Life Before Birth From the Foreword to this Second Edition by Professor Dino Giussani.

Peter Nathanielsz seamlessly incorporates the latest research on fetal development into a wonderful, all-encompassing view of the challenges and responses of fetal life, taking the reader on  a comprehensive tour of the placenta and fetal organs, with impressive color illustrations. The author guides the reader through a crescendo of exciting stories on the miraculous and mysterious journey from conception to birth (see stories on this web page).  Few individuals have the international authority or are so fully equipped to write a book like Life Before Birth. Peter Nathanielsz’ passion for  communication is stamped all over this triumphant second edition.

 All I can say is, enjoy! 

In the very successful first edition, translated into fourteen  languages, Peter  Nathanielsz  showed  how uniquely placed  he is to write about  this wonderful  stage  of fetal life’s journey.  In the thirty years since the  first  edition much  critical   new  knowledge has been obtained.  A good example  is  the   knowledge of  epigenetics – the way the early environment acts on the  growing fetus, to change  the function  of multiple organs and  susceptibility  to disease.  This exciting new area of biology is explained in language that is easy to understand - see Praise for Life Before Birth from the general reader, high school students. midwives and many others in the section on Worldwide Praise.

praise for life before birth 2nd Edition

“Life Before Birth is so easily readable and completely research evidence based. Written for both the curious layperson, and non-specialist professional,  the book is an entertaining and informative journey through our lives from  before conception through birth. In this second edition, Peter Nathanielsz highlights the critical importance of our responses to the challenges of fetal life, providing  the latest science, not available at the time of the first edition. I have personally introduced the first edition of Life Before Birth  to hundreds of high school and college students, nurses, midwives and general readers. They all remarked how influential this gem of a book was in shaping their thinking and  understanding of the early development of themselves and their children. It is a must-read, page-turner of a book. “

David M. Olson, Professor of Obstetrics, Alberta, Canada

 “Life before birth  provides a wonderfully  simple and clear  description of the challenges the fetus faces and the main milestones  that must be completed during  intrauterine development. This book  allows both working midwives and midwifery  students to follow  these  milestones clearly and understand their implications for the baby for the whole of life.”

Marcela Díaz Navarrete, Midwife, Associate Professor, University of Chile. Director of the Department of Women's and Newborn Health Promotion.

“Life before birth: The challenges of fetal development, was the first book written, expressly for the general reader about how our fetal organs develop in the womb, how the mother and fetus collaborate during birth and how the newborn adapts to independent life after birth. Peter Nathanielsz’ landmark book gave us an insight into the whole spectrum of scientific knowledge available in 1996.

 Now he has written a second edition, equally readable, that includes the flood of scientific information uncovered during the last two decades. In addition to being absorbing and informative, it is an exciting and fun read.”

Dick Swaab author of the No. 1. International bestseller, We are Our Brains.

See also section on Worldwide Praise.