Recommended Reading

• The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth, Henci Goer.
• The Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth, Second edition, Penny Simkin.
• The Breastfeeding Answer Book, Nancy Mohrbacher.
• Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn, Revised and Updated, The Complete Guide, Penny Simkin.
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, Ina May Gaskin.
• Back Labor No More!! What Every Woman Should Know Before Labor, Janie McCoy King.
• The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth, Martha Sears, William Sears.
• The Doula Advantage: Your Complete Guide to Having an Empowered and Positive Birth by Rachel Gurevich
  Doulas make pregnancy and childbirth the celebratory experience it is meant to be! Doulas are professionally trained women who provide support before, during, and after delivery. Research has shown that doulas help women have positive birth experiences, decrease the need for pain medication, improve breastfeeding success, and reduce the need for cesarean sections and other invasive procedures. Author Rachel Gurevich interviewed more than 235 women and birth professionals to bring you this best-kept pregnancy secret. Inside, you’ll find real mothers’ stories and discover how doulas make a joyful difference in childbirth.
• When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women, by Penny Simkin
  Since it is estimated that one in every four women has been sexually abused, this book is a must read for many expectant mothers, and anyone who works with them. Invaluable information on childhood sexual abuse affects women in pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, as well as resources for healing and helping.
• Birth Reborn by Michel Odent
  “Birth Reborn is a good choice for prospective parents and birth professionals. Through it, a woman will develop a confidence in her instinctive, natural ability to give birth. Meanwhile, her partner gains insight into her experience and how he can assist her in the best manner possible. Though an excellent choice for parents, Birth Reborn should be required reading for those who work with prospective parents, particularly birth attendants. One should never be afraid to question commonly held beliefs.”

Breastfeeding

• Dr William Sears – Why Nurse Your Baby?
• La Leche League Articles and Podcasts
• Breastfeeding – Starting Out Right
• Breastfeeding Articles to Help You Succeed!

Doulas/Perinatal Support

• Hypno-Doulas
• Gentle Beginnings (Crysta Bourdon – Labor & Postpartum Doula)
• Holly Poulson (Doula, Bradley Method Childbirth Educator)

Miscellaneous

• Celebrity Homebirthers
• The Business of Being Born – Ricki Lake Movie
• Pregnant in America Movie
• Amazing Relaxation Music
  MOTHER’S MELODY: ONE HEART
  A collection of 5 tranquil flute melodies to enhance the bonding between parents and their children. From day one, this music will help create a more nurturing, environment for both mother and baby and become a favorite lullaby to both as it fills the listeners with feelings of love, peace and joy. This CD is being used in neo-natal wards with great results; it’s calming the babies down instantly and reducing stress for the nurses too. For pregnancy, birth, naptime, story time, nite-nite. All ages!

Articles & Research

• Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, New Cochrane Review through the Maternity Center Association, July 2003.
• Listening to Mothers: Report of the First National U.S. Survey of Women’s Childbearing Experiences, Maternity Center Association, October 24, 2002 .
• Caregiver Support for Women During Childbirth: Does the Presence of a Labor-Support Person Affect Maternal-Child Outcomes?, American Family Physician, October 1, 2002 .
• Lying in, Canadian Medical Association Journal, September 17, 2002 .
• Care of Women in U.S. Hospitals, 2000, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, October 2002.
• Empowerment: Why Women Need to Reclaim Birth
• Childbirth: The Ordinary Miracle