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Great Reads for Your Birth Library
I thought it'd be fun to start compiling a list of books for our Birth Libraries! I just bought over a dozen books on Amazon for around $100 or so (I got a gift card otherwise that wouldn't have been possible!). But if you don't have the money or can only get a few there is always the library. I got some books for only a penny (plus $3.99 to ship; a total of $4 for a book) on Amazon. I'm going to share a few of my favorites with synopses so you can decide which you'd spend your hard-earned dollars on. I think reading is essential! I also would love to hear YOUR favorites because I definitely do not have all the books (I really want The Birth Partner, for example, so if someone has it please share more about it).
First I have to mention I absolutely hate What to Expect When You're Expecting from a natural childbirth perspective. This book is the epitome of Western hospitalized birth. If you like it that is fine but I just had to express my absolute distaste for it. It does nothing but create fear and doesn't answer more serious questions about childbirth. So if you don't have it don't waste your money on it.
Now onto positivity!
Joy's Book List:
1). Pushed by Jennifer Block - I'm going to write Ricki Lake's praise for the book as a synopses: "Pushed is one of the most provocative, engrossing and well-documented books that I have ever read about childbirth. As a passionate advocate for improvements in maternity care and options for childbirth I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Every page will surprise and outrage you, while educating you about options that you might not have known you had." I think it is super important to realize the author is a researcher; she has never given birth. This is all of her findings after much research and digging. I actually appreciate she has never given birth because it means her search started off unbiased. This is one of my TOP THREE books to have in your library.
2). Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent - this is a memoir by a midwife about her joys and sorrows catching babies. Midwives will never say they are delivering your baby. YOU are delivering your baby; they are there to observe and to catch (unless you or hubby decide to catch baby yourselves). Very moving, very entertaining. But this is more of a book to enjoy and not a necessity when planning for your own birth. Definitely worth the money if you have it.
3). Your Best Birth by Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein - My favorite. If you get one book this is the one to get. The no B.S. attitude and they tell it like it is all while supporting women in WHATEVER they choose to do gives 10 gold stars to these authors. These authors also put together the documentary The Business of Being Born (a MUST see; we'll talk about that later). This book reads like your girlfriends are chatting with you. I seriously think Ricki and I could be BFFs if we knew each other in real life. I feel like she IS a BFF when reading this book. You can tell their bias lies with natural birth but they give you options for everything; their point is to make INFORMED choices.
5). Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin - this book I've only read about halfway. I need to finish it, maybe this week. Ina May is the most well known midwife. She lives in a private community and is what you would call a natural environmentalist (or hippie). She gives you tips and tricks that you may have never heard of before and she has actually developed a maneuver for getting a stuck baby out vaginally (called The Gaskin Maneuver) that hospitals use today. Her cesarean rates are less than 4%. Most of her mothers give birth off their backs and without drugs. Definitely a must read if you want insight into some more holistic approaches to childbirth. I need to finish reading it to give a better synopses.
7). Birthing From Within by Pam England - this book is a little more hippie and a little more new agey than I like. But I appreciate many fine points. I haven't gotten too deep into the book yet because I had to put it down. Some parts just make me giggle. I appreciate Pam England's birth art and all the suggestions she has but some things are worded in ways that feel really weird and strange. So like I always say, "Horses eat the hay but spit out the sticks!" Basically take out all the beautiful jewels in the book and anything that seems strange to you or isn't for you just ignore. When people say home birthers or natural birthers are hippies and weird and dance around fires naked, etc., etc. this is exactly the kind of book that gives that impression. Does that make sense? Still worth a look but definitely not one of my favorites. Let me finish reading it before I totally toss it out or keep it in my suggestions.
Books I have but have not read yet but recommend:
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin
Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
Better Birth by Denise Spatafora
Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart: A Midwife's Saga
So what are your recommendations? Did I list any you own and just love? Do you love the ones I don't like? Let's chat! I'm a huge bookworm and love breaking down and discussing books. If anyone is interested we can even do a book club where we read the same book together and then discuss it.
First I have to mention I absolutely hate What to Expect When You're Expecting from a natural childbirth perspective. This book is the epitome of Western hospitalized birth. If you like it that is fine but I just had to express my absolute distaste for it. It does nothing but create fear and doesn't answer more serious questions about childbirth. So if you don't have it don't waste your money on it.
Now onto positivity!
Joy's Book List:
1). Pushed by Jennifer Block - I'm going to write Ricki Lake's praise for the book as a synopses: "Pushed is one of the most provocative, engrossing and well-documented books that I have ever read about childbirth. As a passionate advocate for improvements in maternity care and options for childbirth I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Every page will surprise and outrage you, while educating you about options that you might not have known you had." I think it is super important to realize the author is a researcher; she has never given birth. This is all of her findings after much research and digging. I actually appreciate she has never given birth because it means her search started off unbiased. This is one of my TOP THREE books to have in your library.
2). Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent - this is a memoir by a midwife about her joys and sorrows catching babies. Midwives will never say they are delivering your baby. YOU are delivering your baby; they are there to observe and to catch (unless you or hubby decide to catch baby yourselves). Very moving, very entertaining. But this is more of a book to enjoy and not a necessity when planning for your own birth. Definitely worth the money if you have it.
3). Your Best Birth by Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein - My favorite. If you get one book this is the one to get. The no B.S. attitude and they tell it like it is all while supporting women in WHATEVER they choose to do gives 10 gold stars to these authors. These authors also put together the documentary The Business of Being Born (a MUST see; we'll talk about that later). This book reads like your girlfriends are chatting with you. I seriously think Ricki and I could be BFFs if we knew each other in real life. I feel like she IS a BFF when reading this book. You can tell their bias lies with natural birth but they give you options for everything; their point is to make INFORMED choices.
5). Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin - this book I've only read about halfway. I need to finish it, maybe this week. Ina May is the most well known midwife. She lives in a private community and is what you would call a natural environmentalist (or hippie). She gives you tips and tricks that you may have never heard of before and she has actually developed a maneuver for getting a stuck baby out vaginally (called The Gaskin Maneuver) that hospitals use today. Her cesarean rates are less than 4%. Most of her mothers give birth off their backs and without drugs. Definitely a must read if you want insight into some more holistic approaches to childbirth. I need to finish reading it to give a better synopses.
7). Birthing From Within by Pam England - this book is a little more hippie and a little more new agey than I like. But I appreciate many fine points. I haven't gotten too deep into the book yet because I had to put it down. Some parts just make me giggle. I appreciate Pam England's birth art and all the suggestions she has but some things are worded in ways that feel really weird and strange. So like I always say, "Horses eat the hay but spit out the sticks!" Basically take out all the beautiful jewels in the book and anything that seems strange to you or isn't for you just ignore. When people say home birthers or natural birthers are hippies and weird and dance around fires naked, etc., etc. this is exactly the kind of book that gives that impression. Does that make sense? Still worth a look but definitely not one of my favorites. Let me finish reading it before I totally toss it out or keep it in my suggestions.
Books I have but have not read yet but recommend:
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin
Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
Better Birth by Denise Spatafora
Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart: A Midwife's Saga
So what are your recommendations? Did I list any you own and just love? Do you love the ones I don't like? Let's chat! I'm a huge bookworm and love breaking down and discussing books. If anyone is interested we can even do a book club where we read the same book together and then discuss it.
Ina May has three books. The two I mentioned above and she has a new release called "Birth Matters; A Midwife's Manifesta".
http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Matters-Ina-May-Gaskin/dp/1583229272
She is the natural birth guru, truly. I need to go finish reading the first book of hers that I've started. I don't have her newest book... yet! LOL! I have my own library.
http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Matters-Ina-May-Gaskin/dp/1583229272
She is the natural birth guru, truly. I need to go finish reading the first book of hers that I've started. I don't have her newest book... yet! LOL! I have my own library.
I need to get some books to read! with my first pregnancy I read The Bradley Method. My midwife has a nice book collection and allows her patients to borrow them. I am going to ask her for a good read next time I go. Some ladies I know were just talking about Ina May. I had never heard of her before, but she sounds as natural as you get! lol I have read the What to Expect When You're Expecting book (someone got me that book, as well as some other What to Expect Books) It was OK, but like you said, it kinda scares you more than anything and just gives you a general overview of your pregnancy. I didn't really like it that much, although it helped with the basics. At my next appt. I will see what my midwife has available.
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