Hello party people!
I have been deep into studying for the Lamaze certification exam coming up sometime in the spring, so I’ve kind of put the blog to the side (yet again.) However, I just wanted to pop in to share some books that I've come across in my learning over the past year, and some exciting news!
We all know about What to Expect When You'
re Expecting. Many of us might’ve even read it already. That was the first book that came to mind when I was pregnant and trying to figure out what the heck I’m doing. I’ve heard it mentioned by a few clients as well. It's a classic. Be that as it may, I would like to offer you a few other books to consider if you are trying to educate yourself before your baby's birth. These books stand out to me as being more digestible, relatable, and relevant from my own experience as a pregnant person, and as a doula. So, without further ado, here are my top 4 recommendations.
This book seriously covers everything you could possibly want to know about pregnancy, childbirth, and your newborn! When I was reading this book for my doula certification, there were a couple times that I would stop, go back a paragraph, read it again, and say “Dang! I wish I knew that when I was pregnant!” This should be o
n every pregnant person’s reading list.
I remember when my husband read this book during my pregnancy, he couldn’t wait to tell me what he learned. It was great to see him getting excited about what he could do to support me throughout the whole experience. I felt the
same way a year later when I read this book as part of my doula certification. It really did help me feel more prepared to support my very first client and all of my wonderful clients since then.
I cannot recommend this book enough to people who plan on supporting a loved one who is giving birth. I tell EVERYONE about this book- childbirth ed students that I teach at the hospital, my doula clients, passersby on the street, everyone! This book is great for support people because it is educational, empowering and not all “dude! You’re gonna be a dad!” Because not all support people are “dads”…you know?
While many books these days are trying to be more inclusive, I love that this book was made specifically for Black birthing people. There’s no
thing quite like reading accurate descriptions of what stretch marks would look like on brown skin, or just seeing a wide array of beautiful Black pregnant people and families.
Despite the name (because ALL birth is natural), this is a great read not only if you are trying to have an unmedicated birth in a hospital, but also if you just want to get in a good headspace about birth in general. Even if you plan on using medication, this book offers some great advice on things to consider when preparing to give birth, how to be more comfortable through contractions, and how to effectively communicate with your provider about your goals and desires for your birth.
So, there are 4 excellent books you can read instead of WTEWYE. And since Black Friday and allllll the holidays are coming up, I am offering a very special sale for birth clients now until January 5th (because 1/5 is my mom’s birthday and that’s a holiday too round these parts). I will be including my top 2 favorite books, Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn AND The Birth Partner with the purchase of either of my birth packages upon the receipt of your deposit.
Exciting right? Get a doula and two fantastic books that will help you have a more informed pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
Schedule a consultation today! Or at least check out some of these great books and let me know what you think!
