Leah Hazard

A landmark book on the womb - its history, its present and the possibilities for its future - by midwife and bestselling author of Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story

Jordmor, forfatter og journalist Leah Hazard bestemte seg for å dele sin kunnskap og fascinasjon for livmoren. I tre år har hun lest forskning og intervjuet biokjemikere, medisinere og evolusjonsspesialister. Materialet hun sitter igjen med er oppsiktsvekkende. Livmoren har størrelsen til en knyttet neve og formen til en lyspære – men med stor kraft og potensial. Hver eneste person på jorden har begynt sitt liv inni en livmor, men likevel vet vi ikke mye om den. Med en jordmors varme og humor håndterer Hazard presserende spørsmål: Er livmoren koblet til hjernen? Kan livmorhalskrypter lagre sædceller? Påvirker hysterektomi seksuell nytelse? Hvorfor tar det så lang tid før endometriose blir diagnostisert? Hvordan påvirker kjønnsbekreftende hormonbehandling livmoren?

Kohtu on ihmiselimistön ainoa elin, joka pystyy kasvattamaan muita elimiä - kokonaisen uuden elimistön - sisällään. Jokainen ihmiselämä syntyy kohdussa, mutta tiedämme tästä yhteisestä alkukehdostamme varsin vähän. Historian kuluessa kohtua on haluttu ymmärtää, hyödyntää ja säädellä laein. Sillä on valtava merkitys kohdullisten hyvinvoinnissa, sen toiminta ja muoto muuttuvat useita kertoja ihmiselämän aikana, ja sen yhteys aivoihin on yhtä haasteellinen kuin innostavakin. Kohtu on mukaansatempaavasti kirjoitettu, kiehtova, yllättävä ja ymmärrystä lisäävä teos pienestä päärynänmuotoisesta elimestä, kivun ja mielihyvän lähteestä, jonka vaikutus jokaisen elämään on paljon suurempi kuin olisimme koskaan voineet kuvitella.

Vi har alla börjat våra liv inuti en – men hur mycket vet vi egentligen om den, livmodern? För att sammanföra medicinsk historia, vetenskapliga upptäckter och journalistiskt grävande ger sig barnmorskan och författaren Leah Hazard ut på jakt efter svar om kroppens mest mirakulösa, okända och omtvistade organ. Vi får möta människorna som har format vårt förhållande till livmodern: läkare och doulor, lagstiftare och banbrytande forskare. Med värme och humor lyfter författaren frågor som: Utgörs ”det fertila fönstret” endast av några dagar i menscykelns mitt? Finns det en koppling mellan livmodern och hjärnan? Varför tar det så lång tid att diagnosticera endometrios? Måste vi verkligen menstruera? Resultatet är en skarp genomgång av de kulturella fördomar och antaganden som under århundraden har hindrat vår förståelse för livmodern. Boken visar oss hur en så liten del av vår kropp kan påverka så mycket. Alla vägar leder, faktiskt, till livmodern." Boken är en fantastisk historisk och sociokulturell genomgång av livmodern. Den rekommenderas varmt för alla." Dubravka Gladoic Håkansson, Sexolog, Leg. Barnmorska och KBT terapeut"Med både historiska och nutida referenser håller Leah Hazard läsaren engagerad boken igenom och hon kritiserar skarpt hur sjukvårdssystemets behov går före individens." Emma Moritz, BTJ-häftetLeah Hazard är barnmorska och har tidigare gett ut The Father’s Home Birth Handbook och biografin Hard Push. Hon är född i USA och utbildade sig vid Harvard University innan hon flyttade till Skottland. Hazard arbetade från början som journalist och utbildade sig till barnmorska efter hennes två döttrars mycket olika födslar. Hon arbetar för att synliggöra barnmorskans roll, bland annat genom podcasten ”What the Midwife Said”.

"Page for page, I may not have ever learned more from a book.... Womb is a history book as well as a biology book but it's also an adventure and a celebration." --Rob Delaney, actor and author of A Heart That WorksA groundbreaking, triumphant investigation of the uterus--from birth to death, in sickness and in health, throughout history and into our possible future--from midwife and acclaimed writer Leah HazardThe size of a clenched fist and the shape of a light bulb--with no less power and potential. Every person on Earth began inside a uterus, but how much do we really understand about the womb? Bringing together medical history, scientific discoveries, and journalistic exploration, Leah Hazard embarks on a journey in search of answers about the body's most miraculous and contentious organ. We meet the people who have shaped our relationship with the uterus: doctors and doulas, yoni steamers and fibroid-tea hawkers, legislators who would regulate the organ's very existence, and boundary-breaking researchers on the frontiers of the field. With a midwife's warmth and humor, Hazard tackles pressing questions: Is the womb connected to the brain? Can cervical crypts store sperm? Do hysterectomies affect sexual pleasure? How can smart tampons help health care? Why does endometriosis take so long to be diagnosed? Will external gestation be possible in our lifetime? How does gender-affirming hormone therapy affect the uterus? Why does medical racism impact reproductive healthcare? A clear-eyed and inclusive examination of the cultural prejudices and assumptions that have made the uterus so poorly understood for centuries, Womb takes a fresh look at an organ that brings us pain and pleasure--a small part of our bodies that has a larger impact than we ever thought possible.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, from the co-host of the podcast WHAT THE MIDWIFE SAID________________No sleep for twenty hours. No food for ten. And a ward full of soon-to-be mothers... Midwives are there for us at some of the most challenging, empowering and defining moments of our lives. From heart-wrenching grief to the pure joy of a new-born baby, midwife Leah Hazard has seen it all. But life on the NHS front line, working within a system at breaking point, is more extreme than you could ever imagine. Moving and compassionate, funny and unexpected, Leah shares her experiences in this extraordinary love letter to new mothers and fellow midwives everywhere._____________________'The stories in Hard Pushed highlight the bravery of our midwives, and the women they care for.' CHRISTIE WATSON, author of The Language of Kindness'Heart-rending, inspiring and funny, Hard Pushed brings alive the world of midwifery in all its complexity and radiates love and respect for women.' PROFESSOR LESLEY PAGE CBE, former president of the Royal College of Midwives'It is Leah Hazard's capacity to love and give so personally to the many thousands of women she has worked with which imbues this book with its power.' JULIA SAMUEL, author of Grief Works'Not only powerful but well written too . . . a worthwhile addition to a genre fast becoming as crowded as a busy maternity unit.' DAILY EXPRESS'A riveting read: heartwarming and heartbreaking' SHEENA BYROM OBE, midwifery consultant and author of Catching Babies'A beautifully written, intimate portrait of the extraordinary work that midwives carry out each and every day.' CAROLINE ELTON, author of Also Human: The Inner Lives of Doctors

What do a Dutch university lecturer, a US Marine, a Scottish artist, and an English engineer have in common? They have all experienced the transformative power of home birth, and their stories - and many others - are told in this groundbreaking book. As hospital-based maternity services become increasingly medicalised, more and more parents are deciding that birth belongs in the home. For many women, this choice may be an easy one, but for their partners, home birth raises some serious questions. For the first time, The Father's Home Birth Handbook provides a resource aimed specifically at exploring men's hopes and fears around home birth. Thorough research, balanced discussion, and dozens of home birth stories from real men all over the world make this book essential reading for all fathers-to-be and the professionals who support them.