Books
Pregnancy
Heart Centered Pregnancy Journal by Nikki Shaheed
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor’s Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices by Dr. Sarah Buckley
Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy by Genevieve Howland
Ancient Map for Modern Birth — Pam England
Transformed by Birth — Britta Bushnell
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley, Ann Keppler, Janelle Durham, and April Bolding
The Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth – Ina May Gaskin
The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Romm – full of herbal remedies for common concerns in addition to typical pregnancy and birth education
Birthing from Within — Pam England
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susun Weed
Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds by Cynthia Gabriel
Active Birth – Janet Balaskas
Spiritual Midwifery – Ina May Gaskin
Mindful Birthing: Training the Mind, Body, and Heart for Childbirth and Beyond by Nancy Bardacke
The best book to get your partner or other support person:
The Birth Partner – Penny Simkin
Breastfeeding
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding – La Leche League International
The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child From Birth Through Weaning – William Sears, M.D.
The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Huggins
Nursing Mother, Working Mother: The Essential Guide for Breastfeeding and Staying Close to Your Baby after You Return to Work by Gale Pryor
Postpartum
Natural Health After Birth – Aviva Romm
The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou
The Fourth Trimester — Kimberly Ann Johnson
Newborn Care
The Baby Book by William Sears
The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley
Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions by James McKenna, PhD
Sweet Sleep: Nighttime and Naptime Strategies for the Breastfeeding Family by Wiessinger et al.
Film/Video/YouTube
7 Easy Exercises for an Optimal Pregnancy and Labor (6 minutes)
Did you know that you can do prenatal exercises to help your body and baby be in optimal shape for a quicker, easier natural childbirth? Watch this video to see seven great ones.
The Business of Being Born
Birth: it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to explore the maternity care system in America.
Birth By the Numbers (20 minute short video)
Join Gene Declercq and the rest of the Birth by the Numbers team to explore how the United States is doing on a number of maternal and child health indicators. Are we doing better? Worse? Tune in to find out this answer and more!
Reducing Fear of Birth in U.S. Culture
A great TED-talk by Ina May Gaskin.
Why Not Home?
Why would doctors who attend birth in hospitals choose to have their own babies at home? What do they know about birth that others don’t? Join Jessicca Moore, filmmaker and nurse practitioner, on a compelling journey through maternity care in the United States. Told through the lens of doctors, nurses, and midwives, Why Not Home? examines the latest evidence on risks and rewards of different birth settings. The film presents a balanced and accessible view on the latest research, along with moving personal stories of medical practitioners faced with big decisions for their own growing families. Viewers are challenged to move beyond preconceived ideas, and to envision a fresh future for maternity care in America.
Orgasmic Birth
85 minute award-winning feature documentary that has aired around the world. 7 women and their partners invite you to share their most intimate moments. Joyous, sensuous and revolutionary, Orgasmic Birth brings the ultimate challenge to our cultural myths by inviting viewers to see the emotional, spiritual, and physical heights attainable through birth.
Internet Resources
Labor
Postpartum
Light Footsteps ebook: Herbal Remedies for a Peaceful Postpartum
The Fourth Trimester aka Why Your Newborn Baby is Only Happy in Your Arms
James McKenna’s Sleep Laboratory — Lots of evidence-based information about safe cosleeping, bedsharing, and breastsleeping.
Forward Cross Carry — This is the babywearing wrap technique that I’m most likely to show you at a postpartum visit.
Why use a doula?
Cesarean Section
breastfeeding
Tackling the First 24 Hours – A helpful guide to understanding the first 24 hours of breastfeeding and setting yourself up for success
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocols — Evidence-based briefs for a wide-range of breastfeeding concerns. Great to share with your pediatrician.
International Breastfeeding Center
Breastfeeding your newborn — what to expect in the early weeks
Childbirth Classes
See our local resources page for in-person classes in Northeast Ohio
Know Your Options Childbirth Class
Expectant Mama’s Guide to Ecstatic Birth – a 10 day email mini-course
Essential Oils in Pregnancy/Postpartum
Podcasts
Birth/Pregnancy
Delivering Strength Podcast — Real Talk about pregnancy, birth and postpartum health. (Locally made Cleveland podcast!)
Listen to Light Footsteps on Delivering Strength here.
The Birth Hour –Birth Stories from women in all types of birth situations! Check out a collection of all birth stories on the Birth Hour here.
Women’s Health / Fertility / Mensturation
Parenting
Gentle Sleep
Isla-Grace : Courses, handouts, and community for learning about normal sleep patterns and how the whole family can get more sleep.
What is normal infant sleep? An anthropologist discusses what we can expect from our infants as biologically normal for sleep. It might be different from the popular narrative at this time!
Parenting Support Podcasts