Required reading for Joyful Birth! students
- Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering – Sarah Buckley, MD
- Creating Your Birth Plan – Marsden Wagner, MD, MS OR The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth – Henci Goer
- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, 5th ed. – La Leche League
- Guide to Pregnancy and Birth (Student Workbook) – you will receive this at Class One.
Recommended reading
- Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth – Ina May Gaskin
- Becoming Us – 8 Steps to Grow a Family That Thrives – Elly Taylor
- The Birth Book – Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears, RN
- Mind Over Labor – Carl Jones
- Birthing From Within – Pam England, CNM, MA and Rob Horowitz, PhD
- Gentle Birth Choices – Barbara Harper, RN
- The Birth Partner – Penny Simpkin, PT
Many of these books are also available in our local library systems and all are available online at sites such as Amazon. They are also available in my class lending library, along with many other books, magazines and videos. There are many excellent books on childbirth available; I have listed a few important and very helpful ones here.
RESOURCES – online and local
Pregnancy- and Birth-Related Resources
Informed Beginnings: www.informedbeginnings.org. Facebook page: facebook.com/informedbeginnings.
Coalition to Improve Maternity Services (CIMS): www.motherfriendly.org
Home of the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative
International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN): www.ican-online.org
Information about avoiding an unnecessary cesarean section as well as information about VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean).
Rochester Area Birth Network (RABN): www.rabn.org
A local grassroots group, RABN is Rochester’s chapter of Birth Network National. Our mission is to advocate for health, safety, and informed options in childbearing. RABN can put you in touch with professionals in our area who work with childbearing women and who support the tenets of the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative.
The Doula Cooperative of Rochester New York: www.doulacooperative.org
Provides referrals for birth and postpartum doulas.
How to Get Your Insurance to Cover Your Home Birth
Evidence Based Birth Bulletins to assist you in communicating with your care provider regarding best practices in birth: evidencebasedbirth.com/printable-practice-bulletins/
Bluebird Babies Pinterest Page: Fellow Informed Beginnings educator Jo Garrett shares pins with healthy recipes on the nutrition topics we cover in class – http://pinterest.com/bluebirdbabies/
Breastfeeding and Parenting Resources
La Leche League: www.llli.org
La Leche League is the original mother-to-mother support network for breastfeeding families. Find local chapters here:
Ontario County Chapter
Canal Towns Chapter
Rochester Groups
Breastfeeding USA: breastfeedingusa.org
Kellymom: www.kellymom.com
A wonderful resource for attachment parenting and breastfeeding
New York State Child Safety Seat Inspection Stations http://www.safeny.ny.gov/seat-per.htm
Postpartum Resources
The Doula Cooperative of Rochester New York: www.doulacooperative.org
Provides referrals for birth and postpartum doulas.
Postpartum Mood Disorder Self-Assessment Tool: http://postpartumstress.com/get-help/do-i-have-ppd/
Postpartum Mood Disorder Information for Partners, Contract: http://www.ppdsupportpage.com/ppdpromise.pdf
Rochester Postpartum Depression Support Group and Perinatal Depression Warmline: Contact Lynne Goodman and Barbara Klumpp, CSW-R Group, call and leave a message 585-234-0054
Postpartum Support for Fathers: (Yes, dads get PPD too.) http://postpartummen.com/