There are hundreds of books out there! And that makes it all the more difficult to choose which books to read up on when you're becoming a mother. Well, to help you, I will be writing a series of blog posts on what books are the best to read in a particular motherhood topic.
Pregnancy ~ Birth ~ Breastfeeding ~ The Fourth Trimester ~ Weaning ~ Parenting ~ Marriage
An experience that marks the start of a new chapter in your life. One that comes with a new life coming into this world and into your family. Birth can seem terrifying and if you grew up as I did, it seems that the more medicalised it is the better, right? Well, I promise if you do your research and read these books you will be excited about your birth! A birth where your body can lead because you were made to do this. Knowledge about birth and your body will help you gain confidence in the process. That confidence will make the experience less painful... it's true! The more relaxed you are the more things will open up! So, get started on learning so you can rock your birth and give your baby the very best and smooth start in life.
#1 - Childbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick-Read
This is a brilliant read for everyone! This is a CLASSIC in birth books! I went from knowing nothing about birth to knowing everything! Dr Dick-Read was one of the leading Obstetrician in the early 1900's who understood what birth really was and how we could actually decrease our pain naturally. He explains the anatomy and physiology of the woman and how birth works. He talks about pain in labour and how that can be completely avoided. He explains about the role of fear and how we can conquer that feeling to have the birth we want. He briefly talks about hypnosis in labour (which I will talk about more with the next book) and how that helps throughout the labour. He talks about the all important diet during pregnancy (check out my blog post of some great snacks for pregnancy) and the beauty of breastfeeding. Also, he has a chapter for husbands (which I love)! And he goes through antenatal education and what we can do to prepare for labour. All in all, this is a MUST read!
#2 - Hypnobirthing by Marie Mongan
There are a lot of birthing methods out there and they are all good because they advocate for natural childbirth. Aside from hypnobirthing there is the Bradley Method and Lamaze which both are equally as good! I chose hypnobirthing because it is what fit me. Even though I had to have interventions during my birth (check out my birth story) hynobirthing helped me own my experience and make the best decisions for me and my baby. There are loads of hypnobirthing books out there but this one is written by the original creator of hypnobirthing. Hypnobirthing is relaxing the mind during birth and that will provide you with the skills to make birth feel safe, calm and empowering. The hypnobirthing method helps during pregnancy, the birth and afterwards. Marie explains how natural and instinctive birth is and all we need to do is follow our bodies. She talks about fear and the role it can play in birth and how we can overcome our fears. She talks about the powerful bond we can create with our unborn baby. After explaining the physiology of childbirth she dives into the techniques of hypnobirthing (relaxation, letters, massage, anchors, breathing, visualisation, and ultra-deepening techniques). She has plenty of examples of guided meditations that your birth partner can read to you. She talks about the importance of nutrition and exercising. She explains about birth preferences (she provides some sample sheets in the back) and how to achieve the birth you want. There is a brilliant chapter on what to do if your baby is breeched. Then she gives the different stages of labour their own chapter and explains in detail all we need to know. Then she finishes the book by talking about breastfeeding and the birth afterglow. I took this book with me to the hospital because it was so practical and useful! Even through my birth took an unexpected twist (what birth story doesn't? haha) the techniques from this book helped me feel empowered and confident.
There are so many books out there about birth but most of them will cover the same bases. These two books that I have recommended really contain all you need. Other thing that I did that helped me prepare for birth was watch a few different documentaries. Microbirth explains your baby microbiome and how important your role is in helping your baby get the best start. Beautiful Births shows you loads of natural birth stories that help you understand how natural birth is. The Business of Being Born is a brilliant film exposing how medicalised birth has become and what we can do to change how our birth plays out. Even though it isn't real life, Call the Midwife (on Netflix) is a great how to watch and see how natural birth has always been and plus it's an amazing series! And if you haven't had enough you can watch the Positive Birth playlist I created on YouTube that is full of birth stories and antenatal classes.
I hope this has given you a good starting point on where to begin preparing for the birth of your child. Birth can seem daunting and scary because of the negative things we have heard around us. I definitely was terrified, especially being in a country away from my family. But all of these books and resource helped me become my own expert and I felt excited for my birth! I know you can also feel excited for your birth by taking the right steps and surrounding yourself with positive and empowering stories and knowledge. It will help you be happy for that ever-important moment of when your little one is placed on your chest. I truly wish you the best! Go rock it!
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