The Best Pregnancy Books

My midwifery practice always had shelves filled with pregnancy books. They were on loan, and I selected the very best out there on natural pregnancy, holistic prenatal care, and birth preparation. However, there are no books that bring a woman through the entire pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period with a midwife that centers on visit-by-visit prenatal care discussions. So, I wrote Your Birth Journey: A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy, which was followed by Navigating Your Birth, a childbirth preparation guide, and Positions for Birth, an illustrated handbook of positions for labor and birth.

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Pregnancy and Childbirth Books

Active Birth: The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally, by Janet Balaskas

Every woman preparing for a natural birth should read Active Birth. This book provides a wide range of prenatal exercises, labor and birth positions, relaxation techniques, and other methods to help you create a positive birth.

Babies Are Not Pizzas, by Rebecca Dekker

Rebecca Dekker explores outdated hospital practices and how they impact birthing women today.

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Baby Catcher, by Peggy Vincent

Written by a midwife who served close to 3,000 women at home and in hospitals, Baby Catcher is a collection of fun-filled memoirs of Peggy’s experiences as a Californian midwife. A must-read!

Birthing From Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation, by Pam England.

Written by a home-birth midwife, Birthing From Within brings mom’s to the heart of childbirth education by offering journal writing, painting, meditation, and other creative activities to help with emotional and physical coping measures for labor and birth.

Give Birth Like a Feminist, by Milli Hill

Milli's well-researched book covers a wide-range of issues relevant to understanding why she identifies birth as a feminist issue.

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, by Ina May Gaskin

Ina May Gaskin, known as the “mother of authentic midwifery,” inspired the home birth movement in the United States. Her book is filled with positive home birth stories, practical information, and insight into birthing without fear. Every woman should read this book.

The Essential Homebirth Guide: For Families Planning or Considering Birthing at Home, by Jane E. Drichta and Jodilyn Owen 

The Essential Homebirth Guide focuses on birth options, planning a homebirth, common pregnancy issues, birth plans, and informed decision making.

The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth, by Genevieve Howland

Mama Natural is a favorite week-by-week natural pregnancy guide that is midwifery friendly and eco-conscious. It fits the needs of a home, birth center, or hospital birth mothers looking for alternative discussions to the obstetric care mode.

The Positive Birth Book, by Milli Hill

will help you work out what kind of birth you really want, and learn how to maximise your chances of getting it

Why Choose Home Birth: Yes, It’s an Option, and Yes, It’s Right for Women Today, by Monica Stone

This lovely book is perfect for parents who are new to the homebirth world. The author provides a very clear look into the differences between the medical model and the midwifery model of care.

Who Should Read These Books?

There is no question that these books will benefit every woman, but if you are a first-time mother or are looking to have your first natural birth, these books are a must. Do everything you can now to learn about the power of birth and how you can prepare yourself for the amazing journey of confidence, self-awareness, and strength on your birth journey.