Great VBAC books?

[CortLong]

I have 'Silent Knife' and 'The VBAC Companion'. Any other great VBAC books????

[Barcino]

question

I am looking for the same answer! However I have a question for you: How did you like the VBAC Companion? I just ordered from amazon.

Thanks!!

[Mom2baldie]

Open Season by Nancy Cohen is specific to VBAC and natural childbirth.

Birthing From Within is a great book (I think) for someone who is planning a birth after a previous traumatic one. It helped me a lot anyway...

[Mom2baldie]

Oh, I wanted to add - there might be more book suggestions for you on www.ican-online.org and the VBAC/CSEC/book section of www.plus-size-pregnancy.org.

[Electra375]

Here's my list of just plain old good birthing books I read in prep for my hbac:
It all got started by reading A Thinking WOman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer

My plan was to understand my c/sections and then proceed to birthing.

Cesarean section: understanding and celebrating your baby's birth

Pelvic Health and Childbirth: what ever woman needs to know by Magnus Murphy and Carol L. Wasson -- pro-c/s, but has a very good reason not to have a c/s, if you desire more than 3 children by c/s

Ian May's Guide to Natural Childbirth by Ian May Gaskin

Spiritual Midwifery by Ian May Gaskin

Sit up and Take Notice by Pauline Scott (the only book I couldn't find at the library, I ordered if from ICAN)

Homebirth: the essential guide to giving birth outside of the hosptial by Sheila Kitzinger

Special Delivery: the complete guide to informed birth by Rahima Baldwin

I was warned not to read the Silent Knife during pregnancy. I have yet to read it.

The VBAC companion guide was alright. I didn't get much out of it JMHO.

Best wishes

[Mom2baldie]

Electra,

Why were you warned not to read Silent Knife during pregnancy? Ive actually never read it either so this has me curious.

[Electra375]

My LLL leader told me not to, no specifics. She was told to read it right after her c/s and she said it wasn't appropriate for the postpardum or pregnant period of a woman's life. I didn't ask why, I took her word for it. I believe my other LLL leader friend said the same thing when I asked her about it.

So, I haven't read it. Since I get very fired up about the injustice of OB care and hospital "routine procedure and policies", I try not to read things that will enrage me. And I have a feeling this book would be one of those things right now.

I'm still basking in the pleasure of having had a homebirth after 2 c/s w/o a stitch in me and a beautiful baby who is an angelic baby.

[ilovebeingamom]

nak

i just wanted second ina may's books-guide to childbirth really gave me confidence in my body to birth! btw i had a great hbac 4 weeks ago!

good luck!

[Raven]

I think this is a valuable thread so I am going to sticky it. Keep em coming mamas!

[dukeswalker]

All of those are great books...

I'm not sure why you were told not to read Silent Knife?? Well, except for the fact that it gets you REALLY fired up!!!

Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth is WONDERFUL...especially the first hundred pages or so. It is full of positive, natural birth stories. (such a rarity in our world!)

[loved]

My favorite VBAC book is: Very Brave and Courageous: The Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Experience by Lynn Baptisti Richards.

Lesleyn

[nfpmom]

Electra

This is an old thread, but I wanted to jump in
I have no idea why you were told not to read Silent Knife while pregnant... I think it is incredibly reassuring... It discusses uterine scar integrity, how your body was meant to birth, how most reasons for CS (barring absolute emergencies) are bunk, etc etc. I personally think this would be an excellent book to read while preparing for a VBAC- like I said, it is incredibly reassuring. This book was writted by a midwife who is a VBAC mom herself, who coined the term "VBAC" in fact... she is a pioneer in this area.

take care
elaine

[CityGirl]

I found The VBAC Companion totally unhelpful!! Really boring, and with no new useful information. Everything in it I got from other, better, not necessarily VBAC-specific sources: Obstetrical Myths Vs. Research Realities and Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, by Henci Goer; Ina May's Guide to Childbirth; the ICAN email list; Birthing from Within; the Midwifery Archives at www.gentlebirth.org; etc.

My personal aim was to educate myself on all the statistics (which are very reassuring in favor of VBAC!), and then focus not on having a VBAC but just on having a positive, safe, normal birth.

[AuNaturelMommy]

Great Books

I just had a successful VBAC 8 weeks ago! A 100% natural birth, YIPEEE!!!

So, I wanted to pass on the titles of the books I read and that helped me a lot.

The VBAC Companion
The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth
Active Birth
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
The Birth Partner

It is a lot of reading so start early, but it is well worth it.

Best Wishes,
Lori

[altarflame]

I was kind of "nervous" about reading Silent Knife, mainly because (and please don't hate me for this) it just seemed like it was SO extremely far over on the uber-crunchy, renegade midwives, anti-OB scale that I thought I wouldn't be able to take it seriously. Just the name seemed almost sensationalist.

But, the more research I do, the more it seems real and like perhaps it would be a truly HONEST, unbiased source...We're conditioned to see things as "uber crunchy" when really that, in most cases, just means "natural".

I've also heard WONDERFUL things about "Birthing From Within" and anything else Ina May has written.

Right now I'm reading "Birth After Cesarean", which is a little old (early 90s) and written by a male OB, but still he is very pro-VBAC, and talks a lot about the "alarming" statistics that point to c/s eventually becoming the norm for all births, and ways that would be terrible...And I also have a printed out, stapled together thing that is nevertheless long enough to be a short novel, called "What Every Pregnant Woman Should Know About Cesarean". One of the midwives at my birthing center gave me both of them.

[altarflame]

Lori - I'm reading the Bradley book, too, and it's great. I thought it was "vbac books only" so I didn't mention that. If we're talking books in general, though, I'm also finding "Birth Without Violence" really interesting and thought provoking. It's all about what the infant is going through, and it's written almost like poetry.

[amybw]

thank you all for sharing!

I was just coming to ask for info and found this sticky!


Amy

[MelissaEvans]

Birth Books I loved:
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
Birthing from Within
Gentle Birth Choices
A Good Birth, a Safe Birth
Silent Knife (this helped me feel not insane for being upset with my c/sec, I wasn't alone, and that was very helpful)
The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth
Immaculate Deception II
Obsteteric Myths vs. Research Realities
Birth Reborn
Birth without Violence

I have two VBAC books, "The VBAC Companion" which several people commented here wasn't very helpful, and also "Vaginal Birth after Cesarean: The Smart Woman's Guide to VBAC." I'm scared of the latter. I find the title annoying (if you don't read it, are you stupid?); and the back cover frightening ("neither for nor against VBACs..."). Anyone read this? Any thoughts?

[MelissaEvans]

I just finished "VBAC Companion" and found it really wasn't for me. It was very aimd at hospital births and didn't seem too promoting of homebirth.
"If a homebirth is not the safest prospect for you - it's not for most women..." (p50) My mouth just fell on this one. Elsewhere the book was more accepting of the idea, but this sentence really bothered me.
I also felt like most of the stories were induce/epidural stories. I know that for many that's OK; it's just not my personal goal.
I felt it lacked real information on nutrition. There was no mention of the importance of protein or salt (Bradley teachings kicking in here).
It glossed over some things to help a breech baby turn but didn't go into the fact that they can indeed be born or other methods of turning (chiropractic, moxibustion...). I didn't find it to be very in depth at all. I was disappointed because I loved "A Good Birth, A Safe Birth." But perhaps if I didn't need to crawl into the mind of an OB, I wouldn't have found that book as helpful either...
I'm reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth now and loving it (as expected!).

[Lu'sMom]

Another good book

What If I Have a C-Section? by Rita Rubin is a great resource for any pregnant woman, whether you've had a previous c-section or not. There's a whole chapter about VBACs, and it's pretty reassuring about how safe they are and about how most women who try to VBAC are successful. Plus, it includes a lot of real-life stories from women who had successful VBACs. You can order it through Amazon.