Suggested Reading for Pregnancy

[FlyingBear]

Hi all!

Just thought I'd post some books that have really helped me thru my pregnancy since there seem to be many babies abounding! Feel free to add whatever ones that have aided you along as well. Figured making a resource page couldn't hurt! :colorful:

Birthing from Within: An extra-ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation. Pam England CNM, MA & Rob Horowitz PhD

Motherself: A mythic analysis of motherhood. Kathryn Allen Rabuzzi

The Birth Project. Judy Chicago

Obstetric myths versus research realities: A guide to the medical literature. Henci Goer

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. Henci Goer

Childbirth: A source book of conception, pregnancy, birth and the first weeks of life. Sharron Hannon

Spiritual Midwifery. Ina May Gaskin

A midwife's story. Penny Armstrong and Sheryl Feldman

Immaculate Deception 2: A fresh look at childbirth. Suzanne Arms

The Transition to Parenthood: How a first child changes a marriage. Jay Belsky and John Kelly

Childbirth Wisdom: From the World's Oldest Societies. Judith Goldsmith

Mothering. Rosemary Wiener

Hygeia: A woman's Herbal. Jeanine Parvati Baker

Wise Woman's Herbal for the Childbearing Years. Susun Weed


That's off of the top of my head. Next? :)

[~*Ginger*~]

'Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing' by Sheila Kippley

Is an excellent book also.

[Autumn]

Womanly art of Breastfeeding La Leache League International

The Pregnancy Book and The Baby Book By William and Martha Sears...

Herbal for The Childbearing Year by Susun Weed

Books to avoid...like the plague

Babywise Gary Ezzo...You cannot schedule babies and anyway it seems like this guy thinks babies should be seen and not heard...not likely...Bread and milk spoil, Infants don't!

What to Expect/What to Eat These books will turn you into a nercous wreck for sure!!!! I call them What to Panic About!!!

[BethieRose]

I second those recommendations for what to avoid, Autumn!!!

[Autumn]

I like most of the Sears work, but it seems kinda overdone at times. Over marketed mostly. I like that they encourage AP parenting, and they encourage mother(primary caregiver) to trust their judgement. The books cut a nice medium between a totally medical avoidance approach and a totally medical one...

Favorite things include "colic-a five letter word they use when they've don all the tests and they still haven't a clue why the baby is crying..." "tell interfearing relitives that the doctor said we should do it this way...you don't have to specify which doctor!"

I would recomend Womanly Art (the LLLI book) over their Breastfeeding book, it has 40+ years of experience behind it...

[Night_Goddess]

I second the recommendation for the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. Great book, wonderful organization.
I'd like to add:
The Pregnancy-After-30 Workbook: Program for Safe Childbearing, No Matter What Your Age.
by Gail Sforza Brewer (Editor)

This book is a great intro to the many areas of one's life affected by pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. The bibliography can lead the interested reader to resources for more in-depth study.
Of special note is the section on nutrition during and after pregnancy. Tom Brewer's theories were groundbreaking stuff in the late 70's and are well worth taking seriously. Hope you enjoy it!

[DebLipp]

I love Suzanne Arms and Ina May Gaskin. I also recommend Bradley Method childbirth; there are several books. Bradley's is a little stuffy and old-fashioned (and a tad sexist) but his work was brilliant and subsequent Bradley Method books are much better.

Bradley Method is a much more positive, family-centered childbirth technique than Lamaze. Lamaze can be very oppressive and many Lamaze classes teach you little more than how to be obedient to hospital policy.

For child-rearing books, I love Burton White and Penelope Leach.

[MysticMama]

I *loved* Birthing from Within and found it much more useful than the Bradley Method - personally.

I agree with the books mentioned, and want to add
The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff

Our Babies Ourselves by Meredith Small

Nursing Mother's Companion (don't know the author)

The Family Bed by Tine Thevin

The Baby Book by Sears (great info from birth to age 2)

Oh ther are more in my brain I just can't pick them out! :)

[MotherMoon]

I second everything mentioned above. :)

I'd also like to add some books to avoid:

Secrets of The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg The book is full of crap. Plus...she left her own children to go nanny for the rich and famous. :(

Bottlefeeding Without Guilt by Peggy Robin This woman totally bashes breastfeeding. And even calls women who breastfeed bad names. :(

The Self-Calmed Baby by William A. H. Sammons, T. Berry Brazelton Bad parenting advice in general. :(