Book excerpt: Imagine a birth that is safe, comfortable, and empowering. You are in control of your body and your birth experience. You are prepared emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually for your baby's impending arrival. This is the kind of birth you can have with The Book of Birth. MariMikel Potter, LM, CPM, RN-BSN is a legendary midwife with 50 years of experience helping over 3,000 women with their pregnancies and births. She shares her complete methodology with you in this book, including: Nourishment: Learn how to fully nourish yourself and your baby, including recommended supplements, a meal planning tool, and recipes. Hydration: Recommendations for hydration and recipes to help you avoid the boredom of plain water. Movement: Guidance on when and how to exercise-and when not to-for every stage of conception and pregnancy. Emotional/Spiritual: Gain the tools you need to address your emotions surrounding pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Learn exercises to help you access the spiritual side of pregnancy and birth. Knowledge: What is going on in your body throughout your pregnancy from anatomy and physiology to handling the common discomforts and complications of pregnancy, recommendations for how to build a natural medicine chest and what to do with it when you are pregnant and ill, how to choose the right provider for you, what to expect over the duration of your pregnancy and birth regardless of where you choose to have it, home births natural childbirth, freestanding birth center births, hospital births, handling the sensations of labor, stages and phases of the labor process, and so much more. Rest: You will learn strategies to help you achieve adequate rest in pregnancy, including sleep hygiene, positioning for comfort, and setting boundaries for yourself and others. Joy: The joy you experience in pregnancy is shared with your baby. In this book, MariMikel shares strategies for you to amplify your joy at every stage of your conception, pregnancy, and birth. With 500+ pages of helpful information, guidance, resources, tools, exercises, inspiration, and effective remedies, this is a must-have comprehensive guide to a holistic pregnancy and birth.