Just ONE Book and Video

[thomlynn]

The library has agreed to buy a homebirth book, but just one. I'm also going to ask for a video too. So I need suggestions for the all time best ever homebirth book and video.

TIA!!!!!

[mamamicky]

Gentle Birth Choices

Book and DVD combo. It is only $20 and it discusses various birth options and settings but leans toward homebirth.

Micky

[SublimeBirthGirl]

I'd get Birth Day for the video. I can't think of how to narrow it down to one book!

[pamamidwife]

For me, without a doubt, it would be these two:

Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley, MD (besides the incredible amount of evidence-based and intuitive information in this book, the fact that you can't find it at Borders makes it SO MUCH more necessary. If I could have women read only one book about birth and mothering, this would be THE ONE)

and the DVD would HAVE to be Birth As We Know It.


I have to say that while I love Gentle Birth Choices book, I don't care for the video and I really wish Barbara would have updated that when she updated the book. Too much suctioning of babies, etc. But then again, I'm biased.

There are tons of books out there on how the medical model fails women and how midwifery and homebirth are great, but I think that Sarah's book actually looks at how a woman can find her inner intution, trust her body's natural physiological process of labor, and different ideas about common interventions. To me, this is more important as not all women are ready for homebirth, yet many are easily led to homebirth by reading things like this.

[thomlynn]

They do already have 'Birth Your Way' by Sheila Kitzinger and 'Choosing Waterbirth' by Lakshmi Bertram, which in a way, both talk about homebirth.

They also have some like 'Immaculate Deception' 'Misconceptions' and the older Bradley book written by Dr. Bradley as well as a few other natural childbirth things.

I'm annoyed b/c when I search 'homebirth' in the catalog nothing comes up so I really wanted something focused mostly on homebirth, but that one by Buckley looked really good. BUT I checked out the table of contents and there were less than ten pages on homebirth.

Maybe I can ask them for that one on natural parenting and another for homebirth. I don't know, I can't afford to buy any to see what I like best and that annoys me.

[Gray's Mommy]

I love Kitzinger's Homebirth book, but alas, it is out of print. I bought a copy off Ebay. Congratulations on getting your library to purchase something.

[pamamidwife]

Originally Posted by thomlynn

but that one by Buckley looked really good. BUT I checked out the table of contents and there were less than ten pages on homebirth.

well, like I said, if women read that book, they're not likely to continue to plan a hospital birth. That book is about trusting the innate beauty of how we're designed - how we're physiologically made to birth and how our babies respond to birth. Sarah is a huge midwife and homebirth supporter - I just think she wanted to focus on the bigger part of trusting our bodies. She is an unassisted birther and talks about that transition in her book - again, something that might plant a seed for homebirth w a midwife even.

there are alot of books out there slamming the medical model (new books like "Pushed" or "Birth: The surprising history of how we are born" or "Born in the USA") but those don't always reach women looking for a book on birth and parenting. I think Sarah's book does all of these - but in a subtle, easy to love way.

[dziwozony]

i'm a huge fan of Ina May Gaskin & while spiritual midwifery is pretty hippie for those not already into homebirth, her newer book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is a great update. i think that would be a good one!

[threadbey]

Originally Posted by dziwozony

i'm a huge fan of Ina May Gaskin & while spiritual midwifery is pretty hippie for those not already into homebirth, her newer book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is a great update. i think that would be a good one!

YES! I had a LOT of books, every one that my MW recommended. But the Guide to Childbirth was the one I kept going back to. All the others were fairly similar and mostly focused on natural birth, not out-of-hospital birth (although they all were encouraging of that). The Guide is all out-of-hospital and I found the birth stories (half of the book!) to be very calming, encouraging, and exciting. I'm sure they helped me deal with labor better than the class I took or any of the other books alone. I re-read them many times. I will give this book to every pregnant friend for all time!

I saw some videos in my Bradley class and I don't remember the names of them. I think the one I thought was best was by Penny Simkin, but I'm not sure.

[thomlynn]

Originally Posted by dziwozony

i'm a huge fan of Ina May Gaskin & while spiritual midwifery is pretty hippie for those not already into homebirth, her newer book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is a great update. i think that would be a good one!

Thanks, I've got both of them already and they are two of my favorites too.

[aylaanne]

My first thought was Spiritual Midwifery. YMMV.

[shanniesue2]

i'll have to be honest... as a first time pregnant mom-to-be... i'm not impressed with the Gentle Choices book. I was looking for something to tell me how to prepare for a homebirth. Instead, I think Gentle Choices is more of an argument against hospital births and in favor of home and birth center births. But it doesn't tell you what to expect, what to buy, how to set up, and other various tips and information that I was looking for. IMO, most women who buy or check out a book on homebirth have already decided that's what they want. And most women who have made this decision have done so with lots of research about the safety and appropriateness of a homebirth as compared to a hospital birth. Gentle Choices is more appropriate if you're trying to convince someone around you that it's a safe option.

I haven't bought any other books yet... if anyone has good suggestions for a book that will actually tell me how to do a homebirth, that would be great!