Below I’ll give you my selections for the best Childbirth books by a few categories. I will cover these and other great books more in depth later.
1. Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth “Updated With New Material” (2003)
What you need to know to have the best birth experience for you. Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation’s leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without…
2. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide (2018)
Parents love this book because it puts them in control; experts love it because it’s based on the latest medical research and recommendations from leading health organizations. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn provides the information and guidance you need to make informed decisions about having a safe and satisfying pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period–decisions that reflect your preferences, priorities, and values.Unlike pregnancy guides that can overwhelm and alarm by telling you up front all the things that can possibly go wrong, this book…
3. Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way: Revised Edition (2018)
The Bradley Method®, used and praised by women for almost seventy years, prepares you for drug and surgery-free childbirth and puts you in control by providing the tools to navigate evidence-based care. Certified childbirth educator Susan McCutcheon, one of Dr. Bradley’s first students, now makes this natural approach to childbirth more accessible than ever. You will learn:• Exercises and nutrition to get your body ready for birthing• To defuse fear by understanding all aspects of laboring• How to involve your partner as a birth coach…
4. The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth (2017)
on her YouTube channel and even more on MamaNatural.com, Howland's (a.k.a. Mama Natural) funny but informational videos have empowered millions of women to embrace natural pregnancy and parenting. Now Howland is turning to the page, offering up the first week-by-week pregnancy & childbirth book from a perspective.For the last half-century, control over childbirth has been in favor of doctors. Many pregnancy guides are , or written by male physicians deeply entrenched in the medical model of birth. . A groundswell of women are taking back their pregnancy and childbirth and embracing a natural way. Genevieve…
5. Childbirth Without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth (2013)
In an age where birth has often been overtaken by obstetrics, Dr Dick-Read's philosophy is still as fresh and relevant as it was when he originally wrote this book. He unpicks every possible root cause of western woman's fear and anxiety in pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding and does so with overwhelming heart and empathy. Essential reading for all parents-to-be, childbirth educators, midwives and obstetricians! #29,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #129 in Pregnancy & Childbirth (Books) Would you like to ?If you are a seller for this…
6. Birth Without Fear: The Judgment-Free Guide to Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum (2019)
In Birth Without Fear, January Harshe–founder of the global online community Birth Without Fear–delivers an honest, positive, and passionate message of empowerment surrounding everything that involves having a baby. It’s a guide that fills in the considerable cracks in the information available to women and families when they’re preparing to welcome a child–covering care provider choices, medical freedom, birth options, breastfeeding, intimacy, postpartum depression, and much more. Birth Without Fear shows moms, dads, partners, and families how to…
7. Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy, and Childbirth (2015)
There is a global crisis in maternal health care for black women. In the United States, black women are over three times more likely to perish from pregnancy-related complications than white women; their babies are half as likely to survive the first year. Many black women experience policing, coercion, and disempowerment during pregnancy and childbirth and are disconnected from alternative birthing traditions. This book places black women’s voices at the center of the debate on what should be done to fix the broken maternity system and foregrounds black women’s agency in the emerging…
8. Supernatural Childbirth (1993)
Pregnancy and childbirth are often depicted as a time of sickness and mood swings for women followed by twelve to twenty hours of pain and hard labor. Many women have been told they can never conceive. Others have suffered the pain of conceiving and miscarrying. Have you had enough of this picture? Supernatural Childbirth is a practical and realistic look at God’s promises for conception, pregnancy and delivery. This is not "pie-in-the-sky"-This is a personal testimony of how one couple overcame defeat and triumphed in God’s plan! Jackie Mize had been told she could never have children. However, by unlocking powerful truths and…
9. Clinical Aromatherapy for Pregnancy and Childbirth (2000)
This is the most detailed and research-based book available on aromatherapy aimed specifically at those caring for pregnant and childbearing women, especially midwives and aromatherapists. Building on the success of the last edition, this book contains new and expanded information on physiology related to obstetrics, the principles of safe use of essential oils for pregnant and childbearing women, and infant massage. Thoroughly revised and updated to include the latest information on aromatherapy, essential oils, and massage for pregnancy, childbirth, and the…
10. Husband-Coached Childbirth (Fifth Edition): The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth (2008)
Now completely revised and updated for today’s parents-to-be…The book that started a revolution in the birthing experience and helped millions of women and their partners to a safe and natural childbirth. The Bradley Method has changed the way men and women—and the medical establishment—think about childbirth today. Now this new, updated edition of the groundbreaking work by Robert A. Bradley, M.D., has all the information you need to approach a natural childbirth safely, confidently, and wisely. From the reasons to choose the…
11. Mindful Birthing: Training the Mind, Body, and Heart for Childbirth and Beyond (2012)
With Mindful Birthing, Nancy Bardacke, nurse-midwife and mindfulness teacher, lays out her innovative program for pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond. Drawing on groundbreaking research in neuroscience, mindfulness meditation, and mind/body medicine, Bardacke offers practices that will help you find calm and ease during this life-changing time, providing lifelong skills for healthy living and wise parenting. SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF MINDFUL BIRTHING: American College of Nurse-Midwives’ Best Book of the Year Award: 2014National Parenting Publications Award:…
12. Oxorn-Foote Human Labor and Birth (1986)
Offers detailed information about the process of childbirth, discusses possible complications, and covers ultrasound examinations, Cesarean section, and care of the newborn infant #908,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1623 in Pregnancy & Childbirth (Books) #309 in Obstetrics & Gynecology (Books) Would you like to ?If you are a seller for this product, would you like to ?…
Best Childbirth Books: The Ultimate List
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Genesis and download some childbirth books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Birthing Work: The Collective Labour of Childbirth
Author(s): Katharine McKinnon
Publisher: Springer Singapore;Palgrave Pivot, Year: 2020, Size: 2 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 2472350
Supporting Survivors of Sexual Abuse Through Pregnancy and Childbirth: A Guide for Midwives, Doulas and Other Healthcare Professionals
Author(s): Kicki Hansard
Publisher: Singing Dragon, Year: 2020, Size: 5 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 2545707
Medical conditions affecting pregnancy and childbirth
Author(s): Maureen Boyle; Judy Bothamley
Publisher: , Year: 2020, Size: 12 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 2677021
Your Birth Plan: A Guide to Navigating All of Your Choices in Childbirth
Author(s): Megan Davidson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Year: 2019, Size: 6 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 2377197
Choice, control and contemporary childbirth: understanding through women's stories
Author(s): Jomeen, Julie; Pethtel, Lura L
Publisher: Routledge;CRC, Year: 2019, Size: 9 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 2414769
Reproduction on the Reservation: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Colonialism in the Long Twentieth Century
Author(s): Brianna Theobald
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press, Year: 2019, Size: 10 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 2436155
Pregnancy and Childbirth in the Premodern World: European and Middle Eastern Cultures, from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance
Author(s): Costanza Gislon Dopfel, Alessandra Foscati, Charles Burnett
Publisher: Brepols, Year: 2019, Size: 4 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 2526987
Paths to Parenthood: Emotions on the Journey through Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Early Parenting
Author(s): Renata Kokanović, Paula A. Michaels, Kate Johnston-Ataata
Publisher: Springer Singapore;Palgrave Macmillan, Year: 2018, Size: 3 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 2313512
Please note that this booklist is not definite. Some books are really chart-busters according to The Wall Street Journal, others are drafted by unknown writers. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant links you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.