~CHOICES IN CHILDBIRTH~
TO CREATE A JOYOUS AND EMPOWERING BIRTH EXPERIENCE, READ, READ, READ--EDUCATE YOURSELF ON ALL OF YOUR CHOICES IN CHILDBIRTH.
SUGGESTED READING LIST FOR EXPECTANT PARENTS, CHILDBIRTH EDUCATORS, DOULAS, AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
Nowadays, there is much more pregnancy-related information than just the "What to Expect" series of books. While many women enjoy the generic approach of these books, there are just as many women seeking books with a consumer-oriented approach that offer more specific and alternative or holistic information regarding pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and postpartum issues.
Here is my index of books that should be on every pregnant woman's reading list. Each of these books may be found in your local library or bookstore or you may order them online. If you are interested in a book, click on the title to read the full description and pricing information through Amazon.com.
SUGGESTED READING LIST FOR EXPECTANT PARENTS
If your budget is tight, I have put a * next to must-have books. Check with your doctor, midwife or local Childbirth Education or BirthNetwork National groups to see if they offer a lending library.
*The Birth Book--Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth--by William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N., published by Little, Brown and Company.
The Birth Partner--Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth- -by Penny Simkin, P.T., published by The Harvard Common Press.
Birth Reborn--by Dr. Michel Odent--published by Birth Works Press.
*Birthing From Within--An Extraordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation--by Pam England, CNM, MA and Rob Horowitz, PhD, published by Partera Press.
*The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth (Revised)--New Edition, Fully Revised and Expanded--by Sheila Kitzinger, published by Alfred A. Knopf, distributed by Random House.
Conception, Pregnancy and Birth--The new bible of childbirth that uniquely features both the mother's and the baby's experience~from fertilization to the first weeks of life--by Dr. Miriam Stoppard, published by DK Publishing, Inc..
An Easier Childbirth--A Mother's Guide to Birthing Normally--by Gayle Peterson, PhD, photography by Harriette Hartigan, published by Shadow & Light Publications.
Easing Labor Pain--The Complete Guide to a More Comfortable and Rewarding Birth--by Adrienne B. Lieberman, foreword by Penny Simkin, published by The Harvard Common Press.
Gentle Birth Choices--A Guide to Making Informed Decisions about Birthing Centers, Birth Attendants, Water Birth, Home Birth, Hospital Birth-- by Barbara Harper, R.N., photographs by Suzanne Arms, published by Healing Arts Press.
A Good Birth, A Safe Birth--Choosing and Having the Childbirth Experience You Want--Third Revised Edition--by Diana Korte and Roberta Scaer, published by The Harvard Common Press.
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth--by Ina May Gaskin, published by Bantam.
*The Labor Progress Handbook: Early Interventions to Prevent and Treat Dystocia by Penny Simkin, Ruth Ancheta, Jilly Rosser, Shanna Dela Cruz (Illustrator), published by Blackwell Sciences.
The Miraculous World of Your Unborn Baby--A Week-by-Week Guide to Your Pregnancy--by Nikki Bradford, published by Contemporary Books.
Mothering the Mother--How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth--by Marshall H. Klaus, M.D.; John H. Kennell, M.D.; and Phyllis H. Klaus, M.Ed., C.S.W., published by Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
*The Nursing Mother's Companion--Revised Edition--by Kathleen Huggins, R.N., M.S., published by The Harvard Common Press.
Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities-- A Guide to the Medical Literature--by Henci Goer, published by Bergin & Garvey.
Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn--A Complete Guide for Expectant Parents--by Penny Simkin, R.P.T., Janet Whalley, R.N., B.S.N., and Ann Keppler, R.N., M.N. of the Childbirth Education Association of Seattle, published by Meadowbrook, distributed by Simon and Schuster.
*The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth--by Henci Goer, published by Berkley Publishing Group.
The VBAC Companion--The Expectant Mother's Guide to Vaginal Birth After Cesarean--by Diana Korte, published by The Harvard Common Press.
THE VBAC Source Book and Teaching Kit--by Nicette Jukelevics and Ruth Ancheta, is available from the International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) and Birth International (Ace Graphics).
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year--by Susan S. Weed, published by Ash Tree Publishing.
SUGGESTED READING LIST FOR CHILDBIRTH EDUCATORS, DOULAS, AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
The American Way of Birth--by Jessica Mitford, published by Penguin Books, Ltd.
Birth After Cesarean--The Medical Facts--by Bruce L. Flamm, M.D., published by Simon and Schuster.
Birth as an American Rite of Passage--by Robbie E. Davis-Floyd, published by University of California Press.
Breastfeeding and Human Lactation--by Jan Riordan and Kathleen Auerbach, published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers., Inc.
Childbirth Education: Practice, Research and Theory--by Francine Nichols and Sharron Humenick, published by W.B. Saunders Company.
Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation--A Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk--by Gerald G. Briggs, Roger K. Freeman, and Yaffe J. Sumner, published by Lippincott-Raven Publishers.
*A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy & Childbirth--by Murray Enkin, Marc J.N.C. Keirse, Mary Renfrew, and James Neilson, published by Oxford University Press.
Heart and Hands--A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy & Birth--by Elizabeth Davis, published by Celestial Arts.
*Holistic Midwifery--A Comprehensive Textbook for Midwives in Homebirth Practice--Volume I--Care During Pregnancy--by Anne Frye, published by Labrys Press.
Immaculate Deception II--Myth, Magic and Birth--by Suzanne Arms--published by Celestial Arts.
*The Labor Progress Handbook: Early Interventions to Prevent and Treat Dystocia by Penny Simkin, Ruth Ancheta, Jilly Rosser, Shanna Dela Cruz (Illustrator), published by Blackwell Sciences.
La Leche League International--The Breastfeeding Answer Book--Easy-to-Use, Complete, Up-to-Date--by Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC and Julie Stock, BA, IBCLC, published by La Leche League International.
Maternity Nursing--An Introductory Text- by Arlene Burroughs, M Ed, RN, published by W.B. Saunders Company, a division of Harcourt Brace & Company.
*Myles Textbook for Midwives--by Ruth V. Bennett & Linda Brown, published by Harcourt Brace & Company, Limited.
*Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities-- A Guide to the Medical Literature--by Henci Goer, published by Bergin & Garvey.
*Understanding and Teaching Optimal Foetal Positioning--by Jean Sutton and Pauline Scott, published by Birth Concepts.
*Understanding Diagnostic Tests in the Childbearing Year--A Holistic Guide to Evaluating the Health of Mother and Baby--by Anne Frye, published by Labrys Press.
*Varney's Nurse Midwifery--by Helen Varney, published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Varney's Pocket Midwife--by Helen Varney, Jan M. Kriebs & Carolyn L. Gegor, published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers .
Which Tests for My Unborn Baby? A Guide to Prenatal Diagnosis--by Lachlan de Crespigny with Rhonda Dredge, published by Oxford University Press.
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