During my first pregnancy, I think I checked out every single book in the library on the “Labor and Delivery” shelf. Knowledge is power, and I was going to learn everything there is to know about the subject. The more I read, the more empowered and ready for labor I felt. So I kept on reading. I took notes. I wrote lists. I read some paragraphs out loud to Theo.
Then actual labor came and all that information went out the window. Actually, not all of it. I did retain some very important pieces of information, and those pieces helped me get through that long night as I brought Tera Evelynne into the world.
During my second pregnancy, I knew that I wanted to read a few key books that would help me prepare again, but this time I didn’t check out an entire library shelf- just half of it (wink wink). It seems that God has designed our bodies to labor and deliver, then quickly forget the process and pain of the moment. I found that I had also forgotten some of the coping strategies I had picked up, and I’m glad I read some of those books over again!
By the time pregnancy #3 came along, I couldn’t even keep track of the weeks, let alone take time to read books and prepare myself for delivery. However, there were still two books that I made myself read before the baby was born, just because those two books were SO valuable to me in getting my head in the right space to go through labor.
Ina May Gaskins Guide to Childbirth
If you are hoping to have a natural childbirth, this is the book for you. If you read only one book before you experience labor and delivery, let it be this one. The first part of the book is a collection of birth stories. I will admit that some of them are a bit strange, but I found that reading real accounts of women who have given birth was both empowering and realistic. It helped me prepare for the reality of childbirth, not just the idea of it. The second part of the book walks through the stages of childbirth and what to expect during each one. This helped me to be very aware of my body during labor and to know what to expect.
Baby Catcher
I LOVE this book. It more of a memoir than a birth help book, but it’s one of my favorite books on childbirth. Peggy Vincent is a midwife in the 60s who blazes a trail for home births. The way she writes about the births she attends is beautiful and makes me feel like I’m right in the room. Having these stories in my mind helps me get through labor because I just picture the other women who have done it, and feel empowered to do the same.
Call the Midwife
I’m sure you have heard of this TV series (currently on Netflix), but did you know that it is also a book? This trilogy chronicles that midwives of Nonatus House in London post WWII. It’s both thrilling and terrifying and heartbreaking and heartwarming to read about the conditions these midwives delivered under, and how the culture is so interwoven into births. I will say that you probably shouldn’t read/watch this series if you struggle with worrying about anything that could go wrong. However, it is powerful series to learn about how women have been bearing children for generations.
A Midwife’s Story
This book is also a memoir and not a how-to book. For some reason reading memoirs and stories of women who have done it before me is very powerful to me. I find that it has helped me prepare for all three of my births. This particular midwife moves from a hospital setting to serving an Amish community with her midwifery. For some reason the Amish culture is so fascinating to me, so combining the Amish culture with birth stories makes this one of my favorite books!
Birth Stories
One of the things that really helped me prepare for all three of my births was to read/hear other birth stories. Now, this can be a delicate process because some people LOVE to tell only the horror stories and it can cause fear in our hearts as we go into labor. I found that reading birth stories was really helpful because people were more willing to share the good AND the bad parts. Reading real life stories helped me become more prepared for the variety of things that can happen. It helped me picture different positions or coping techniques for labor, and it inspired me to DO IT since I knew so many stories of other women who had done it.
What about you? What book would you add to the list?