Looking for a children's book

[Sonnadoula]

My partner and I have put together a Sibling Childbirth Preparation Class that would (as you could guess from the title) prepare older siblings to attend, understand and participate in birth of a younger sibling. We have also compiled a Sibling Childbirth Prep package that families can rent from us and keep for a week. It contains items such as a short birth video geared towards children, props, information for the parents about our culture's concept of birth and the concept of birth we choose to give our children - greatly influenced ay Ina May Gaskin, and the story Welcome With Love by Jenni Overend.

Welcome With Love is a great book about a home birth. It has beautiful tasteful pictures that depict birth as healthy and normal. Mom gives birth naked, standing and leaning on Da and then is shown breast-feeding. The baby boy born is just beautiful, naked and uncircumcised. I really appreciate this story. However, many families attending the class will be giving birth in a freestanding birth center or at the hospital. We are looking for a book that tells the story of a natural unmedicated hospital or birthing center birth from/for a child's point of view.

Any suggestions?

Thank you and Blessed Be.

[JanetF]

I've seen one that's very similar to "Welcome with love" (which in Australia, where it's from, is called "Hello Baby") but it was set in a hospital. It was very soft focus and sweet but had green gowns and medical equipment in it. I'll chase up the name for you.

[theelfqueen]

More focused on pregnancy than birth but a gorgeous book, ending with vaginal birth photos and a mama breastfeeding is Being Born by Sheila Kitzinger with amazing in utero photos by Lennart Nilsson.

[Sonnadoula]

Thank you. Is Shela's book a children's book? I would like to know the name of the one that is similar to Welcome With Love.

[theelfqueen]

It's geared a little older than Welcome With Love but is for children -- in a sort of "where did I come from" way... The Sears and Sears book is not a good choice (ummm Baby on the Way) I can tell you because it talks about mom and dad leaving to go have the baby and kids staying at home doing other stuff.

[arwenevenstar]

Hi
I have a selection of books that I like.

My favourite, which covers hospital birth (vaginal) and breastfeeding is "Happy Birth Day!" by Robie H Harris It's published by Walker books. I love this one particularly for the gorgeously realistic drawings of the baby.

Just as an aside he has also written one called "Hello New Baby" which doesn't really cover birth, but is more about a sibling's reaction to her new brother.

A great one for children to cover feelings of jealousy is " Sophie and the new baby". Again, doesn't really cover birth, just implies a hospital birth, but is great for emotive issues.

Finally, this may be more of a UK book, dunno! but the Usbourne book "The New Baby" Once again, classic hospital birth, probably based at the younger reader.


Hope these might help.

Off topic: I sat with my elder son (of his own accord) watching Discovery Health channel and some of the birth stories on there. We covered loads of his questions together and he then decided he wanted to BE at the birth......his choice! :

[orangebird]

The only ones I have besides Hello Baby (or Welcome With Love) are a few Usborne books my midwife let the kids borrow. I was a little disapointed by the Usbornes books, The New Baby, How are Babies Made, and Where do Babies Come from. I mean they are good, but a little too mainstream, mostly because of things like the hospital and crib images. But I guess that is everyones norm around here. The one titled The New Baby is very short, they are getting ready for the baby (mom paints the crib while dad reclines and drinks coffee), she goes into labor, they go to the hospital, kids stay home with the grandparents, the baby is born without any detail just the words "the baby is born", kids visit mom in the hospital where she is sharing a room with other moms, they come home, nurse the baby (while the sister gives her doll a bottle), bathe the baby, and go for a walk in stroller to fly a kite as a family.

It might be an OK book. But I don't like it so much.

The other two are more about getting pregnant and pregnancy and babies, but not really a story like the other one.

[arwenevenstar]

"The New Baby is very short, they are getting ready for the baby (mom paints the crib while dad reclines and drinks coffee), she goes into labor, they go to the hospital, kids stay home with the grandparents, the baby is born without any detail just the words "the baby is born", kids visit mom in the hospital where she is sharing a room with other moms, they come home, nurse the baby (while the sister gives her doll a bottle), bathe the baby, and go for a walk in stroller to fly a kite as a family."

I totally agree, but I think in this particular case, it might be the sort of book that elfqueen is looking for? Unfortunately this book covers a large majority of the populations perceptions of birth -the stereotypical preparation for having a baby
For us however. it is an under the carpet type of book but as a CBE it IS on my shelf as ,(much as I would LOVE to), I cannot let my personal feelings push others into decisions or choices and everyone is different.

God, sorry that sounds like I am criticising the previous poster, I am not,I agree with what you said, just felt the need to comment

You know, there is a real lack of books for this area. Considering I am in Europe and you guys are in the US and we have so far come up with about half a dozen, maybe there is a market for a really great book for siblings about birth, both birthing center/hospital and home?? Maybe we ought to put an "ad" out on the writing forum!!!

Take care

[arwenevenstar]

Ooops meant Sonnadoula, not Elfqueen :

[Sonnadoula]

I appreciate everyone's replies. We are a non-profit with the goals of promoting instinctual birth and parenting. For that reason we are strictly avoiding images of cribs and bottles. We feel that these go against the human continuum, and confuse parents. Given the choice, with out social influence, I believe a family would choose to share a bed and would never use a bottle. To show such images to our children will only confuse them when they are new parents and are trying to fallow their own instincts. We are looking for mainstream, in that we want a hospital birth story. At the same time, we are attempting to change mainstream. Hospitals are a must for some families, bottles and cribs are not. (Crazy circumstances aside)

Thank you again for your replies. Can anyone give me a run down on "Happy Birthday" keeping The Natural Wisdom Project's philosophies in mind?