Samantha Quinn - The Natural Baby: A gentle guide to coneption, pregnancy, birth and beyond

Everything changes when we become a parent; we become responsible for a tiny dependent being. Its a parental instinct to want to create the healthiest, safest place for this little person to grow up in, and many of us turn to a greener lifestyle to ensure our childs wellbeing.

There is no one way to raise a child naturally but there are some common practices such as extended breastfeeding, babywearing, co-sleeping, using alternative medicine, choosing reusable nappies or elimination communication, spending as much time outside as possible, going screen free and growing or buying organic produce.

Inside this book Samantha Quinn and Holly Daffurn empower parents with the information and wisdom to help them make the best choices for their families. As a duo Samantha and Holly have the perfect set of complementary skills and knowledge to write about natural parenting. And with four children between them they share great passion for this way of life too. I love the gentle affirmative style of writing; here is a book that will act like a best friend. Imagine being taken by the hand and gently guided along the right parenting path.

One of the best aspects of the book that you hold in your hands is the space given to self-care. The surest way that we can create a happy, healthy home for our new child is to care for ourselves; to ensure that we are getting our own physical and emotional needs met. The most important thing to learn as a parent is to Think Oxygen; during safety announcements we are encouraged to secure our own source of oxygen before administering our childrens. We cannot care for another if we are depleted ourselves. Here youll be given the practical tools and techniques to ensure that you are looking after yourself from day one.

Anxious about what you should eat for optimum health during pregnancy? The chapters on pregnancy are packed with well-researched and practical information. Want to know how to have the most natural labour? Find the active birthing positions and recommendations in the chapter on Birth. Concerned about what to feed your baby whos starting to show an interest in food? Follow the simple step-by-step weaning process here and try out some of the nourishing first food ideas. Throughout this book new dads will find the Natural Dad sections reassuring, along with the photographs of real-life fathers! This whole package is warm and welcoming, inviting and inspiring and designed to make you feel better.

And this book is just the start of a great collaboration; be sure to visit the website, join the social media channels and look out for a whole series of books. I am excited to see what these two passionate women have planned next.

Melissa Corkhill

Editor of The Green Parent magazine www.thegreenparent.co.uk

When it comes to parenting, the combination of choices and responsibility can feel overwhelming. The key is to do what feels right for you and your baby. Natural babycare choices combined with gentle parenting will help your child to grow up well rounded and happy.

Natural parenting is about making conscious decisions on your parenting journey. The focus is on environmentally responsible choices, healthy eating, holistic practices and striving to find balance. It is about keeping your mind as healthy as your body, and making informed decisions that help you to keep your children as healthy and happy as possible, while strengthening the bonding process between you.

We will guide you through the entire journey from when you first decide to have a baby to life with your newborn. You may decide to follow every last piece of advice that we give you; you may prefer to pick the parts that fit in with your lifestyle. We start before conception, take you through the pregnancy, through an active birth (where you are encouraged to move about freely during labour and to follow your natural instincts) and into the postnatal period as you settle in with your baby. We combine personal stories, medical research and physiological facts such as your babys week-by-week development and the science behind breastfeeding. We look at the emotional and practical side of parenting, and address natural ways to relieve the less welcome parts of pregnancy such as heartburn and morning sickness.

Each chapter takes you one step further along your parenting journey, with plenty of advice on what to expect, how to feel your best and what youll need to consider. Few books address the role of the father in natural parenting so we have included a special section to give dads advice and support along the way.

You should only use essential oils in pregnancy if you have no health concerns or complications. If you are at all unsure you should always consult your doctor.

This book is the labour of love of two passionate and devoted natural parenting aficionados who are also blessed to be mums. Before we begin, these are our stories:

Having Ella was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I was a little apprehensive about birth. After all, movie births always seem so dramatic, waters breaking in the supermarket, deliveries on the bathroom floor, partners who pass out. But even though Ella was born early, her birth went as smoothly as it could have done for a premature baby.

After Ella was born she was transferred to the specialcare baby unit. Although it was hard not being able to cuddle my child when I wanted to, the nurse caring for Ella introduced me to baby massage. She taught me about the power of touch and how it can really help to stabilize a babys breathing and heart rate, and encourage their physical and emotional development. Massage helped to calm Ella and made what precious time we had together more enjoyable.

When I brought Ella home, I remembered what the nurse had told me about natural babycare. Strapping Ella into her sling I headed off to the local library to research holistic parenting. A whole new world opened up and from there I created my own natural colic relief massage and learned how to blend organic baby oils and balms to help her sensitive skin. As Ella thrived I went back to college to learn more about natural therapies, and eventually I became a holistic therapist specializing in pregnancy and postnatal care in west Sussex, UK.

When I became pregnant with my second child, Yasmin, I was able to put everything I had learned into practice. I blended juices for the added nutrients that we needed, I became stronger through good nutrition and yoga, and I practised herbalism (the medicinal and therapeutic use of plants to treat common health issues). To offset the challenges of pregnancy, I used both aromatherapy and hypnobirthing so that my mind was as prepared as my body. This time round I was enjoying a truly holistic approach to childbirth.

After my third child, Max came along I decided to take my passion to the next level. This was the trigger for Mumma Love Organics, a skincare product range to help parents heal their babies common ailments naturally. So far we have won a number of awards including gold in the UKs Mother&Baby Awards for best baby skincare brand. All products come with a directional baby massage guide to enhance their effectiveness (for more information visit www.mummaloveorganics.com).