Just as with prescription drugs, natural health products can present substantial risks and prompt the same areas of concern. Although some of these effects may be life-threatening, current literature on these important issues is scant. With the use of natural health products on the rise, physicians require quality evidence with which to make evi
There has been a rapid increase in the interest of safe complementary and alternative approaches to healthcare in pregnancy and childbirth. For those working in maternity care who seek the evidence base for therapeutic approaches, this book offers a comprehensive guide to the principles and practice of complementary therapies, and the methods for applying them to expectant and new mothers and their babies.
The delivery of high quality and equitable care for both mothers and newborns is complex and requires efforts across many sectors. The United States spends more on childbirth than any other country in the world, yet outcomes are worse than other high-resource countries, and even worse for Black and Native American women. There are a variety of factors that influence childbirth, including social determinants such as income, educational levels, access to care, financing, transportation, structural racism and geographic variability in birth settings. It is important to reevaluate the United States' approach to maternal and newborn care through the lens of these factors across multiple disciplines. Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice reviews and evaluates maternal and newborn care in the United States, the epidemiology of social and clinical risks in pregnancy and childbirth, birth settings research, and access to and choice of birth settings.
Herbal treatments and aromatherapy are valuable, time-proven, natural approaches to a healthy and more comfortable pregnancy and birth as well as a successful breastfeeding experience. Herbalist, instructor, and midwife Demetria Clark explains everything a woman needs to know about using herbs and essential oils during this important time of life. Demetria explains which specific essential oils can help with particular physical and emotional challenges that commonly affect women during pregnancy and birth. She also explains how essential oils are made and their various purposes and applications, including infusions, topical preparations, and air dispersal via sprays and diffusers. Readers will find practical tips on how to purchase essential oils and use them safely, along with a list of essential oils to avoid during pregnancy and postpartum. A reference section covers both common herbs and those typically familiar only to herbal practitioners. Descriptions include which conditions an herb is best suited for and when that herb should not be used. Demetria provides the botanical name of each herb so it can be identified regardless of the common name it's sold under. In addition, she offers basic information on how to make herbal remedies at home and how to grow, gather, and prepare herbs from fresh plants.
Homeopathy offers a useful alternative set of medications for the childbearing cycle. The book offers an introduction to the philosophy and practice of homeopathy, as well as case presentations of successful homeopathic treatments for mother and child, including labor pain, teething, depression, irritability, and marital discord.
Provides essential advice for adjusting to the many challenges facing women during the first year after giving birth. • Offers practical tips for finding balance between being fully immersed in the beautiful but demanding path of motherhood and maintaining a sense of self. • Provides helpful herbal tips and recipes and includes gentle yoga exercises. • Addresses a new mother's need to replenish her body, mind, and spirit so that she can nurture her child. • By the author of The Natural Pregnancy Book and Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide. New mothers need care and support to adjust to the myriad challenges facing them after birth: changing body image, lifestyle, work arrangements, and relationships. Midwife, herbalist, and mother of four, Aviva Jill Romm shares her insights into how to make this crucial time a happy one. She provides essential advice for preparing for the postpartum period, coping during the first few days after the birth, establishing a successful breast-feeding relationship, getting enough rest, eating well even with a hectic schedule, and finding time to regain strength and tone with gentle yoga exercises. Woven throughout are helpful herbal tips and recipes to make the first year of motherhood a naturally healthy one. Natural Health after Birth also addresses a new mother's need to replenish her body, mind, and spirit so that she can nurture her child. This book provides support both for women who plan to be home full or part time during the first year and those who must return to their jobs soon after the birth. With humor and compassion, Romm offers mothers practical wisdom for attaining the delicate balance between being fully immersed in the beautiful but demanding path of motherhood and maintaining a sense of self.
Supporting a Physiologic Approach to Pregnancy and Birth: A Practical Guide provides an overview of current evidence and a range of practical suggestions to promote physiologic birth within the United States healthcare system. Presenting the latest evidence available on practical approaches and minimal interventions, this book looks into clinic exam rooms and hospital labor units to investigate the possibilities for improving the pregnancy and labor experience. Contributors discuss recent research and other published information and present a range of ideas, tools, and solutions for maternity care clinicians, including midwives, nurses, physicians, and other members of the perinatal team. An invaluable resource, Supporting a Physiologic Approach to Pregnancy and Birth is a must-have practical guide for those involved in all aspects of pregnancy and birth.
Aromatherapy is increasingly incorporated into midwifery practice, particularly in midwife-led units. It is the most commonly used therapy by midwives and birthing practitioners but access to up-to-date safety information is limited. Almost 90% of women may be using complementary therapies during pregnancy and birth and so it is very important that midwives are aware of safe and appropriate use based on contemporary evidence. This book covers safety, effectiveness, evidence, benefits and risks, and legal, ethical and professional issues related to incorporating aromatherapy into maternity care. Useful charts and tables are included for quick reference in clinical practice, making this is the ultimate handbook for using aromatherapy in midwifery practice. The scientific basis behind aromatherapy, including relevant anatomy and physiology, chemistry and pharmacology are covered, as well as a critical appraisal of the contemporary research evidence supporting the use of aromatherapy in maternity care. Essential oil profiles of the oils that can be safely used in pregnancy, birth and postnatally are also included.
This authoritative collection is the first wide-ranging overview dedicated to traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) and its scientific study. Compiled by an expert editorial team, it is an essential guide to the vast and ever-growing international literature on TCIM. Contributions come from practitioners and academics drawn from a diverse range of disciplines and professions across the globe. From perspectives on the significance of TCIM within public health policy to discourses on its influence in fields such as psychiatry and sociology, discrete chapters come together to provide an international map of the contemporary research, key debates and core issues which shape the field. Carefully structured to ensure easy navigation, the reader is divided into three parts: - Part A focuses on the consumption of TCIM, including chapters on its use through the life-cycle and within the context of disease and health management - Part B covers considerations for practitioners across the world, taking in issues over ethics, communication and education - Part C features chapters on the role of evidence, research and knowledge production in TCIM and looks at what lies ahead for the field With its thought-provoking insights and suggestions for further reading, this comprehensive resource provides guidance and inspiration for anyone embarking on study, practice or research within health, nursing or medicine.
