Recommended Resources

Information, inspiration, and lots of births.

Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding and Supplementation Videos

Below you'll find resources specific to what your interests are. These are books, films, websites and podcasts that I know and return to again and again. I am an Amazon affiliate and by ordering through these links, you'll support me in the work that I do. Thank you!

Pregnancy Reading

  • Real Food for Pregnancy, Lily Nichols. Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. The experiences of our pregnancies, births and recoveries are directed by how we nourish ourselves. Read this book! If you have blood sugar imbalances / gestational diabetes, check out her other book, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes.
  • Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, Sarah Buckley, MD. Combining practical wisdom and science, Dr. Buckley persuasively argues that low intervention for healthy pregnancies leads to the best outcomes. This is a must-read.
  • Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, Ina May Gaskin. A classic guide to natural birth from America’s most famous midwife.
  • The Natural Pregnancy Book: Herbs, Nutrition, and Other Holistic Choices, Aviva Romm, MD and Ina May Gaskin. For those of us seeking natural remedies to common pregnancy complaints, who wish to use herbs to support and nourish our pregnancies, and who seek alternatives to common medical treatments, this book is just the ticket.
  • The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, Henci Goer. Henci Goer takes a critical look at common medical practices, the studies that may or may not support them, and offers evidence based reasoning for why parents might or might not choose certain interventions. A great resource for parents who want to a better understanding of the medical model of care, and why many parents are choosing alternatives to interventions. Also check out her blog posts at www.scienceandsensibility.org.
  • Rediscovering Birth, Sheila Kitzinger. A gorgeous cross-cultural look at pregnancy and childbirth that situates the western medical model as one path among a world of paths. I love this introduction to childbirth practices, and I’m sure you will too.

Pregnancy Watching

  • My YouTube playlist (above) of birth videos, information, and inspiration.
  • The Business of Being Born, This documentary has become a sort of gateway drug into advocacy for childbirth choices. A classic.
  • Babies, A cross-cultural look at early childhood development. It’s also hilarious.
  • Why Not Home? Medical providers, including obstetricians and labor and delivery nurses, explain their decisions to birth at home.
  • Le Premier Cri (French, YouTube), Another amazing and beautifully shot documentary on different cultures around the world, birthing on a single day. Even if you don’t speak French, this film is visually stunning, from births with dolphins in Mexico, North African nomads, the Amazon rainforest to an unattended Canadian homebirth and a high-volume Vietnamese maternity ward.

Pregnancy Listening

Postpartum

  • The First Forty Days, Heng Ou et al. This is my favorite text on how to nourish ourselves in all ways in the postpartum. Part cook book, part life book. This makes a wonderful gift to pregnant friends.

  • The Fourth Trimester, Kimberly Ann Johnson. An exceptional guide to the postpartum period from a bodyworker, doula and so much more, drawing on practical experience as a postpartum consultant and traditional medicinal systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Breastfeeding & Chestfeeding

  • The online resource Kelly Mom has answers to all your questions, as well as the basics. This was a website I consulted in the wee hours of the morning when I needed answers!
  • The Nursing Mother’s Companion, Kathleen Huggins. A wonderful breastfeeding resource that is easy to navigate, full of great tips on common issues.

Cesarean & VBAC

Babies & Health

  • Naturally Healthy Babies and Children, Aviva Romm, MD. I have used this book already countless times in my daughter’s life, opting for gentle treatments. She also makes clear when something should be checked out by a doctor.
  • Dr. Sears Vaccine Book is a helpful guide for learning about the different vaccinations offered to your infant and child, with options for alternative schedules.

Loss & Grieving

Muslim Families