The 3 Books That Prepared Me For Childbirth
Reading about pregnancy and labor really helped me feel empowered
Ask anyone who has never been pregnant before their thoughts on childbirth and you will likely be met with fear and apprehension. I realized quickly after getting pregnant how much the media has portrayed childbirth to be something frantic and dramatic when it absolutely doesn’t have to be. Childbirth is a natural human function since the beginning of humanity, yet it is treated like a medical procedure. I knew that if I wanted to give birth at home I needed to change my mindset about giving birth and fill my head with positive birth stories that weren’t sensationalized. I found these books to be super helpful in providing education about childbirth no matter where or how you choose to deliver.
#1
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
Written by one of the pioneers of natural childbirth, Ina May has had 3 decades of experience delivering babies. This book is super informative and filled with positive birth stories. I finished it feeling empowered to have a natural birth at home.
#2
The Mama Natural Week by Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth
I love this book because it provides an easy to read week by week guide through pregnancy and postpartum. It includes information about creating informed decisions in all scenarios, recipes to support a healthy pregnancy, tips on birthing positions, exercises, breastfeeding, and infant care. It is really a pregnancy and childbirth encyclopedia.
#3
Hypnobirthing
Whether or not you decide to use hypnobirthing as a coping tool during labor, I found this book extremely informative about the stages of labor, breathing techniques, and history of childbirth in western culture. It was a fun an informative read. If you do decide to do hypnobirthing, it was an amazing tool I used and would highly recommend.
