Journey into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth (Paperback)

Journey Into Motherhood is an anthology of pregnancy and childbirth stories that emphasizes the positive. In today's culture of fear surrounding childbirth, Journey Into Motherhood offers a much-needed alternative vantage.

Journey Into Motherhood is not an all-encompassing guidebook, and it certainly does not replace more comprehensive or explicit instructionals concerning health, execercises, diet, and prepartions for natural childbirth, but the 48 heartwarming tales are sure to kindle the spirit with the knowledge that childbirth is indeed an experience to look forward to, and offers suggestions toward creating an optimum birth to suit the mother's desires and needs. Highly recommended supplementary reading for expectant mothers.

Messages from Water Vol. I, Vol. II, Vol. III by Masaru Emoto

Water is a mirror reflecting our mind. The Message From Water, represents years of research and testing over a large number of patients, none of which would be possible without Emoto-sans's years of dedication. When have only begun to understand the significance of clustered solutions and with further research will find new applications for this exciting technology.

Rituals for the Bath: From the Renaissance Women

Rituals for the Bath: From the Renaissance Women, by Kathy Corey, Lynne Blackman, Nancy Palubniak (Photographer), (New York, NY:Warner Books, Inc., 1995.)

With this beautifully illustrated book, readers can learn to make luxurious bath products--soothing or invigorating--from natural ingredients. Inspirational quotes, aromatherapy formulas, and suggestions for personal rituals to encourage tranquility accompany the 58 easy, inexpensive recipes for a full range of natural bath products. Color illustrations.

Sacred Birthing: Birthing a New Humanity

By Sunni Karll

An enormous scope of birth wisdom has been lost through time. Giving birth is the highest degree of honor, for it is our act of co-creation and is our personal gift to our baby. Not only is it an honor to create and nurture another being within, but to release and offer this baby in gratitude for our life and nurturing from the Earth and cosmos is a fulfillment of the cycle of life. For generations, we women have let ourselves miss the opportunity to give birth to align with our true self. We have, on some level, agreed to be anesthetized in birth to highlight this forgetting. To give birth to a baby is an honor. In all the world there is nothing else like it, and women have this honor. If we look to our baby’s birth as our gift to and from the Divine, we will most likely choose to be in a state of heightened consciousness and choose wakefulness of body, mind and heart. Conscious presence and joyful expectation is a state commensurate with this grand opportunity.

Seasalt's Hidden Powers

Seasalt's Hidden Powers: The Biological Action of All Ocean Minerals on Body and Mind by Jacques de Langre, Ph.D. (California: Happiness Press, 1994.)

A must have for pregnant women and people with high blood pressure. Finally a salt you can ingest that does not cause further damage to the heart, liver or kidneys. This Celtic salt is even more profound and produces much less, if any at all, water retention, that sea salt or regular white salt you might buy in health food stores. This book shows how today's refined, salt damages both the environment and human health, due to its origin, the method of extraction, kilmor oven drying and artificial treatment: including stripping it of its 84 vital minerals, lacing it with chemical anti-caking additives, bleaches and toxic conditioners.

Spiritual Bathing: Healing Rituals and Traditions

By Rosita Arvigo, Nadine Epstein

Since ancient times, people have engaged in spiritual bathing—a soothing and restorative practice that rejuvenates the body, mind, and soul. Spiritual baths promote health and have been proven to aid in the treatment of anxiety, grief, insomnia, and depression. In SPIRITUAL BATHING, best-selling authors Rosita Arvigo and Nadine Epstein explore this lost art and its fascinating history, with information on where sacred baths are currently offered and easy recipes to create bathing rituals in your home. Derived from various regions and philosophies—Shinto, Buddhist, Wiccan, Mayan, and others—most of these baths require only water, a simple ritual, accessible plants and herbs, and the desire to nurture your spirit. Rich with luxurious rituals as well as simple, practical remedies, SPIRITUAL BATHING will help you discover a sense of balance, vitality, and pleasure in your daily routine.

Teaching an infant to swim

Teaching an infant to swim. The gentle and natural way to introduce your baby to lifelong confidence in the water, by Virginia Hunt Newman, (San Diego, CA, New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983.)

With the help of photographs, the author, founder of the Newman Swim Academy in Hollywood, shows parents exactly what to do. Using the simple, proven methods described in this book, parents will discover that helping their children gain confidence in the water can be as delightful for them as for the child.

The Art of the Bath

The Art of the Bath, by Sara Slavin and Karl Petzke, (San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books)

A sensuous guide to celebrating the ritual pleasure and healing art of bathing. The authors dip their toes in outdoor baths, natural hot springs, mineral baths, mud baths, steams, and saunas. Includes recipes for decadent bath-time refreshments such as Lemongrass and Thyme Tisane, and ideas for fabulous scrubs, infusions, and aromatics. 80 full-color photos.

The Complete Prenatal Water Workout Book

The Complete Prenatal Water Workout Book, by Helga Hughes (New York: Avery Publishing Group, Inc., 1989.)

Helga Hughes developed the "Watercise While You Wait" program, a prenatal water workout program described and illustrated in The Complete Prenatal Water Workout Book. The Watercise program is designed to minimize the effects of gravity on the aching pregnant body. Hughes claims that performing these gentle stretches in a swimming pool enhances posture, strengthens muscles used in labor and delivery and for child care, vitalizes the body for a more rapid return to prepregnancy condition, and helps keep weight gain within healthy limits. But don't expect Jane Fonda here. These exercises are not cardiovascular; they are based on gentle relaxation and are safe and effective for women at all levels of fitness and pregnancy. Explanatory photographs illustrate what the exercises look like out of the water.

The Gentle Birth Method

By Gowri Motha and Karen Swan Macleod

This is THE book to have if you are pregnant.

As well as giving you the background information on “The Jeyarani Way” Gentle Birth Method, it also provides a week-by-week guide as to what you should be doing in order that you have a wonderful healthy pregnancy and are birthfit ready for a great birth.

It is friendly and easy to read and will be your constant companion through your pregnancy and birth. Enjoy!