What to Read (already planning HB?)

[MegBoz]

I've read "Thinking Woman's Guide" & "Born in the USA" twice. I've also read "Pushed." I've no desire to re-read any of them again, as I'm already furious at the state of modern American Maternity care & don't need to get more angry!

I'm not interested in reading anything that talks about common hospital interventions/ why natural is better. I know it all so well, I just don't want to bother - and I don't want it to frustrate me, so I also ruled out Sheila Kitzinger's "Complete Book of PG & Birth."

I think I may re-read "Ina May's Guide to CB" &, for the first time, "Spiritual Midwifery." Think I may re-read "The Birth Partner" as well (only skimmed it & it was an old version.)

"Birthing From Within" sounds like it's NOT FOR ME at all. I'm not artistic in the least, so I'm not interested in the art projects. I have no fears of birth, and I object to the message that DHs/ DPs aren't good birth partners (this comes from feedback on the book I read on Amazon reviews.)

I've read many a thread on HypnoBirthing here & it seems seems they have this bizarre idea that pain-free birth is possible for every woman & [indirectly stated] if you do experience pain, it's YOUR FAULT because you weren't adequately relaxed. Whatever. Totally not for me (& hypnosis doesn't appeal to me anyway.)

Isn't Grantly Dick-Read the guy who also opposes having DHs/DPs, or any men, in the room? Again, not for me.

Maybe I'll re-read the 2 Bradley books - DH & I took Bradley training when we had DS. I feel like I must be missing some other gems! What else to read?

TIA!

[alireb]

I really like Active Birth for helping you with techniques during labor as well as The Birth Partner. 

[thebeljur]

Well, it sounds like you're really in tune with what you DON'T want from a book -- lol.  What is it that you DO want?  Maybe if you let us know that, we can be more accurate with suggestions. 

[MandyGail]

I'd say to give Birthing from Within a chance:)  I didnt do any of the art projects & still really enjoyed the book.  I'll try to think of any others i read before i prepped for my hb:)

[mdnaturalmama]

Mandy recommended Birthing from Within for me and so I borrowed it from our chiropractor(who's also had a hb and is planning a second). I'm not an artsy person, but that's ok. I figure I'll just take from it what I can. I'm reading "Hey! Who's having this baby anyway?", and I have still to read natural childbirth the bradley way(hypnobirthing doesn't sound exactly my "style" either, but I'll still read about it), Immaculate deception II, and gentle birth choices. I'm totally not expecting to love all of them, but I do hope to get something from each. I'll let you know(if you'd like) what I thought of each after I read them. Hopefully I'll get thru them fairly quickly. =)

[MegBoz]

Originally Posted by thebeljur 

Well, it sounds like you're really in tune with what you DON'T want from a book -- lol.  What is it that you DO want?  Maybe if you let us know that, we can be more accurate with suggestions. 

Ha! Good question! I guess more uplifting birth stories & maybe a bit of info on labor comfort measures. I wanted to get the Birth Partner and/or Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May's Guide out of the library but they were all checked out. So I thought I'd look for something else - but then I read Amazon reviews & was surprised that the other titles that came up seemed to all be poor replacements for those 3 titles.

I've read here on MDC BFW talks a lot about birthing through pain - so for those who are trying Hypnobabies & want to learn more about having a pain free or low-pain birth, it is not a good fit. But I'm not scared of pain & have no interest in "hypno-anesthesia" so based on the "birthing warrior" concept, I had thought it would be a fit for me, but the artsy stuff, combined with anti-DH-as-birth-partner scared me off. Hm, maybe I'll try it anyway.

Bummer.... my library system doesn't have it! I don't want to buy it so I'll have to hunt for a copy to borrow.

MDNaturalMama - yeah, that would be great if you'd let me know your thoughts after you've read them. I've never heard of Immaculate deception II, and I'm not familiar with gentle birth choices.

[MandyGail]

OOhh i forgot about gentle birth choices - i really liked that one too!

[Nutter]

I'd suggest "Orgasmic Birth" by Elizabeth Davis & Debra Pascalli-Bonaro.  I found it to be uplifting and encouraging in a similiar way to Ina May's books, but without as much hippy-vibe.  :)

[*MamaJen*]

I'd also recommend Gentle Birth Choices...I don't do hokey very well, and I didn't find it too hokey at all. Birthing from Within I wasn't so into.

Michel Odent is the guy (or one of the guys) who doesn't believe in having men in the room. I still like a lot of his writing, but it's not for everyone.

Also, what about some of the fun ones? Have you read Babycatcher? It's a really sweet autobiography of a midwife. And then there's Misconceptions by Naomi Wolf, which is more a sociological/feminist perspective on birth and motherhood. (May also piss you off --she vividly describes her classic cascade of interventions).

And of course, don't forget MDC birth stories! I recommend http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/834473/the-gentle-home-waterbirth-of-cyrus-boone-with-photos

[labortrials]

OMG, I could have authored this post myself.  Wowza!

I too have decided that I don't need any more "ammunition."  I've read it ALL, pretty much.

So, I've been thinking about "Spiritual Midwifery."  Some of the other things I might be inclined to read are quite out of date, and even though birth doesn't change, the culture has changed so much that it's hard for me to read older stuff. Hmm . . .

I have Birthing from Within here on my bedside table.  I still can't deal with it.  And I am an artist - well, a performing artist. ;)

I'll probably do the hypnobabies self study course.  I'm not into hypnosis, but the birth affirmations tracks were really helpful for me last pregnancy.  Maybe some women experience painless births through self-hypnosis, but it's not a requirement for getting something out of hypnobabies or hypbirth.  "Birth Partner" is a good resource.

[mama2soren]

I did a Hypnobirthing course.  Hypnosis is also not really for me, and I wasn't ever sold on the "pain free birth" idea.  BUT it helped me develop some very useful stress-relieving/relaxation skills that I've used in many aspects of my life including birth.  My first birth was a C-section at 31 weeks.  I was scared... scared for my baby, scared of surgery, scared of the spinal.  I used the affirmations and the relaxation techniques I learned from Hypnobirthing, and I could really tell a difference.  It helped with post-surgical pain.  Since then, I've adapted the affirmations to help calm me in other stressful settings (I am a performing artist, and it helps for pre-performance jitters!)  So, don't completely rule it out.  You might be able to find some real good in it.

I LOVE anything by Ina May.  Spiritual Midwifery is a classic, of course.  Her Guide to Childbirth is a little less "hippie-ish," but is just filled with uplifting birth stories.  Definitely seek that one out!

[IdentityCrisisMama]

I was looking for my textbook for MDnarturalmama and came across my first all time favorite book, "Atlas of the Human Heart" by Ariel Gore.  I can't remember the birth in that book but it was an all around great and inspiring book (especially for a first time mom worried about how to fit in as a mother).    Ayun Halliday was another who I really liked when I wanted a break from all the political stuff.  (I have books by both of these ladies that you can borrow if you want).   

Another way that I like to get away is to read infant development, child development books.  It seems like the academic world has been "on our side" for as long as I've been reading this stuff and it's nice to read talk about the benefits of attachment and all that good stuff.  

I also didn't like Birthing from Within but I also don't like Ina May's books either.  :shrug  

I am actually listening to the Hypnobabies CD though and it's so, so not my style.  I actually put the headphones on DH's ears and say things like, "Listen to this crazy mumbojumo I'm listening to."   Something about it is working for me though because it does put me in a very quick state of relaxation.  Part of me jokingly thinks it's because I have to get "deeper relaxed" in order to block out the lady's super mellow, new age-ie music/voice.  :lol  

There was also this interesting author on NPR recently who wrote a book on the history of childbirth, which sounded like a great read.  I'll see if I can find her name...

It may have been "Get me out - A history of Childbirth".  I haven't read it but if it was the author I heard on the radio it sounded really good.  

Oh, and if your MW has a library, that would be a good place to browse.  

I was suggested to check out spinningbabies.com by KC.  I had trouble navigating the site but it looks like it could be interesting.