I’ve always been the kind of person who likes to do my own research and figure out how (and WHY) things work the way they do. That desire lead me to find the best pregnancy books for a natural birth.
I still remember when my friend tried to teach me how to drive stick-shift. He kept trying to just tell me when to push and release the clutch. I didn’t get it at all. Later that afternoon I watched a video on YouTube about how manual cars work and WHY you need to press the clutch when you do, and suddenly it all made sense! If he just told me WHY, I wouldn’t have needed him to tell me when.
This is the mindset I brought with me into my pregnancy. I wanted to know how labor and giving birth work and the WHY behind what you should do to handle it. I knew that understanding the process would make a world of a difference in how I felt about childbirth. That’s why I did tons of research while I was pregnant and it gave me so much more confidence about my pregnancy and birth.
All that to say, I want YOU to have as much confidence as you can for your birth story. So today, I want to share some of my favorite childbirth books with you. I hope these will help you on your journey to the birthing experience you want!
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Pregnancy and Natural Childbirth Book List
The Birth Book by William & Martha Sears
This is a great book to start your pregnancy learning journey. Dr. Sears clearly lays out the different options you have for pain relief (medical as well as natural) in an easy-to-understand way. If you have no idea about anything to do with giving birth (like I did), the Birth Book is a good introduction to all the choices you have!
Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel
Natural Hospital Birth goes a little more in depth with your options when it comes to giving birth in a hospital. Cynthia covers the different medical interventions that often happen during childbirth in a hospital setting from the perspective of someone wanting to go a more natural route for their birthing experience. I felt like this book was easy to read and very informative.
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
This was the first childbirth book I read early in my pregnancy. I don’t recommend starting with this book because it’s very detailed and was difficult for me to understand since I hardly knew what Henci was talking about! That said, if you love stats and are ready to go really in depth with understanding the risks and percentages of medical interventions in your birthing experience, the Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth is the way to go. This book is very thorough and would be perfect for someone who loves all the details!
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
If you can get your husband (or birthing support person) to read a book about childbirth, this would be a great one! Penny talks a lot about how to support a woman in labor and gives tons of practical suggestions. The Birth Partner is also a great jumping off point for discussions about what you feel would help you the most during labor and how you would feel most supported.
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon
This book is recommended reading if you are taking a Bradley Method childbirth class. Susan walks you through the Bradley Method of childbirth and includes chapters on food during pregnancy as well as illustrated exercises for you to do. She also takes you through relaxation exercises to do with your husband or birthing partner. While I definitely recommend taking a Bradley Class if possible, if you can’t, reading Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way and completing the exercises in it would be the next best thing when it comes to using the Bradley Method for your birthing experience.
Let’s Get Reading!
They say that knowledge is power and I believe that applies when approaching pregnancy and giving birth. The books above were my favorites during my first pregnancy and helped me approach the birth of my son armed with helpful knowledge as well as practical tips. My hope is that these books will empower you to have the same confidence as you navigate your own pregnancy and birth! Happy reading!