, illustrated guide to pregnancy, birth, and beyond that modern parents have been waiting for. Pregnancy and childbirth are full of big questions--what if my baby is enormous? Will my water break naturally? What even goes into a 'birth plan'? How on earth am I going to keep this child alive once it's here? And where do I turn for advice that will really work for me and my life? In Why Did No One Tell Me This?, doulas and reproductive health experts Natalia Hailes and Ash Spivak answer these questions and more for today's wellness-focused, intersectional parents-to-be. Drawing on years of experience in their birth dou...la practice Brilliant Bodies, Natalia and Ash guide readers through the entire process, from the earliest stages of pregnancy to the jungle of postpartum feelings and responsibilities. Bite-sized pieces of advice are interspersed with vibrant illustrations by artist Louise Reimer to break down the doubts and fears that often surround childbirth, empowering readers to explore their own individual needs, know their rights, and find their voice both during and after pregnancy. By addressing common fears, incorporating regular tips for partners, and providing information on a wide array of birth and parents styles, this unique and inclusive guide is the perfect tool for a new generation of parents.
- Subjects
- Published
-
Philadelphia :
Running Press
2020.
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Other Authors
- ,
- Edition
- First edition
- Physical Description
- 264 pages : color illustrations ; 22 cm
- ISBN
- 9780762495665
- Hello! Start Here
- Dear Readers
- What Is a Doula Anyway?
- Setting the Foundation
- Part 1. Drowning Out the Noise and Learning to Listen to You
- Tuning In: Learning to Listen to You
- Let That Baby Guide You
- What Is Your Body Telling You?!
- Go with Your Gut: #ThisIsHowIWasBorn
- Your Emotions Are Telling You Important Shit
- The Soundtrack in Your Head
- Getting Support: Setting the Record Straight (WTF?!)
- Getting Support: Building Your Squad
- Getting Support: Working through Those Extra Blocks for LGBTQ+ Folks
- Putting It All Together: This Is Your Birthday Party. You're the Boss
- Part 2. This is Why You're Boss: The Crazy Cool Shit Your Body Can Do
- Your Body Has Been Prepping for This from the Beginning
- This Is How You Grow a Baby: New Ways to Think about Your Changing Body
- Meet Your Hormones
- Welcome to Your Baby's Home-That You Freakin' Made from Scratch!
- The Uterus Part 1: Oh How it Grows (and Shrinks!)
- The Uterus Part 2: Demystifying Those Contractions
- The Almighty Cervix
- The Pelvis Part 1: A Pelvis like Elvis
- The Pelvis Part 2: I Have a What?! Discover Your Pelvic Floor
- Got Milk
- Don't Forget Your Baby: It Takes Two
- Part 3. The Perenatal What-IFS
- What If ... I Don't Get the Birth I Want?
- What If ... I Stay Pregnant Forever?
- What If ... I'm Told I Need to Be Induced?
- What If ... My Water Breaks on My Boss's Shoe?
- What If ... I Give Birth in the Car?
- What If ... My Baby Is Too Big?
- What If ... My Labor Stalls?
- What If ... I Have Back Labor?
- What If ... I Have a 72-Hour Labor?
- What If ... It Hurts Like Hell?
- What If ... I Have to Transfer?
- What If ... The "Cascade of Interventions" Happens to Me?
- What If ... I'm Told I Need a C-Section?
- What If ... I Poop Myself While Pushing?
- What If ... My Vagina Tears Open?
- What If ... Something Goes Wrong?
- Part 4. The Postpartum What-IFS
- What If ... I Can't Stand My In-Laws?
- What If ... I Lose Myself?
- What If ... I End Up with a Saggy Chest, a Pooch, and a Stretched-Out Vag Forever?
- What If ... I Don't Have Enough Milk?
- What If ... I Irreversibly Mess Up My Baby?
- What If ... I Never Sleep Again?
- What If ... My Baby Never Stops Crying?
- What If ... I Get Postpartum Depression?
- What If ... I Never Want to Have Sex Again?
- What If ... I Don't Feel Ready to Go Back to Work?
- Part 5. Your Tools to Return to
- Can Your Birth Place and Care Providers Actually Give You What You Need?
- Building Your Dream Team
- Rethinking Stages of Labor
- Cheat Sheet: Coping with Labor
- Positions to Open the Pelvis (Prepping for and during Labor)
- Resting Positions (In Labor)
- Top Tips for an Epidural
- Top Tips for Breast/Chest-Feeding
- Top Tips for Your Postpartum Body
- Don't Freak Out If...: Quelling Your Postpartum Concerns
- Don't Freak Out If...: Weird Baby Stuff That's Totally Normal
- Partners, Read This Page
- We'll Leave You with This...
- Birth as a Life Metaphor: Your Own Power as Creator
- Acknowledgments
- Resources
- Citations
- Index