I have been asked by various friends who are pregnant or thinking of having babies to share the resources that inspired me throughout my pregnancy and preparation for the home birth of our baby daughter. I have decided to put the list together in case it can be helpful to anyone else. During my pregnancy I went through a period of extreme desire to learn and an unlimited fascination with the transformation of my body as I entered the realm of motherhood. With a vast ocean of information available at our fingertips, my single piece of advice to all moms and moms-to-be is to listen to their intuition and only seek out that which deeply resonates and brings not only knowledge but also a sense of trust and empowerment. Here is the list of my favourites!
Films and videos
- Orgasmic Birth http://orgasmicbirth.
com/ – this was the first film that I saw about childbirth before getting pregnant, and it left me moved to the very core of my being. How come I had no idea that women are so incredibly powerful?! If you watch one thing only, please make it this one – it’s a must-see for all! - Happy Healthy Child http://www.
happyhealthychild.com/ – this incredible four-part series covers pregnancy, birth and newborn babies and features interviews with some of the world’s most renowned supporters of natural gentle birth. - Food Matters fmtv.com – is hands down my favourite on-demand health and wellness TV site. They have lots of incredible documentaries about food, health, bodies, interviews with experts, and much more. A few great documentaries relevant to the topic of birth are The Business of Being Born, The Face of Birth, Microbirth, The Milky Way.
Books
As I browsed for pregnancy related books, it became apparent that there are many best sellers in this sphere which contain much information but do not necessarily leave the reader feeling healthy, ready for birth or empowered. Below are a few of the books that ticked all the boxes for me!
- Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin – I really enjoyed this book and learning about the incredible work of Ina May.
- Orgasmic Birth by Elizabeth Davis and Debra Pascali-Bonaro – it is an amazing book co-authored by the director of the same-title documentary mentioned above.
- Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke – a beautiful book with lots of practical tips and spiritual practices for mindful preparation for birth.
- A Modern Woman’s Guide to A Natural Empowering Birth by Katrina Zaslavsky – this book is easy to read and jump into any chapter, full of birth stories and empowering quotes.
- Conscious Parent by Dr Shefali – I deeply resonate with the key idea of this book that parenting is a powerful spiritual journey of self-transformation if we choose to be mindful of our behaviour and of the way we engage with our kids.
- Kiss Me!: How to Raise Your Children with Love by Carlos González – this book encourages to break all the parenting “taboos”, you know – all those things that will “spoil the kids”. I really enjoyed it.
Other resources
- Pain to Power birth preparation course http://
paintopowerchildbirth.com/ – this online course was created by the director of Orgasmic Birth documentary, and it is full to the brim of videos, articles, tips and birth stories. It not only made us feel informed about childbirth but also calm, prepared and empowered. - Empowering Birth Magazine http://www.birthgoddess.
com.au/empowering-birth- magazine/ – exactly what it says on the title! - Juno http://www.junomagazine.
com/ – this magazine is a beautiful resource promoting a natural approach to family life. It covers various aspects of the parenting journey – from pregnancy and birth to toddlers and teens – and is based on the ethos of natural parenting, environmental sustainability, social justice, non-violence, and spiritual awareness. A real gem!
