Resources

The following pregnancy, birth and parenting resources provide trustworthy and inspiring information. These books, DVDs and magazines comprise my lending library and are all available for Sister Support clients to borrow.  Although I feel all of these resources are of high quality, I do have my personal favourites and those are marked in bold.

If you are a current client, please let me know which materials you’d like to borrow and I’ll bring them to you at our next visit. I’m also happy to suggest materials to you once I’ve gotten to know your particular needs and preferences.

Books

Birth Stories & Photos

  • A Child is Born (a photographic story from conception to birth), Lennart Nilsson
  • Birth in Focus: Stories and photos to inform, educate and inspire, Becky Reed
  • Birth Journeys: Positive Birth Stories to Encourage and Inspire, Leonie MacDonald

Comprehensive Pregnancy & Birth

  • Birth: Conceiving, Nurturing and Giving Birth to Your Baby, Catherine Price & Sandra Robinson
  • Birth Matters: A Midwife’s Manifesta, Ina May Gaskin
  • Birth Right: A Midwife’s Guide to getting the Best for You and Your Baby in Pregnancy and Birth, Susan Ross
  • Birth Without Fear: The Judgment-Free Guide to Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum, January Harshe
  • Birth Without Violence, Frederick Leboyer
  • Childbirth Without Fear: The Principles and Practices of Natural Childbirth, Grantley Dick-Read
  • Cut, Stapled and Mended: When One Woman Reclaimed Her Body and Gave Birth on Her Own Terms After Cesarean, Roanna Rosewood
  • The Down to Earth Birth Book:  a practical guide to natural birth, Jenny Blyth
  • The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and Healthier Birth, Klaus, Kennell & Klaus
  • The Ecology of Gentle Birth, Robin Lim
  • The First Nine Months of Life, Geraldine Lux Flanagan
  • Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, Sarah J. Buckley, MD
  • The Good Birth Companion: A Practical Guide to Having the Best Labour and Birth, Nicole Croft
  • Having a Baby: The Essential Australian Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, Carol Fallows
  • Heart & Hands: A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, Elizabeth Davis
  • Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, Ina May Gaskin
  • The Miracle of Birth: A Fascinating See-Through View of How a Baby Develops
  • A Modern Women’s Guide to a Natural, Empowering Birth, Katrina Zaslavsky
  • Orgasmic Birth, Debra Pascali-Bonaro
  • Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, Susan McCutcheon
  • Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds, Cynthia Gabriel
  • The New Pregnancy and Childbirth, Sheila Kitzinger
  • The Pregnancy Book: A Month-by-Month Guide, William Sears MD and Martha Sears RN
  • Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May Gaskin
  • Twins: A practical guide to parenting multiples from conception to preschool, Katrina Bowman and Lousie Ryan
  • Well Adjusted Babies, Dr. Jennifer Barham-Floreani

Decision-making for Birth

  • The Birth Map: Boldly Going Where No Birth Plan Has Gone Before, Catherine Bell
  • Birth with Confidence: Savvy Choices for Normal Birth, Rhea Dempsey
  • Birthing Your Placenta:  The Third Stage, Nadine Pilley Edwards and Sara Wickham, PhD
  • The Business of Baby: What Doctors Don’t Tell You, What Corporations Try to Sell You, and How to Put Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Before Their Bottom Line, Jennifer Margulis
  • Group B Strep Explained, Sara Wickham, PhD
  • Inducing Labour:  Making Informed Decisions, Sara Wickham, PhD
  • Informed is Best: How to spot fake news about your pregnancy, birth and baby, Amy Brown
  • The Positive Birth Book: A new approach to pregnancy, birth and the early weeks, Milli Hill
  • The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth, Henci Goer
  • Vitamin K and the Newborn, Sara Wickham, PhD
  • What’s Right for Me? Making decisions in pregnancy and childbirth, Sara Wickham, PhD
  • Why Induction Matters, Rachel Reed, PhD

Emotional and Spiritual Preparation for Birth and Parenting

  • Ancient Map for Modern Birth:  Preparation, Passage and Personal Growth during Your Childbearing Year, Pam England
  • The Attachment Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Bonding with Your Baby, Laurel Wilson & Tracy Wilson Peters
  • Awakening Birth: coloring and dream book, Robin Lim
  • Birthing from Within: An Extra-ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation, Pam England & Rob Horowitz
  • Expecting: The Inner Life of Pregnancy, Chitra Ramaswamy
  • Lotus Birth:  Leaving the Umbilical Cord Intact, compiled by Shivam Rachana
  • Mindful Birthing:  Training the Mind, Body, and Heart for Childbirth and Beyond, Nancy Bardacke
  • Mothering from Your Center: Tapping Your Body’s Natural Energy for Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting, Tami Lynn Kent
  • Mother’s Nature:  Timeless Wisdom for the Journey into Motherhood, Andrea Albany Gosline & Lisa Burnett Bossi
  • Placenta: The Forgotten Chakra, Robin Lim
  • The Pregnant Woman’s Comfort Book: A Self-nurturing Guide to Your Emotional Well- Being During Pregnancy and Early Motherhood, Jennifer Loudon
  • Ten Moons: The Inner Journey of Pregnancy / Preparation for a Natural Birth, Jane Hardwicke Collings
  • Transformed by Birth: Cultivating Openness, Resilience & Strength for the Life-Changing Journey from Pregnancy to Parenthood, Britta Bushnell

Homebirth

  • Homebirth: Safe and Sacred, Kim Woodard Osterholzer
  • In the Spirit of Homebirth: Modern Women, An Ancient Choice, edited by Bronwyn Preece

Physical Preparation and Skills for Birth (including Yoga, Dance & Hypnosis)

  • The Belly Mapping Workbook:  How Kicks and Wiggles Reveal Your Baby’s Position (Spinning Babies techniques), Gail Tully
  • Birth in Awareness:  A Handbook of Prenatal Yoga, Gabrielle Earls
  • The Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas and All Other Labor Companions, Penny Simkin
  • Birth Skills: Proven Pain Management Techniques for your Labour and Birth, Juju Sundin
  • Conscious Birthing:  Yoga and Meditation for Pregnancy, Theresa Jamieson
  • Dance of the Womb: The Essential Guide to Belly Dance for Pregnancy & Birth, Maha Al Musa
  • Mind Over Labor: A Breakthrough Guide to Giving Birth, Carl Jones
  • Mindful Birthing:  Training the Mind, Body, and Heart for Childbirth and Beyond, Nancy Bardacke
  • New Active Birth: A Concise Guide to Natural Childbirth, Janet Balaskas
  • Optimal Foetal Positioning, Jean Sutton and Pauline Scott
  • The Pink Kit: Essential Preparation for Your Birthing Body (ebooks on CD)
  • Preparing for a Gentle Birth: The Pelvis in Pregnancy, Blandine Calais-Germaine & Nuria Vives Pares
  • The Psoas Book, Liz Koch
  • Trusting Birth with The Bonapace Method: Keys to Loving Your Birth Experience, Julie Bonapace
  • The Yoga of Birth: Sacred Wisdom for Conception, Birthing and Beyond, Katie Manitsas
  • Yoga for Pregnancy:  The Safe and Gentle Way to Prepare Your Body and Mind for Birth, in Step-by-Step Sequences, Doriel Hall and Francoise Barbara Freedman

Holistic Well-being in Pregnancy and for Babies

  • The Allergy Book: Solving Your Family’s Nasal Allergies, Asthma, Food Sensitivities and Related Health and Behavioral Problems, Robert W. Sears, MD and William Sears, MD
  • The Family Guide to Homoeopathy, Dr Andrew Lockie
  • A Herbal Approach to Pregnancy and Baby Care, Margaret Roberts
  • Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents, Vimala McClure
  • The Natural Pregnancy Book:  Herbs, Nutrition, and Other Holistic Choices, Aviva Jill Romm
  • The Natural Way to a Better Pregnancy, Francesca Naish & Janette Roberts
  • Primal Health: Understanding the Critical Period between Conception and Year One, Michel Odent
  • Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, Susun S. Weed
  • Your Vital Child: A Natural Healing Guide for Caring Parents, Mark and Angela Stengler, NDs

Dads / Partners

  • Being Dad: For Dads-to-be and the Women that Love Them, Sam Holt & Troy Jones
  • The Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas and All Other Labor Companions, Penny Simkin
  • Cheers to Childbirth:  A Dad’s Guide to Childbirth Support, Lucy Perry
  • Keys to Becoming a Father, William Sears, MD
  • Make Room for Daddy: The Journey from Waiting room to Birthing Room, Judith Walzer Leavitt
  • Men at Birth: Real Stories from Australian Men About the Birth of Their Children, David Vernon
  • Zen and the Art of Fatherhood, Steven Lewis

An Anthropological and Cross-cultural Look at Birth and Parenting

  • Ancient Bodies, Modern Lives:  How Evolution Has Shaped Women’s Health, Wenda Trevathan
  • Baby Meets World: A Journey Through Infancy, Nicholas Day
  • Birth as an American Rite of Passage, Robbie E. Davis-Floyd
  • Birth Models that Work, Robbie E. Davis-Floyd, et al
  • The Continuum Concept, Jean Leidloff
  • Get Me Out:  A History of Childbirth, from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank, Randi Hutter Epstein, MD
  • The Heart in the Womb:  An Exploration of the Roots of Human Love and Social Cohesion, Dr. Amali Lokugamage
  • How Eskimos Keep Their Babie Warm:  Parenting Wisdom from Around the World, Mei-Ling Hopgood
  • Make Room for Daddy:  The Journey from Waiting Room to Birthing Room, Judith Walzer Leavitt
  • Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent, Meredith F. Small

Babywearing

  • A Baby Wants to be Carried:  Everything you need to know about baby carriers and the benefits of babywearing, Evelin Kirkilionis
  • Bindeanleitung (babywearing instructions with photos, in German and English), Die Trageschule

Breastfeeding

  • Biological Nurturing:  New Angles on Breastfeeding, Suzanne Colson (see matching DVD, below)
  • Born to Breastfeed: the first six weeks and beyond, Rowena Gray
  • Breastfeeding… Naturally: The Australian Breastfeeding Association’s (ABA) guide to breastfeeding – from birth to weaning
  • Breastfeeding, Take Two: Successful Breastfeeding the Second Time Around, Stephanie Casemore
  • The Discontented Little Baby Book: All You Need to Know About Feeds, Sleep and Crying, Pamela Douglas MD
  • The Food of Love:  Your Formula for Successful Breastfeeding, Kate Evans
  • Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding, Ina May Gaskin
  • Making More Milk (The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to), Diana West and Lisa Marasco
  • Unlatched:  The Evolution of Breastfeeding and the Making of a Controversy, Jennifer Grayson
  • The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League International

Parenting

  • Babytalk: A Guide to Using Basic Sign Language to Communicate with Your Baby, Monica Beyer
  • The Blue Jay’s Dance: A Birth Year, Louise Erdrich
  • Calm the Crying: The Secret Baby Language That Reveals the Hidden Meaning Behind an Infant’s Cry (Using the Dunstan Baby Language), Priscilla Dunstan
  • Child of Mine: Original Essays on Becoming a Mother, edited by Christina Baker Kline
  • The Discontented Little Baby Book: All You Need to Know About Feeds, Sleep and Crying, Pamela Douglas MD
  • The Fussy Baby Book: Parenting Your High-Need Child from Birth to Age Five, William Sears MD and Martha Sears RN
  • Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, Sarah J. Buckley MD
  • Heart to Heart Parenting:  Nurturing Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence from Conception to School Age, Robin Grille
  • Listening to Children: a series of 7 mini books to nurture the parent-child relationship, Patty Wipfler of Hand in Hand Parenting
  • The No-Cry Separation Anxiety Solution: Gentle Ways to Make Good-Bye Easy from Six Months to Six Years, Elizabeth Pantley
  • NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children, Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman
  • Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids:  How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting, Dr. Laura Markham
  • The Philosophical Baby:  What Children’s Minds Tell Us About Truth, Love, and the Meaning of Life, Alison Gopnik
  • Pre-Parenting:  Nurturing Your Child from Conception, Thomas R. Verny, MD and Pamela Weintraub
  • The Science of Parenting: How Today’s Brain Research Can Help You Raise Happy, Emotionally Balanced Children, Margot Sunderland
  • Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to calm, connect and communicate with your baby, Tracy Hogg (I mostly dislike this book but it has some useful bits!)
  • Touchpoints: The Essential Reference Guide to Your Child’s Emotional and Behavioural Development, T. Berry Brazelton MD
  • The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact with your Baby Leads to Happier, Healthier Development, Sharon Heller, PhD
  • What’s Going On In There?: How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, Lise Eliot, PhD
  • Windows to the Womb: Revealing the Conscious Baby from Conception to Birth, David Chamberlain
  • The Wonder Weeks:  How to Stimulate Your Baby’s Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases into Magical Leaps Forward, Hetty Van de Rijt, Frans Plooij
  • Your Amazing Newborn, Marshall H Klaus, Phyllis H Klaus
  • Your Baby Is Speaking to You: a visual guide to the amazing behaviors of your newborn and growing baby, Kevin Nugent MD
  • 100 Ways to Calm the Crying, Pinky McKay

Pregnancy Loss

  • Empty Arms: Coping with Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant Death; Surviving the First Hours and Beyond, Sherokee Ilse
  • Pregnancy Loss:  Guidance and Support for You and Your Family, Ingrid Kohn & Perry-Lynn Moffitt

Postnatal Care of Mothers (including recipes)

  • After the Baby’s Birth: A Guide for Mothers, Robin Lim
  • The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother, Heng Ou
  • The Fourth Trimester: a postpartum guide to healing your body, balancing your emotions & restoring your vitality, Kimberly Ann Johnson
  • Golden Month: Caring for the World’s Mothers After Childbirth, Jenny Allison
  • Mothering the New Mother:  Women’s Feelings & Needs After Childbirth – A Support & Resource Guide, Sally Placksin
  • Natural Health after Birth: The Complete Guide to Postpartum Wellness, Aviva Jill Romm
  • Wellness for Mothers: Postpartum Recipes and Toners, Robin Lim

Postnatal Depression, Birth Trauma

  • Coping with Postnatal Depression, Dr. Bryanne Barnett
  • How to Heal a Bad Birth:  Making Sense, Making Peace and Moving On, Melissa Bruijn and Debby Gould (Birthtalk.org)
  • Overcoming Baby Blues:  A Comprehensive Guide to Perinatal Depression, The Black Dog Institute

Relationships (Mum and Partner)

  • Becoming Us: 8 Steps to Grow a Family That Thrives, Elly Taylor
  • Let’s Stick Together: The Relationship Book for New Parents, Harry Benson
  • Towards Parenthood: Preparing for the Changes and Challenges of a New Baby ( a couple’s workbook), Jeannette Milgram, et al

Sleep

  • The Discontented Little Baby Book: All You Need to Know About Feeds, Sleep and Crying, Pamela Douglas MD
  • The Gentle Sleep Solution: The naturally nurturing way to help your baby sleep, Chireal Shallow
  • The No-cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Elizabeth Pantley, MD
  • The No-cry Sleep Solution for Newborns:  Amazing Sleep from Day One – For Baby and You, Elizabeth Pantley, MD
  • The No-cry Sleep Nap Solution: Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems, Elizabeth Pantley, MD
  • The No-cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Child’s Sleep, Elizabeth Pantley, MD
  • Sleeping Like A Baby, Pinky McKay
  • Sleeping with Your Baby: A Parent’s Guide to Co-Sleeping, James J. McKenna, PhD
  • Sweet Sleep:  Nighttime and Naptime Strategies for the Breastfeeding Family, La Leche League Intl, Diane Wiessinger, Diana West, Linda J. Smith, Teresa Pitman
  • Why Your Baby’s Sleep Matters, Sarah Ockwell-Smith

Vaccination

  • The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decisions for Your Child, Robert W Sears, MD
  • The Vaccine-Friendly Plan: Dr Paul’s Safe and Effective Approach to Immunity and Health – from Pregnancy Through Your Child’s Teen Years, Paul Thomas, MD and Jennifer Margulis, PhD
  • Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent’s Guide – How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the RISKS, BENEFITS and ALTERNATIVES, Aviva Jill Romm

DVDs

  • Baby-led Breastfeeding…The Mother-Baby Dance, Christina M. Smillie, MD
  • Baby Language:  Learn the Secret Language of All Newborn Babies (birth to 5 months), Priscilla Dunstan
  • The Big Stretch, Alieta Belle & Jenny Blythe
  • The Big Stretch Sequel, Alieta Belle & Jenny Blythe
  • Biological Nurturing:  Laid-back Breastfeeding, Dr. Suzanne Colson
  • Birth:  The Documentary
  • Birth with Gloria Le May
  • Birth Day (The Home Birth Series Vol II), 
  • Doula!  The Ultimate Birth Companion
  • Epidurals & Caesarian Section, Discovery Home & Health
  • The Essential Ingredient: Doula
  • Five Countries, Six Births, Seven Babies:  Mother Nature’s Design for Birth
  • Gentle Beginnings Baby Massage, Pinky McKay
  • Grow Your Baby’s Brain (The Science of Skin-to-Skin Contact), Jill & Nils Bergman
  • Happy, Healthy Child – The Ultimate Childbirth Education DVD Series
  • Happy Mums, Happy Bubs:  An In-depth, easy to follow guide to breastfeeding, Kate Hale
  • Laboring Under An Illusion:  Mass Media Childbirth vs. The Real Thing
  • Miss Margaret:  The Story of an Alabama Granny Midwife
  • Orgasmic Birth: The Best Kept Secret, Debra Pascali-Bonaro
  • The Pink Kit: Essential Preparation for Your Birthing Body
  • Prenatal Yoga for Every Woman, Australian Yoga Academy
  • Real Moms & Dads Talk About Breastfeeding
  • Secrets of Happy Babies (Lecture), Dr Sarah J Buckley
  • Undisturbed Birth (Lecture), Dr Sarah J Buckley

Journals and Magazines

  • Birth Matters, Maternity Choices Australia (formerly The Maternity Coalition)
  • Essence, The Australian Breastfeeding Association
  • International Doula, DONA
  • Midwifery Today
  • The Natural Parent Magazine