Body After Birth ("Practical Parenting" Problem Solvers) Book

If you are thinking of starting a family, then don't read on … this book may just put you off for life! Having said that, I wish I had been more prepared for the sight of my body after having my first child. Instead of my slim well-toned pre-pregnancy figure, I felt like a sack of potatoes with the potatoes missing - or a balloon which had popped. Chumbley, an antenatal teacher with the National Childbirth Trust, explains what to expect in the early days after the birth, discussing changes in a woman's breasts and body shape and the amount of blood loss expected. The book then focuses on the months after the birth, considering topics such as resuming your sex life and getting your figure back. The author is a strong advocate of pelvic floor exercises, to avoid stress incontinence and loss of sexual sensation, and gives instructions on how to do them. Suggestions for more general post-natal exercises are also given. This book is not for the squeamish. Anyone reading it while pregnant may find herself wondering whether she has done the right thing. Indeed, it could be sold as a contraceptive! On the other hand many people want to be well informed about the changes happening to them at this time and the book manages to do this in a straightforward and simple manner. And when you are rewarded with that beautiful baby, it all seems worthwhile. -- Carole ButterworthRead More