By Amy Hammer
It doesn’t matter how far along you are or how many kids you have. There is always new information coming out regarding pregnancy, labor help, birth prep – however you want to address it. If you have found yourself wondering, what do I need to know about labor and delivery?… or what is happening to my body in labor? There is a resource for you.
Pregnancy help can be found in all types of media. You have choices with so many outlets in our digital world like podcasts, websites, etc… but some of you may want to simply hold a book in your hands while you soak in the experiences and knowledge to help you along this far-out journey!
Keep reading for our list of helpful books for birth:
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
- This is a great book for support partners giving guidance on the ins and outs of labor.
- With it’s objective, factual approach it sheds light on all sides of birth, examining the risks, benefits, and alternatives – our B.R.A.I.N blog explains this more in depth – and presenting both sides of options including natural and medicinal alike.
- It finishes off with sections regarding the postpartum period.
Birthing From Within by Pam England
- If you like art and lean a bit more toward the holistic or “crunchy” side of life, this book may be just the one for you.
- You will find positive birth stories galore!
- This book’s approach is about finding strength in birth, viewing birth as a self-discovery, and acceptance of your birth outcome however it needs to unfold.
- There is also highlight help for new parent and marriage adjustments after baby arrives.
Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth by Genevieve Howland
- It’s great to see what is happening inward as you grow outward! As it says in it’s title this is a weekly reference guide with ideas for To-Do Lists as you move along in pregnancy.
- Genevieve also touches on how to form your birth-team, giving a shout-out to our certifying and training organization ProDoula!
- She also dives into nourishment, your environment, and a number of newborn topics.
- If you haven’t visited her resourceful website, check it out.
Birth Wisdom Yoga Remedies & Journal by Julia Piazza
- Who doesn’t want to feel as comfortable they can in pregnancy?! Prenatal yoga is a wonderful way to create some peaceful space for you and baby.
- This book is introduced by both a midwife and an obstetrician, is broken into trimesters (including ailments & solutions), and provides you with 30- & 60-minute flows that you can do at home, when you can’t make it out to a class at Earthside Prenatal Yoga with our friend & fellow boss babe, Lori.
- We were also delighted to find pelvic health floor information highlighted, a great bonus one of our very own team members, Ashley Gammon would much appreciate.
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
- With 30+ years of experience, Ina May is extremely well known throughout the natural birth community and is a treasure chest of information with her focus on unmedicated birth.
- You will find absolute confidence in the physiological process of birth, a variety of topics including the best ways to work with your doctor, and a collection of positive birth stories throughout.
Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel
- Many families prefer to be as natural as possible in delivery with an open mind to medical options when necessary.
- That means being in a hospital for delivery with all options available while having the support of a provider who views birth the same as you. We can not stress the importance of this enough – it is more important than the distance to the hospital and the types of tiles on the walls.
- This book helps you to be proactive in pregnancy so that you don’t have to be reactive in labor, giving you the best of both worlds.
Dive into some of the best books on birth around!
It’s easy to pick one of these titles up, just throw it in your cart – a little holiday gift for yourself – while you are cruising on Amazon. Go on! You deserve it. There may even be an audio version you can download to listen to while you are driving or getting things done around the house. However, you do it – enjoy this adventure of growing your family.
Of course, there is a collection of other childbirth books out there. If you have a favorite that wasn’t listed, we’d love hearing about it – please share it with us in the comments below or reach out to us for more information.