Let’s talk books!
Reading books is a great way to educate yourself and get prepped for pregnancy, birth, and the great beyond.
I believe when it comes to these big life changes (and especially the experience of childbirth) the more we know, the less we have to fear. And preparing ourselves can ease stress and give us confidence, so kick your feet up and dive on in!
No time to read these days? As a pregnant mama with a one year old I heeeear that! Luckily you can find most all of these in audible format so you can listen and learn while driving in the car, taking a walk, or even cooking dinner.
Below are a few of my favorite books regarding pregnancy and birth. You can see from the photo I'm a total book worm-- I narrowed it down to my favorites below! If you don’t want to buy new (used books are so my jam!), your midwife or doula may have these in their lending libraries. You can also find secondhand books at used bookstores and on websites including Amazon. Or buy your own and pass them on to a mama friend in the future!
Pregnancy
I consider this the gold standard for prenatal nutrition. Lily Nichols is known for doing extensive research in perinatal nutrition and she’s not afraid to speak up against conventionial guidance. I've done continued education for practitioners with her and this is exactly the type of evidence-based nutrition I teach mamas in my courses as well.
This beautifully written book is medicine for the pregnant woman’s soul. Wonderfully encouraging from a spiritual and practical perspective with teachings from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Heng Ou first authored The First Forty Days before writing this book, and it makes is a wonderful accompaniment. Yummy simple recipes too.
Nina grew up on a farm and is accredited with starting the London farmers markets. She has a traditional approach to foods (think Sally Fallon style) and shares a lot from her own personal experience during pregnancy and feeding her babies real foods as well.
This comprehensive guide is a one stop shop for a natural minded pregnancy. 100% recommend for first time mothers to get a full view of navigating the many decisions we have to make in preparation for birth.
Another comprehensive guide that's beautifully written by a caring doula.
Dr. Aviva Romm is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to this season of life (she’s the daughter of an herbalist, she’s a midwife, AND an M.D.!). This resource is especially helpful when looking for safe, effective natural remedies for all those pregnancy obstacles.
Birth
Ina May is pretty legendary and this book includes childbirth information as well as tons of positive birth stories, which gave me lots of encouragement before my home birth with my first baby. If you want proof that childbirth is a natural event that can be positive, even enjoyable, check out this book.
This beautiful book approaches birth as a rite of passage and journey of self discovery with lots of activities you can do to prep, such as birth art and journaling.
A great option for incorporating meditation and mindfulness into your birth experience and child rearing years. I appreciate this information even more as my babies grow into toddlers because mindfulness is extremely useful for parenting challenges!
I hope this list can be helpful for you if you're looking for some resources! High five for taking charge in educating yourself and owning your motherhood experience.
Do you have any favs not on the list? Comment below and let me know!
Psst— looking for my book list about postpartum and babies? Find it here!
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you choose to purchase a book. It should go without saying, but just in case, I only ever recommend products that I whole heartedly believe in, that I use myself, and that I would recommend to my best friend. I hope these resources are helpful to you!