Must-have Books « Back to Group Discussions

[femmeknitzi]

So, I'm a planner by nature and when we first started trying to get pregnant, I bought three books (not counting TCOYF, of course) and they are:

Natural Childbirth The Bradley Way

The Nursing Mother's Companion

Parenting with Love and Logic

So that covers several stages of this journey, but what about now? What about the week by week, understanding how my body is changing, what things to avoid doing and knowing what milestones to look for leading up to birth? I know there's What to Expect when You're Expecting but I'm hesitant about this one. Is it so mainstream that it won't apply to me (a crunchy granola fat woman in her thirties who plans to have natural childbirth, cloth diapers and practice baby wearing)? I mean, I don't want to read a book that talks about how my belly will grow but assumes every woman has a flat stomach to begin with, you know? 

Are there other books you'd recommend to help me through the changes that will happen with my body and the when and how to prepare for a baby?

[1babysmom]

I wouldn't want "What to Expect..." either. LOL

Don't have any week by week suggestions.  I usually just find that stuff online.  But I LOVE LOVE LOVE "Heart & Hands."  It's actually a midwifery book, but I have re-read it before each of my babies and just can't get enough of it.  It covers pregnancy and birth, but I think it's a resource that every family should have! (on that same note, because I think we'd all be better off if we were all prepared for the possibility of an unassisted birth (though ours have been planned), Birth Emergency Skills Training is another one that is good to have on hand, just in case)

Another AWESOME one I'm reading for my LLL Leadership stuff, but I think is a great, informative book, is the "Impact of Birthing Practices on Breastfeeding."  And of course, "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" is another great, more basic resource.

[broodymama]

"The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" by Henci Goer is a good one to have.  

[femmeknitzi]

These are great suggestions, thanks! I looked at some of the week by week books a the store this weekend and while they're neat, they tend to be expensive so I'm just going to stick to the Internet for that info. If you have any favorite sites, I'd love to hear them!

I did go ahead and order the THinking Woman's Guide to Better Birth because that's been recommended to me a lot recently and I'll probably order a few more soon. I really like the sound of the Birth Emergency one and I'm fascinated by the topic of birthing practices and how they affect breastfeeding.

Thanks again!!

[1babysmom]

Oh, Active Birth is another good one!! 

[BradyMom]

I had a copy of the What to Expect book, it was lame and you can get all of the same information from thier website and many others.  But, as bad of a name as that book gets it is where I first heard of midwives and natural birth.  Just a few paragraphs was enough for me to start looking for more natural birth resources. 
 

I read Active Birth for my first, and I loved it, but was disappointed when I couldn't find any positions to make me comfortable.  

The book that I hear mention of most frequently is Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.  Haven't read it myself yet.  Maybe check ICAN (good resource for everyone whether you are a VBAC or not!) for book reviews:  http://ican-online.org/books/all-books

[~Caitlyn~]

I just ordered Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and Birthing from Within from Amazon.

I just started reading 'Born in the USA,'  - the first few pages are really interesting... that's all I got through before I fell asleep :)

[LibbyLou]

Originally Posted by ~Caitlyn~ 

I just ordered Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and Birthing from Within from Amazon.

I just started reading 'Born in the USA,'  - the first few pages are really interesting... that's all I got through before I fell asleep :)

I loved Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.  It has so many awesome and empowering natural birth stories.  Birthing from Within was a little too touchy-feely for me (I'm definitely not the type to do birth art lol), but it had some really good points too.  I think there's a chapter on Paper Tigers that I really liked.

[smirkhouse]

I actually gave away all my pregnancy and birth book sin the last year, so I am keen to hear what everyone has to say. My absolute favorites though (so much that used to ship them unbidden to my friends when theygot pregnant) are:

Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott

Our Babies, Ourselves by Meredith Small

The Big Rumpus by Ayun Halliday.

I had my first almost a decade ago, so these titles are older, but hopefully not forgotten ( and the are totally available on Amazon.)

[femmeknitzi]

Anne Lamott as in the author of Bird by Bird? That's one of my favorite writing/memoir books! If there's a pregnancy book by the same author, then that must be a sign!

[smirkhouse]

The very same. The book is more about her son's first year, but she has such a way of not pulling punches but maintaining optimism. Her books on religion are about as close as I have ever come to understaindng faith (highly recommend).

[~Caitlyn~]

Originally Posted by LibbyLou 

I loved Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.  It has so many awesome and empowering natural birth stories.  Birthing from Within was a little too touchy-feely for me (I'm definitely not the type to do birth art lol), but it had some really good points too.  I think there's a chapter on Paper Tigers that I really liked.

Birth art! Oh lol, maybe I won't be as impressed either! I'll keep an eye out for the Paper Tigers chapter :)

[Babinogi]

Hello everyone - Greetings from Wales!

This is my first posting to this group. I am due somewhere around October 6th.

This is a great thread! Thanks to everyone's book recommendations!

I have started to collect a few books and am ordering a few as well.

A great book that gives you outstanding images of your baby's development week by week is,

A Child Is Born by Lennart Nilsson. It is truly an amazing book! My husband is obsessed with it!

I also have:
Healthy Lifestyle, for Better Pregnancy by Francesca Naish & Janette Roberts

Mother-Daughter Wisdom by Christiana Northup (found it at a charity shop but it is amazing regardless if you have a boy or girl)

The Incarnating Child by Joan Salter

Mothering with Soul by Joan Salter

The Joan Salter books are very "trippy" - but if you get past some of the trippy stuff, there is alot of wisdom in there.  She comes from a Waldorf/Steiner background.

Another "trippy" book is Nourishing the Soul of your Baby - it is very, very interesting if you want to see pregnancy as a spiritual experience.  It is by Elizabeth Clare Prophet.

Again, there is alot of stuff she writes that is way out there that many people will warm too, but there is alot of wisdom in her book. There are many affirmations and meditations.

I also have the Ina May Child Birth book, but since it I am still in early pregnancy mode, it seems too much to read right now - Nourishing the Soul of your Baby seems more appropriate when

the little bean is just forming.  When does it start to have a soul? I do not know, but I can feel a wonderful presence growing inside me - not sure if it is the lovely progesterone kicking in, but it feels

great!  Not sure if anyone else is experiencing this - but i find any violent imagery that flashes up on the t.v. screen unbearable to watch.  I already feel as though I want to protect this little sprigeen!

Thanks for sharing the titles everyone - I'll have to investigate some of them.

Also, You are your Child's first teacher is supposed to be a brilliant book. I gave it to a friend years ago when she was having her first child and she said it was the best one of the bunch.

all the best

[bostonmummy]

My husband and I came across Deepak Chopra's Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives and loved the combination of scientific and spiritual considerations. The chapter on fatherhood was especially welcome because there's so little that adequately addresses the role of the father. If you meditate and do yoga, you'll probably automatically be drawn to Chopra's book. If you don't, but you love the idea of nurturing yourself and your baby spiritually without being too out there, this could also be a great choice.