Labor of Love: 3 Essential Books to Read When Planning a Natural Birth
When I first got pregnant, I remember my mother sending me tons of books, as well as perusing the pregnancy aisle at the library and bookstore. There is a plethora of labor books out there, but not all of them support natural birth, especially home birth. Thankfully, my midwives had a lending library, and one book Special Delivery was required reading. In this list of essential books for natural birth, I’ve also included two books by Ina May that were highly recommended as well by my midwives.
What makes a pregnancy book essential reading for natural birth? I think a natural birth book should support all women’s choices, both home and hospital births, as well as carefully explain all of the interventions that could happen if medically needed. The book should support women, as well as realistically discuss how each labor is unique.
Essential Books for a Natural Birth
- Special Delivery by Rahima Baldwin: This book can be hard to find, but it is well worth the hunt. This book prepares you for all aspects of a home or hospital birth, and we read many times to be prepared in case we didn’t make it town in time during my labors. My first child was a breech baby, but she turned thanks to this book! Rahima explains an exercise where mother’s lay with on their backs, knees bent, and pelvis highly elevated. When followed precisely, this method turns babies 85% of the time. It worked for my daughter, and I have this book to thank!
