Some of my favourite Birth books. I hope to do a review on each of them in time, however reading the comments on Amazon.com can be helpful too.

If you are in Canada go to Amazon.ca to read more about these books.

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Birthing from Within:
An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation
Pam England

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Our Birthing From Within Keepsake Journal
Pam England

The Keepsake Journal is a parents' extra-ordinary companion workbook for the Birthing From Within book or classes. This hardbound journal with 278 beautifully designed and illustrated pages documents highlights of pregnancy and postpartum. There are pages for journaling and drawing your innermost thoughts, what you are learning in your childbirth classes and prenatal appointments. There is a section just for dads, and one that focuses on preparing for birth from the baby’s perspective. Many pages correspond with favorite exercises from the Birthing From Within book. Over 80 pages are devoted to preparing for postpartum and recording your birth story and postpartum anecdotes. Read more about Our Birthing From Within Keepsake Journal

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Ina May Gaskin

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 technological intervention. Read more about Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

Spiritual Midwifery
Ina May Gaskin

Here is the 4th edition of the classic book on home birth that introduced a whole generation of women to the concept of natural childbirth. Back again are even more amazing birthing tales, including those from women who were babies in earlier editions and stories about Old Order Amish women attended by the Farm midwives.

Also new is information about the safety of techniques routinely used in hospitals during and after birth, information on postpartum depression and maternal death, and recent statistics on births managed by The Farm Midwives.

From the amazing birthing tales to care of the newborn, Spiritual Midwifery is still one of the best books an expectant mother could own. Includes resources for doulas, childbirth educators, birth centers, and other organizations and alliances dedicated to improving maternity care at home and in hospitals. Read more about Spiritual Midwifery

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

Every intelligent, informed woman is used to gathering the most complete information she can get before making a decision. But when it comes to one of the most important decisions in her life--how she will give birth--it can be tough to get the complete picture, even from an obstetrician. Surprisingly, much of the latest research goes against common medical opinion. Certified Lamaze instructor and activist Henci Goer brings women the carefully researched facts they'll want to have. Based on the latest medical studies and literature, The Thinking Woman's Guide To A Better Birth offers clear, concise information on tests, procedures and treatments--and gives advice about:* cesareans * ultrasound * gestational diabetes * breech babies * inducing labor * IVs * electronic fetal monitoring * ruptured membranes * epidurals * episiotomies * vaginal birth after a cesarean * midwives and obstetricians * alternative birthing methods * choosing a birth location * drugs and delivery * elective induction * professional labor support * and much more Read more about The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

Gentle Birth Choices:
A Guide to Making Informed Decisions about Birthing Centers, Birth Attendants, Water Birth, Home Birth, and Hospital Birth
R.N., Barbara Harper

In Gentle Birth Choices, Barbara Harper, a mid-wife, nurse, and mother, outlines the elements of gentle birthing and provides a new model of maternity care that reduces the need for high-tech crisis intervention, and focuses instead on preparation and good health for mother and child. More than 50 black-and-white photographs by Suzanne Arms capture the joy and intensity of birth. Read more about Gentle Birth Choices

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide
Penny Simkin

Covers all aspects of pregnancy and children. Includes charts, illustrations, and photographs. The role of the father is also discussed. Various options in childbirth are presented along with the pros and cons of each. Read more about Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn

The Birth Book : Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth
Martha Sears, William Sears

Review by Amazon.com
In The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth, William and Martha Sears, authors of The Baby Book and creators of the concept of "attachment parenting," here turn their attention to the birth experience. In this helpful resource guide, the Searses cover the gamut of possibilities, and teach readers what they need to know to take control of their own birthings. The Birth Book is divided into three parts: "Preparing for Birth," "Easing Pain in Labor," and "Experiencing Birth." You'll find details about vaginal births; cesareans; VBACs; water births; home births; best birthing positions; drugs; pain; how to design your own birth plan; the humor, chemistry, and sexuality of birth; and pages and pages of birth stories. Read more about The Birth Book

Choosing Waterbirth:
Reclaiming the Sacred Power of Birth
Lakshmi Bertram

A yoga instructor and mother of five shares a revelation: Childbirth doesn't have to be painful, stressful, or degrading. In this age of the epidural epidemic, when birth is treated as surgery or illness, "Choosing Waterbirth" details how to make childbirth a positive experience, both empowering and beautiful. Bertram, who chose the waterbirth method for each of her children, gently explains how this natural, harmonious, healthy, and low-pain birth method allows women to reclaim the dignity and sacredness that is the true essence of the birth experience Read more about Choosing Waterbirth

Active Birth, Revised Edition
Janet Balaskas

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Mothering Magazine's Having a Baby, Naturally:
The Mothering Magazine Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth
Peggy O'Mara

Finally, a book for the thinking woman who believes in her own inherent capacity to make smart, informed decisions about her pregnancy and birth, just as she makes in other areas of her life. Having a Baby, Naturally is a celebration of childbirth and an accurate and objective guide to helping women fortify their spirits, develop trust in their bodies, and make the best possible choices to protect their new baby's health. Read more about Mothering Magazine's Having a Baby, Naturally

Rediscovering Birth
Sheila Kitzinger

Bestselling author Sheila Kitzinger, the world's foremost birth educator and activist, explores the universal experience of pregnancy and childbirth in this splendid new book, beautifully illustrated with hundreds of photographs.
With an intimate, informative style that both enlightens and engages her readers, Kitzinger looks closely at feeling and emotions in pregnancy, the physical and spiritual experience of giving birth, and the bonds that are traditionally formed between mothers and midwives. She chronicles ideas and mythologies about birth, as well as pregnancy traditions, from a magnificent array of cultures past and present -- and, with breathtaking perception and insight, explores how can we learn from them. And she focuses on the need today for vital and human connections in the birthing process, when medical procedures can overshadow the fundamental humanity of giving birth.

In Rediscovering Birth, Sheila Kitzinger enables women and their partners to make informed choices about how they want to live through their own unique experiences of birth and parenthood. Read more about Rediscovering Birth

Preparing for Birth With Yoga
Janet Balaskas

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A Holistic Guide to Embracing Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood
Karen N. Salt

A nurturing and empowering guide for the mother-to-be interested in a holistic pregnancy and birth experience.

The newly pregnant woman faces a multitude of changes in her mind, life, and body, some of which are addressed by traditional medical care but many of which are not. In this holistic guide, the expectant mother will find warm and reassuring advice that will help her stay calm, focused, and energized during this exciting time and beyond.

Rather than treat the arrival of a baby as strictly a one-moment-in-time medical event, author Karen Salt provides advice and wisdom to "treat" the whole woman--her emotions and her physical changes--and covers the entire year-long experience of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Salt's holistic approach unveils for mothers-to-be the backbone of the doula role--to provide support, information, advocacy, and facilitation to women during pregnancy, labor, and early motherhood--and teaches her the many ways to use the doula philosophy to nurture herself through the process. From meditation and relaxation exercises, to fitness and nutrition advice to tips for achieving "positive energy living," this comprehensive guide puts mothers in control of their pregnancy, their birthing experience, and their approach to this wonderful and life-altering time Read more about A Holistic Guide to Embracing Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood

The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth (Revised)
Sheila Kitzinger

This new edition of The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth has been extensively revised to reflect scientific advances and cultural trends. Here, candidly and reasonably presented, is all the information expectant parents need to make their own decisions about everything--from which tests to allow to how to handle pain to where to give birth. 300 photos, drawings & diagrams. Read more about The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth

The Doula Book:
How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth
Marshall H., M.D. Klaus

More and more parents-to-be all over the world are choosing the comfort and reassuring support of birth with a trained labor companion called a "doula." This warm, authoritative, and irreplaceable guide completely updates the authors' earlier book, Mothering the Mother, and adds much new and important research. In addition to basic advice on finding and working with a doula, the authors show how a doula reduces the need for cesarean section, shortens the length of labor, decreases the pain medication required, and enhances bonding and breast feeding. The authors, world-renowned authorities on childbirth with combined experience of over 100 years working with laboring women, have made their book indispensable to every woman who wants the healthiest, safest, and most joyful possible birth experience. Read more about The Doula Book

The Birth Partner, Second Edition
Penny Simkin

Definitive guide for preparing to help a woman through childbirth, and the essential manual to have at hand during the event. Read more about The Birth Partner