Lindsey Bliss, who has assisted as a doula at hundreds of births and is herself a mother of seven, reveals here all the wisdom and advice that doulas share with the new mothers who hire them.

The Doula's Guide to Empowering Your Birth covers the period from pregnancy through labor and birth to fourth-trimester healing. The focus, however, is on preparing for birth--including topics like how to pick the right childbirth class and the right birthing method for you. You'll also learn:

• How to handle and treat morning sickness
• What things you can do during pregnancy, and what to avoid
• How to reduce anxiety during pregnancy, including meditation and ritual baths
• How to assemble the team of professionals, family members, and friends who will support you through labor and birth
• Tools, tips, and positions for labor
• How to approach last-minute decisions about pain medications and cesarean sections
• Post-partum information, including breastfeeding, newborn care, and the transition into parenting

Bliss's tone throughout is at once authoritative and confident as well as warm and encouraging. Her concern in her practice as well as in these pages is to listen to and help secure each new mom's own personal vision of a birthing experience that is safe, fulfilling, and meaningful.