Best pregnancy/childbirth books

[nepenthesea]

I want to know...what are your favorite pregnancy/childbirth books? There are so many out there! The first I bought was the Sears' 'The Baby Book', but I see they have several out there. I was thinking about getting their pregnancy book next. I also saw their birth book - do you really need both the pregnancy AND birth book? I don't mind buying both if they have different content.

I also have 'The Whole Pregnancy Handbook', which seems to be pretty cool. Any other must-haves?

Also, if there is a more appropriate forum for me to post this thread onto, let me know.

Thanks!

-NepentheSea

[candipooh]

It is hard to narrow it down. I LOVE LOVE the newest Shiela Kitzinger book. Shoot what is it called..."Homebirth" I think? It is EVERYTHING you need to know.

I also love Rahmina Baldwin's stuff. Her Pregnant Feelings is a great one for the emotional side of pregnancy. I loved it when she had her clients write down a dialouge with "birth energy" it sounds kind of cheesey but it is actually very powerful.

Ina May Gaskin's new book it great also. I love reading birth stories! I love the book "Journey into Motherhood" for a few reasons. One because it is chuck full of natural birth stories and two because my youngest daughter's birth story is one of them

A Good Birth a Safe birth I think is fantastic. It is great if you don't know yet where you want to give birth.

I could go on and on. There is SO many that I love.

I haven't read the Sears' books so I can't help you there.

[Birth Junky]

I have to agree with PP about Ina May's book (just finished reading it yesterday!), and I also wanted to HIGHLY recommend our own Peggy O'Mara's book, Having a Baby Naturally. It is my NEW favorite book on pregnancy and childbirth!

Old favorites include Penny Simkin's Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn, as well as anything by the Searses.

Right now I am working on Henci Goer's The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth.

[pamamidwife]

The two books I give to new clients are Sheila Kitzinger's The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth and Peggy's Having a Baby, Naturally.

Another book I just found that I LOVE is Hey! Who's Having this Baby, Anyway? Here's info about the book: http://www.heyanyway.com/ It seems really GOOD for people planning a hospital birth, but it also is full of good info for people planning a homebirth for the first time.

[Kirsten]

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan Rosegg-McCutcheon (or is it M-R?) Really great book.