Se7en Pregnancy and Birth Books by Sheila Kitzinger…

Sheila Kitzinger is by far my favorite pregnancy and birth author, while I was writing a post on labor I realized I couldn’t write it without recommending her books… by the time I had finished what I had to say, I realized that I had to devote a whole post to what she had to say!!!

So here you go, Se7en + 1 wonderful books by Sheila Kitzinger:

1. This book is really an encyclopedia one everything to do with pregnancy, labor and birth. Everything. It has a week by week guide to pregnancy. A look at all sorts of birth practices and options. She discusses the mothers health and the babies health. And a she has a way of discussing the birth experience rather than dictating it. I found her use of words especially useful because, quite simply, they were enabling.

2. This is a great book, a complete guide to everything you need to know about pregnancy and birth. This one is a classic: The What to Expect for real parents and not just the “what” but the “why.”Really you want to have this one on your shelf to refer to over and over again.

3. This book was by far the most empowering book for me to read about birth and pregnancy in general and how to deal with those quarters of the medical profession that were just a little bit bully-ish. And I expect that all women at some stage during their pregnancy or birth have felt bullied into a decision, this book was the one that made me say: “Hang on these are the facts and this is where I stand and no I don’t need that test, that medication or whatever. A book that showed me how to state my case without being ridiculously stubborn… something I needed help with when I was pregnant!!!

4. This is a fabulous book, even for moms who intend to have their babies in a hospital, because it explains all the common practices, and the reasons for them, that occur at a birth… the brilliant thing is once you know the reason why they do a certain thing it becomes a lot easier to say whether you think it is necessary for you or your child or not. Another very empowering book.

5. I know, not a whole lot to do with birth, but I spent hours through my pregnancies pouring over the beautiful baby photographs!!! Lovely. In retrospect, I should have spent a whole lot more time reading about nursing and life with a baby than I did on pregnancy and labor, let’s face it you are in labor for hours and you will be nursing for weeks and months, most likely years!!! This book is another great enabler from Shiela Kitzinger, she leaves you with no doubt in your mind that you can breast feed. She explains so much about nursing your baby and has fabulous photographs to back up her writing. I would recommend this book to anyone who is pregnant. Just read it, it is a good one!!!

6. Honestly when I was pregnant with my first I had no idea that there was a year after childbirth… I was thinking about labor and that was it… anything that was beyond labor was totally beyond me thinking about. Needless to say when I read this book a couple of months after our first was born a lot of what I was experienced was true and it was really quite reassuring to discover this.

7. If you ask my kids they will tell you I am nineteen, but truth behold… I am a little older!!! I read this book because I think I only had three or four on my kids before I was thirty five and I needed to know whether all the scary tales that the obs/gynae was telling me were the truth… Really your entire body falls apart on the day you turn 35 and there is absolutely no way you can give birth naturally after that!!! Madness I know and thanks to Sheila Kizinger who once again stood me in good stead to argue against a number of common myths.

And the Se7en + 1th book:


8. This book didn’t help me in labor and it isn’t going to help you during pregnancy or birth per se, but it is a fascinating account, the ultimate story of birth around the world and through time. I read it with amazement… it is so well researched and filled with beautiful photographs. It certainly places our western practice of birth into perspective and certainly uses many many accounts from around the world to do this. This book isn’t just a story it is a work of art. The only birth book I would keep on my coffee table, if I had one!!!

And I have just one more thing to say about Shiela Kitzinger’s books… if you own them and lend them out don’t expect to get them back… I have bought all of these books more than once… and will probably continue to buy them as time goes by!!!