Library

Looking for some good books to read? Need some help locating resources on the internet? Want some suggestions for music to birth by? Here are some suggestions for you! I know there are a lot of other good books and such out there, but I have limited my list to books I've actually read and CDs I've actually listened to.

Books

• Pregnancy, Labor, and Birth

• The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer: If you're only going to read one book related to childbirth, this is the one to read. An absolutely outstanding book covering a wide variety of subjects, backed up with tons of medical research.

• Obstetric Myths vs. Research Realities by Henci Goer: This book goes into birth related subjects in much greater detail. Probably not one you'll want to just sit down and read, but an excellent resource if you need to research a particular topic.

• The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy by Shonda Parker: An excellent guide to nutrition and herbal care during pregnancy and postpartum.

• Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year by Elizabeth Noble: A very comprehensive guide to preparing your body for giving birth. This book is not about general physical fitness (although that certainly is a component) but focuses on strengthening those muscles involved in pregnancy and labor.

• The Joy of Natural Childbirth by Helen Wessel: A wonderful book that addresses some common misconceptions about birth from a Biblical perspective.

• The Pregnancy Book and ===The Birth Book==, both by William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N.: Good general guides to pregnancy and birth.

• Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth by Klaus and Kennell: a short, excellent read on the documented benefits of doulas.

• Breastfeeding and Baby Care
  • The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International: An excellent, comprehensive guide to nursing your baby. It covers the basics of breastfeeding as well as a wide variety of potential difficulties and how to overcome them.

• The Baby Book by William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N.: The subtitle is "Everything you need to know about your baby - from birth to age two" and that's pretty accurate. A wonderful general guide to childcare. I do disagree with some of his medical advice (related to vaccination in particular) but overall an excellent resource.

• Mommy Diagnostics by Shonda Parker: Focuses on staying healthy through good nutrition and herbal treatment for illnesses.

• Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Zand, Walton, and Rountree: This book is fabulous - for each illness it gives you background info, conventional treatment, dietary guidelines, nutritional supplements, herbal treatments, homeopathy, general recommendations, and prevention information so you can pick and choose what you would like to do. It also gives some information on acupressure and Bach flower remedies.

Internet Links

• The midwife archives: Any time I have a question about something related to pregnancy and birth, this is the first place I look. A truly fabulous resource.

• American Pregnancy Association: An extensive collection of information on all sorts of pregnancy and birth topics.

• Henci Goer's website: She is *the* authority on medical research regarding pregnancy and birth in my book. Great articles

• Citizens for Midwifery: A consumer group supporting midwifery; excellent information on midwives and midwifery care, as well as how to find a midwife.

• Texans for Midwifery: A statewide organization similar to the national one mentioned above. Provides links to local support groups.

• Healthgrades.com: Allows you to see statistics such as c-section rates, VBAC rates, etc. on hospitals in your area. Really cool!

• Homebirth Association of North Dallas: a local group that was founded to educate the public about homebirth and provide support to families choosing to birth at home. Lots of good information if you are considering a homebirth.

• Association of Texas Midwives: Information on direct entry midwives and a listing of DEMs by county.

• American College of Nurse Midwives: information on nurse midwives and a search feature to locate one near you.

• Childbirth And Postpartum Professionals Association: This is the website for CAPPA, the wonderful organization I am certifying with. Lots of good information here - check it out!

• La Leche League International: A mother-to-mother helping group for breastfeeding. There is a vast amount of information on this site - if you've got a breastfeeding question, chances are they have an answer!

• Dr. Jay Gordon's website: A fabulous resource for a lot of different topics! This well respected pediatrician offers information on a variety of medical and parenting subjects. I definitely recommend spending some time looking around here.

Music for Labor and Birth

• Transitions 1: Soothing Music for Mother and Baby and Transitions 2: Music to Help Baby Sleep - both by Burt and Joe Wolff. These are absolutely my favorite CDs to relax by! Very slow, rhythmic, quiet music with womb sounds in the background. I can't recommend them enough.

• Mozart for Mothers-to-Be - This one comes in a close second. I like it for times when my day just needs toning down a bit, and for early labor. Very peaceful.

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