Birth (Catherine Price) – Fully revised with up-to-the-minute information, the bestselling and comprehensive Australian bible for expectant parents, Birth, provides practical, up-to-date, accurate and research-based information, on everything relating to preconception, pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting. Co-written by a midwife and a childbirth educator, with over 35 years collective experience in working closely with women and their families, this invaluable resource is an essential for every prospective parent. Birth: The essential guide to conceiving, nurturing and giving birth to your baby, is reader-friendly, reassuring, unbiased and accessible to a wide readership. It presents medical treatments and natural therapies, the many physical changes of pregnancy, labour and birth and possible variations from “the norm”. It dispels myths and addresses all the common concerns and endless worries of women, their partners and support people, as well as providing achievable support strategies. Many aspects of the book move into unchartered territories, such as the realistic management of labour pain, common emotional reactions that may be experienced on the journey to parenthood, relationship changes and challenges and how to survive these.

Birth After Caesarean (Hazel Keedle) – Have you had a caesarean and are unsure of what your options are for your next birth? Do you want to have a vaginal birth but have been told “once a caesarean, always a caesarean”? Are you a birth worker and want to support women in their next birth after caesarean choices? In this book Hazel Keedle explores the research around repeat caesarean and vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC). Hazel introduces and explains the importance of the four factors to having a better birth. Using research from her PhD, Hazel gives practical advice for women and their support people on planning for a better birth. The book also includes birth stories from 15 women across the globe, from Australia to Europe and the USA. Their stories are varied and deeply personal and all planned for a better birth after caesarean.

Birth Matters (Ina May Gaskin, Ani DiFranco) – Renowned for her practice’s exemplary results and low intervention rates, Ina May Gaskin has gained international notoriety for promoting natural birth. She is a much-beloved leader of a movement that seeks to stop the hyper-medicalisation of birth which has lead an increase in cesarean sections and renew confidence in a woman’s natural ability to birth. Upbeat and informative, Gaskin asserts that the way in which women become mothers is a women’s rights issue the act that most powerfully exhibits what it is to be instinctually human.

Birth Without Violence (Frédérick LeBoyer) – In 1975, this book started a gentle revolution in the way we bring our children into the world by urging us to consider birth from the infant’s point of view. Now, Dr. Leboyer shares his vision with a new generation of parents.

Birth Your Way (Sheila Kitzinger) – A compassionate, comprehensive, and sensitive guide for any woman who wants to make informed choices about pregnancy, birth, and motherhood explores the alternatives to managed hospital birth, including midwife delivery, birth centers, and other birth experiences.

Breastfeeding Made Simple (Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett, Jack Newman) – Breastfeeding is natural, but it’s not always easy. It is the biological norm, but it is not the cultural norm. By learning the seven basic principles in this book, mothers can dramatically increase their likelihood of success and make breastfeeding the enjoyable experience it should be. The seven laws taught in Breastfeeding Made Simple are easy for mothers to understand and are sure to help them avoid some of the pitfalls that they might otherwise face. The seven principles include: • Babies Have the Urge to Self-Attach • Use the Power of Skin-to-Skin: A Baby’s Natural Habitat •  Breastfeed Ad Lib •  Reach for the Comfort Zone •  Expect Cluster Nursing •  More Milk Out = More Milk Made •  Babies Outgrow Breastfeeding. The book also addresses how to solve common problems and deal with special situations such as breast reductions and babies with special needs. The authors describe some of the social, psychological, and cultural reasons why breastfeeding is not currently the norm, and what this implies for mothers. In all, this is an easy-to-use breastfeeding resource for new mothers, which includes all the latest research and techniques used by those in the lactation field.

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth (Ina May Gaskin) – The international bestseller that has helped millions of women trust in their body – and their baby – and give birth without fear Drawing on over 40 years’ experience, internationally acclaimed midwife Ina May Gaskin shows you how to use the mind-body connection to help labour progress calmly and safely. In Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, she shares: – Inspiring real-life stories that show what a positive experience childbirth can be – What happens during labour and the true capabilities of the female body – How to create a comfortable environment for birth in any setting – Tips for maximising your chances of a relaxed and joyful birth experience Read by millions of women around the world, this reassuring and practical guide will take the fear out of childbirth and restore your faith in the power of your body. With Gaskin’s timeless wisdom, you can approach birth with confidence and excitement, wherever and however it happens.

Post-Baby Conversation, The: What New Parents Need to Say to Each Other (Alison Osborne) – The Post Baby Conversation is a first: a relationship book for new parents. It is not a book about babies and it’s not about how to be a parent. It’s about how to be a happy couple after the arrival of children.Has your relationship changed since you had a baby Do you ever get to talk or spend time as a couple? Do you feel understood Do you feel angry, frustrated or resentful? Do you have less sex? When a modern couple become parents, both men and women develop expectations of what their partner should do and provide, often based on outdated traditional stereotypes; and many couples co-exist unhappily for years.Find out how other couples feel post-baby. Learn how to create equality, understanding and fulfillment in your post-baby relationship. ‘What we can do’ sections will help you design something new that suits you both and provides a happy, nurturing environment for your family.

Reclaiming Childbirth As a Rite of Passage (Rachel Reed) – It’s time for a childbirth revolution.The modern approach to maternity care fails women, families and care providers with outdated practices that centre the needs of institutions rather than individuals.In this book, Rachel Reed weaves history, science and research with the experiences of women and care providers to create a holistic, evidence-based framework for understanding birth.Reclaiming childbirth as a rite of passage requires us to recognise that mothers own the power and expertise when it comes to birthing their babies.Whether you are a parent, care provider or educator, this book will transform how you think and feel about childbirth.

Spiritual Midwifery (Ina May Gaskin) – Spiritual Midwifery is considered by many to be the bible of the home birth movement. This classic book on natural childbirth introduced a whole generation of women to the possibility of home birth and breast feeding. At a time when higher levels of technology were the wave of the future, the home birth movement testified to the naturalness and normalcy of the birthing process-even the sacredness of it. Ina May Gaskin, the author, is a powerful advocate for a woman’s right to give birth without excessive and unnecessary medical intervention. Now in its fourth edition, her voice is needed as much now as then. In today’s climate of unprecedented numbers of cesarean sections and induced labor, knowledge of this birthing process enables women to make informed choices regarding their maternity care and delivery options. The birthing stories and section on care of the newborn are valuable to anyone about to become a parent.

Vitamin K and the Newborn (Sara Wickham) – Vitamin K and the Newborn has helped tens of thousands of parents and professionals to understand the issues and the evidence relating to the administration of vitamin K to newborn babies. In the book, Sara Wickham explains why vitamin K is offered after birth, looks at the pros, cons and alternatives, and explains what we do and do not know about this area.

What’s Right for Me? (Sara Wickham) – The decisions that we make about pregnancy and childbirth can shape our experiences, health and lives, as well as those of our children and families. But many of those decisions are complex, confusing and made harder by the fact that we live in a world which is filled with options and opinions. This book is designed to help the reader think through their needs so that decision making becomes less daunting. It explains the different perspectives and approaches that people take towards childbirth and tips, tools and ways of thinking that will help you find the path that’s right for you.

Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, The (La Leche League International) – Underscores the benefits of breastfeeding for babies and mothers and presents helpful information and counsel on procedures, special circumstances, nutrition, and weaning.