Essential reading for UC

[Skim]

Can we generate a list of resources, print and/or on-line, for UC? I for one would love a list of books UC-ers have found essential reading.

Maybe if we list our faves here, we can convince a moderator to make it a sticky?....

Kim

[NatureMama3]

Haven't UCd yet, but here's what I have or what is on my list to read:

Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love
Unassisted Childbirth
Spiritual Midwifery
Emergency Childbirth
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year

Also important, but not in book form (that I know of?):

http://www.moondragon.org/obgyn/pregnancy/breechhome.html

http://www.breechbabies.com/contents.htm

[Quickening]

The Power of Pleasurable Childbirth by Laurie Morgan was good too.

[Aura_Kitten]

Prenatal Yoga & Natural Birth, Jeannine Parvati Baker

[fourlittlebirds]

Special Delivery, Rahima Baldwin. Basically a midwifery textbook, about half really annoying and outdated, and half very informational. I still use it as a reference for some things.

Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May Gaskin. Don't care at all for her approach to birth, but I loved the stories. It's all I wanted to read in the last month before my first UC.

Birth as an American Rite of Passage, Robbie Davis-Floyd. Mostly about how screwy institutionalized birth is, but a great chapter at the end -- "Birth as the Biodance" -- that talks about the importance of the existence of the wholistic extremes, including unassisted birth.

The Scientification of Love, Michel Odent MD. Theorizing on why birth has been ritually disturbed throughout history, how this serves aggressive societies, and how it can be harmful to the individual.

Ecstatic Birth: The Hormonal Blueprint of Labor (http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/birth_preparation/ecstatic.html), Sarah Buckley. The science illustrating the importance of undisturbed birth.

The CBirth UC Videotape (http://f4.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/0JfsQWF2ID4HVtEs85jPn9ZFWYZkLs0dPkJoOLjP6c3YhhIe5H An_9-mcVnHjeL-2i0Ri8R4G1sRjHCGCjsuWXNO4qsCwL6Xc9Rj5VHI/File%20-%20Cbirth%20UC%20Video%20Tape%20). Nine unassisted births, really beautiful and inspiring, and oh so different from your average professional-assisted birth. You probably have to be a member of the yahoogroups elist c-birth (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/c-birth/) to access this page.

Psalm & Zoya--The Unassisted Homebirth of Our Twins (http://www.earthbirthproductions.com/). This is my favorite birth video ever. Just amazing.

[fourlittlebirds]

Laura Shanley's website Bornfree! (http://www.ucbirth.com/) has lots of good articles/essays on it written by her.

Unassisted Birth, Free Birth (http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/pregnancy/unassistedbirth/index.php), Jana Kutarna, excellent essay on her philosophy of unassisted birth

Maia’s Birth - a family celebration (http://www.womenofspirit.asn.au/docs/sb_maias_story.txt), by Sarah Buckley who also wrote the Ecstatic Birth article listed above

Birth, Sexuality, and Orgasm (http://www.body.arc.co.uk/body2/birthOrgasm.html), Michel Odent MD, on the hormonal process of birth, and what interferes with it

Birth and the Origins of Violence (http://www.birthpsychology.com/violence/odent1.html), Michel Odent MD

Magical Child, Joseph Chilton Pearce. Okay, so he sometimes spirals out of control into the fringes of the weird and questionable, but some of it he is right on about, especially his ideas on the importance of acting in harmony with the natural matrix. This definitely influenced my philosophy of birth.

Reclaiming Birth for Our Daughters (http://www.moondance.org/2001/fall01/bestoftheme/birth.html), Lesley Smith, unassisted birth is not mentioned, but it certainly applies.

Here are a couple of threads in which I've pretty much summarized my own UC philosophy, and are just generally good food for thought:

"UCers, wanna share your point of view?" (http://mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=77618) (from MDC forums)

"Thoughts on UC" (http://www.midwiferytoday.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2424&whichpage=3) (from the Midwifery Today forums, NOTE: please do not reply to this thread. For one thing, it is really old and would probably be received oddly, if not perceived as trolling. But more importantly, it's against MDC rules (Violation: "Posting to invite members to other boards for debate purposes. This is to maintain and respect the integrity of our own and other communities.") and I'd prefer not to have this post removed and have to type everything all over again. ;) )

[amyjeans]

"Emergency Childbirth, a manual" Dr. White.
Although, it should be renamed to just "Childbirth, a manual". Emergency sounds too dramatic.
Now, if only someone could write a manual for toddlers... :D


ooops...already listed...sorry! :innocent

[sprinkle pocket]

what about hygeia halfmoon's books? i read "primal mothering in a modern world". that was a nice one. oh, and i haven't made it through it yet, but oh, gosh, blueviolet, i know you'll remember the name, it's the one about birth traditions from around the world? sorry, the name escapes me right now.

i really really really liked "active birth". as a 1st timer, it explains some stuff intellectually about birth, which helped get my mind out of the way to enjoy the intuitive side of pg, and soon birth. i'm also having dh read atleast the chapter on labor & birth since he'll be there for at least part of the process if not all. it goes into different positions and what they offer, and other things that he may enjoy knowing like tips for how to hold his body while holding me in standing squat, etc.

henci goer's book, thinking woman's guide to better birth...this may be good to help make the decision to uc, and explain to others why the decision to uc seems safer. it's a little too hospital/medical for me, but i'm still wading through some of it, just in case/just out of curiosity.

[NatureMama3]

Thought of another for you.. The Complete Guide to Postpartum Wellness by Aviva Romm. :)

[firecat]

I just read a book called Childbirth Wisdom: From the World's Oldest Societies by Judith Goldsmith. Is that the one you're talking about, sprinklepocket?
It is pretty good, and discusses "traditional" societies from around the world and how they view/treat pregnancy, birth and newborns. I enjoyed it.

[sprinkle pocket]

yes, thank you. that was the one i was thinking of.

today i was re-reading through avila romm's book 'natural pregnancy'. she referred to jeanneane parvati as her mentor and seems to have a very birthing mom centered approach. lots of info for someone doing up. it's a book i like, but someone who's been pregnant and birthed before mayn't.

[Skim]

This is turning out to be such a great list for me, and I hope for others, too!

I just got my Emergency Childbirth manual, and I love its simplicity. I would like to check out Ecstatic Birth, too.

blueviolet, you are so full of resources, and your web sites are just beautiful!

Kim

[thechrysalis]

Leilah McCracken's "Resexualizing Childbirth" changed all my views on birth - it even helped to convince my dh on my decision to freebirth. Her site is below:

http://www.birthlove.com/

[Skim]

Hey Everyone-

Check out the new sticky in this forum! I am willing to compile the resources mentioned here in the thread and post them there if that's OK with everyone. I'll email raven and see if that's within the mothering.com protocol... Let me know if you have any objections. Or additions!

[TRIBE]

When did the birthlove site become so expensive to join? :( I remember when she went over to it being a paid site you could chose how long you wanted you rmemebership and there were different prices. im sad to see such a wonderful, informational website costing so much to join *sigh*

[Skim]

hey mamas -

I compiled what I could from this thread (almost everything except links without urls) and posted it on the sticky, with a direct link to this here thread. Please take a look at it and see if I need to make any huge corrections, additions or deletions. I added Heart and Hands, by Elizabeth Davis.

Thank you!!

Kim