Giving Birth with Confidence is the first and only pregnancy and childbirth guide written by Lamaze International, the leading childbirth education organization in North America. Written with a respectful, positive tone, this book presents:

- Information to help you choose your maternity care provider and place of birth

- Practical strategies to help you work effectively with your care provider

- Information on how pregnancy and birth progress naturally

- Steps you can take to alleviate fear and manage pain during labor

- The best available medical evidence to help you make informed decisions

Previously titled The Official Lamaze Guide, this 3rd edition has updated information on:

- How vaginal birth, keeping mother and baby together, and breastfeeding help to build the baby's microbiome.

- How hormones naturally start and regulate labor and release endorphins to help alleviate pain.

- Maternity-care practices that can disrupt the body's normal functioning.

- The latest recommendations on lifestyle issues like alcohol, vitamins, and caffeine.

- Room sharing and cosleeping: the controversy, recommendations, and safety guidelines.

- Out-of-hospital births are on the rise: New research and advice on planned home birth, including ACOG's revised guidelines, which support women's choices and promote seamless transfer to hospital, if needed.

- The importance of avoiding unnecessary caesareans for mother and child. Includes the new ACOG guidelines on inductions and active labor.

- The research in support of the Lamaze International's "Six Healthy Birth Practices," which are:

- Let labor begin on its own.

- Walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor.

- Bring a loved one, friend, or doula for continuous support.

- Avoid interventions that aren't medically necessary.

- Avoid giving birth on your back and follow your body's urges to push.

- Keep mother and baby together--it's best for mother, baby, and breastfeeding.