My top 5 book recommendations to support your birth
Whether you are preparing for your first birth or have already experienced labor, having inspiring and supportive resources can make all the difference. I love a physical book that I can hold in my hand, underline, take notes in and mark with post-it notes so I can refer to it over and over again.
Birth is not just a physical event- it is an emotional, spiritual and deeply vulnerable human experience. Over the years I have read countless words that do their best to describe, explain and prepare. I don’t know that it is actually possible to speak to the full depth of power and wisdom needed to fully prepare someone for their labor landscape, but these 5 book titles have a special space in my heart for the gifts each of them share.
Transformed By Birth
This book is written by Britta Bushnell, PhD and speaks exactly my language. Britta weaves in important education and evidence, myth, visuals and practical advice to go a step deeper beyond just anatomy and vocabulary works to prepare you for the practical and real-life event, as well as the internal and spiritual transformation. I love the blend of both and the way you can read the whole book cover-to-cover or flip straight to your needed chapter
2. Why Did Nobody Tell Me This?
By Natalia Hailes and Ash Spivak, a reproductive health duo that breaks it down for us without holding anything back. This book is filled with everything you didn’t know that you didn’t know and gives you a comforting and real answer before moving onto the next need-to-know thing.
3. The Female Pelvis: anatomy and exercises
This is a powerful little book written by Blandine Calais-Germain and will be a perfect companion for anyone who likes to nerd out on anatomy. The illustrations are in a league of their own and it gets right to the point of helping you to understand your pelvis, pelvic floor and the ways you will work with your body during labor and in recovery.
4. The Birth Partner
This book by Penny Simkin is a classic. It looks dense, but don’t let that deter you. You can flip to the most relevant chapters, read it together and then read parts on your own, and most importantly, I think this book is great at starting conversations with you and your partner. If your partner reads nothing else- have them read this book!
5. Our Kindred Home
Hear me out- this is not a birth related book. But it is inspiring, lovely, and for those that live with the seasons and need a little hug of beauty and connection to Self during and after pregnancy, this book written by Alyson Morgan is for you. There are recipes, thoughtful writings, advice to utilize herbs during the seasons and will invoke a sense of groundedness as you flip through its pages. Be aware, that not all herbs are safe for pregnancy or the reproductive years, so if you don’t know if an herb is safe, simply move onto the next or replace it with one that you know to be safe. But I don’t recommend this one for advice as much as just for the vibes. And sometimes that is exactly what we need.