Choices in Pregnancy and Childbirth

John Wilks has practiced and taught Craniosacral Therapy and the Bowen Technique for many years and lectures complementary practitioners on pregnancy and childbirth all over the world. He is the author of four books on complementary therapies and developed a specialised Craniosacral training course for midwives which was the first of its kind to be accredited by the Royal College of Midwives. John practices at a multidisciplinary clinic in Dorset, UK.

Preface. Disclaimer. 1. Introduction. 2. What Choices do Women Really Have? 3. Birth from the Baby's Perspective. 4. Attitudes towards Babies. 5. Awareness and Consciousness during Pregnancy. 6. Psychological Health in Pregnancy. 7. Strategies to Help Mood and Awareness. 8. Managing Sleep in Pregnancy. 9. Pregnancy Tests - the pros and cons. 10. Medication during Pregnancy. 11. Environmental Impacts on Pregnancy. 12. Helping Achieve Optimal Fetal Positioning. 13. The Secret Life of the Sphincter - Undisturbed Birth and Pelvic Floor. 14. Home Birth versus Hospital. 15. Natural Strategies for Managing Pain in Labor and Childbirth. 16. Waterbirths. 17. Spiritual Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery. 18. Physical Imprinting at Birth. 19. Psychological Ramifications of a Difficult Birth. 20. The Downsides of Pain Relief during Labor. 21. Induction. 22. Caesareans. 23. Surgical Interventions - how to minimise their impact. 24. The Microbiome. 25. Babies after Birth. 26. The Role of Midwives. 27. Treatments for Mothers and Babies after Birth. 28. A Note on Crying and Sleep. 29. Barriers to Change. 30. Conclusions. Appendix 1. Nutrition during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. Appendix 2. Resources and Contact Details. References. Biographies.