Books I love
Ina May's guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
This is one of my all time favorite books and is helpful regardless of where you are planning on birthing. It is written by Ina May Gaskin who has been practicing for decades in the community setting and is a big proponent of natural childbirth. The first half is birth stories that both inspire and demonstrate how wildly different birth can be for different people. The second half is filled with practical information about the natural birth process hospital procedures to consider and info about the mind body connection and how to set yourself up for success. I highly recommend this book for all pregnant people.
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
Everything you need to know about breastfeeding.
Hello Baby by Jenni Overend
This is a gorgeous childrens book about homebirth and is my absolute favorite kids book on birth. It is a sweet story about Jack becoming a big brother as his mother births his baby brother in the living room on a story night with all of the family there. This book not only shows what home birth can look like but touches on all of the feelsing that can come up for siblings seeing a baby be born for the first time. You can check out my full review here.
Birthing From Within by Pam England
This is a childbirth education book that really includes information about the journey that is birth and parenting. Pam talks about the emotional and spiritual preparation that needs to be done for birth. It is filled with activities and art prompts to help you along your journey. And the layout of it with drawings and activity boxes makes it such that you can flip around and read the parts that feel most relevant to you.
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
This book has absolutely everything a birth partner could need to know. It is long but it really has tons of information. And the table of contents can help you focus on what is most important for you as a partner. Penny also created a handout of sorts based on this book and it can be nice to print out and use as reference during labor. The illustrations of comfort measures makes it quick and easy to remember your options. You can find it here.
The Natural Pregnancy Book: your complete guide to a safe organic pregnancy and childbirth with herbs, nutrition and other holistic choices by Aviva Romm.
This is an excellent reference guide for holistic remedies for all of the common ailments of pregnancy. Aviva Romm is a mother, a midwife, a doctor, and an herbalist and she uses all of her education and wisdom to help you treat yourself naturally and have an enjoyable pregnancy, birth and postpartum time.
The First Forty Days: the essential art of nourishing the new mother by Heng Ou
Families often put a lot of time into preparing for the birth of a baby but preparing for life after birth is equally important and it is more than just having the right baby supplies. This book talks about the first 40 days postpartum and how to prepare so that you can enjoy these first few weeks. Not only is it full of nourishing recipes but also discusses the support network that is idea for new families.
The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
If you like to read the research before making a decision this book is for you. Henci outlines the research in an unbiased and understandable way.