Lucy Bloom

Stirring, straight-talking, incredibly inspiring, funny and full-on - Lucy Bloom is one of a kind, and so is her memoir. Lucy's open-hearted interest in the world has taken her from a cattle farm to maternity hospitals in Ethiopia, from marshalling a cross-country carnival in northern Uganda to CEO briefings in the back of a tuk-tuk in Cambodia. Hers has been a life of fighting for the underdog only to find out that, sometimes, the underdog is actually her. Taking all dramatic life-turns, side-steps and face-plants in her stride, Lucy has rebuilt her life every time, with love and adventure at its heart, plus a side order of mischief. Rollicking, rude, brimful with joy, and written with a take-no-prisoners, bare-all honesty, this book is a call to arms - a book to make you laugh out loud, nod your head in recognition, re-charge your life and let loose.

This is the best childbirth book as recommended by midwives, obstetricians and expectant couples. Cheers to Childbirth is the must-have handbook for expectant fathers. Childbirth can be a daunting prospect for dads who are usually overlooked when it comes to birth preparation. Yet when it comes to the big day, they are expected to know exactly how to support their partner through what can be the most physically challenging and emotionally charged event in their lives. Most men are shocked to learn that this is not a spectator sport and that they can have a profound impact on their partner’s birth experience. Cheers to Childbirth tells it how it is This book tells it how it is, giving expectant fathers specific details on how to help their partner have a faster, easier birth. From what to say and what not to say during childbirth to tips on how to be an advocate for a woman in labour, this book gives dads-to-be the information they need to be involved in the births of their babies in a positive and empowering way, together with insightful interviews with men who’ve been there before and learned the hard way! Written by Lucy Bloom, the founder of Beer + Bubs: birth education for men at the pub, Cheers to Childbirth features some of Australia’s best known fathers and their birth stories: boxer Danny Green, radio presenter Adam Spencer, champion surfer Mark Occhilupo, news presenter Mark Ferguson, neurosurgeon Charlie Teo and Olympic rower James Tomkins, opera singer Jud Arthur and blind adventurer Gerrard Gosens, to name a few. “This book busts the myth that men are helpless onlookers when it comes to childbirth and gives them the tools they need to make birth easier, faster and more rewarding for their partner. It’s also a very entertaining read with quite a lot of laugh–out–loud moments” – Akal Khalsa, midwife