“Since the original publication of The Birth Partner in 1989, new mothers’ mates, friends, and relatives and doulas (professional birth assistants) have relied on Penny Simkin’s guidance in caring for the new mother from the last few weeks of pregnancy through the early postpartum period. Fully revised in its third edition, The Birth Partner remains the definitive guide for preparing to help a woman through childbirth and the essential manual to have at hand during the event …. For the partner who wishes to be truly helpful in the birthing room, this book is indispensable.” (from the back cover)

“Not only is Ina May Gaskin the most famous midwife in the U.S.; indeed, she is the most famous midwife in the world! This book will show you why. Ina May learned about birth in the most direct way possible-from attending births. Through the stories she tells in this exciting new book, women can experience her learning process. As Ina May learned, so her readers will learn about themselves, their bodies and their abilities as birth-givers. And she will guide them through the maze of new obstetrical technologies, showing them the way toward wise decisions and fully informed choices.”

-Robbie Davis-Floyd

"It’s the most complete. It covers all aspects of childbearing, from conception through early infancy, and tells you what to expect. It offers detailed information, suggestions, and advice to help make pregnancy, childbirth, and new parenthood an enjoyable, healthy experience." (from the back cover)

"If you're looking for the inside scoop on what it's really like to have a baby, you've come to the right place. The Mother of All Pregnancy Books takes on tough topics most pregnancy books shy away from. It's a totally comprehensive guide that features a non-bossy, fresh, and fun approach to the greatest adventure life has to offer. Based on the best advice from over 100 Canadian parents, this information is served up with a uniquely Canadian spin." (from the back cover)  

From internationally renowned yoga teacher Gurmukh comes a book on pregnancy unlike any other. Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful is a treasury of wisdom, information, and inspiration for pregnancy and motherhood based on the spiritual and physical practices of Kundalini yoga, which Gurmukh has taught for the last thirty years.

With illustrated, step-by-step instructions, she teaches time-tested techniques, meditations, and exercises that will help you physically, mentally, and spiritually. In the timeless way that women have passed down wisdom surrounding birth and child rearing to one another for centuries, Gurmukh weaves folk stories and contemporary testimonials into a program designed to help you get profound results in the shortest possible time.

The sections in this book cover each trimester of pregnancy as well as delivery and life with the baby. In her wise, gentle, and comforting voice, Gurmukh suggests meditations, exercises, and yoga positions to respond to the various needs of expectant and new mothers as you undergo dramatic body changes. Gurmukh also helps you explore and, when necessary, heal your own history and unconscious attitudes about pregnancy, birth, and parenting. (from amazon.ca)

Becoming a father is a life-changing event, and not an easy one. The new feelings, emotions, and reactions surfacing every day can be confusing and overwhelming, summoning new dads to resolve old issues. Fathering Right from the Start guides men through this life passage, helping them navigate difficult times and participate meaningfully in parenting. Complete with exercises, checklists, and firsthand accounts by fathers from all walks of life, this indispensable book carries the seeds for a new tradition of men’s involvement in the emotional, cultural, and physical structure of the family

"For expectant parents who want to know everything about their developing baby at every stage, Pregnancy Day by Day provides a daily countdown to the date of delivery. Covering each day of pregnancy in detail, as well as labor, birth, and life with a new baby, Pregnancy Day by Day is an unprecedented and comprehensive guide that is written by a team of experts and is the one resource no parent-to-be should be without." (overview from barnesandnoble.com)

“This book is short, simple, and easy to follow. It holds your hand and walks you through pregnancy and childbirth. It covers what you need to know about being pregnant, giving birth, and taking care of your baby. It provides basic information and many pictures to help you learn about birth and babies.” (from the back cover)

• Recommended by Lamaze International as one of the top ten books for pregnant women and their families. • Includes a 45-minute DVD of six live gentle births.

New parents are faced with a myriad of choices about pregnancy, labor, and birth. In Gentle Birth Choices Barbara Harper, renowned childbirth advocate, nurse, former midwife, and mother of three, helps to clarify these choices and shows how to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience. She dispels medical myths and reimagines birth without fear, pain, or violence. Harper explains the numerous gentle birth choices available, including giving birth in an independent birth center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room; finding a primary caregiver who shares your philosophy of birth; and deciding how to best use current technologies. She also provides practical advice for couples wishing to explore the option of using a doula or water during labor and birth to avoid the unwanted effects of drugs and epidurals.

The Gentle Birth Choices DVD blends interviews with midwives and physicians and six actual births that illustrate the options of water birth, home birth, and vaginal birth after a prior Cesarean section. The DVD clearly reveals the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of women exercising gentle birth choices. It is a powerful instructional tool, not only for expectant parents, but also for midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors.

In The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth, William and Martha Sears, authors of The Baby Book and creators of the concept of "attachment parenting," here turn their attention to the birth experience. In this helpful resource guide, the Searses cover the gamut of possibilities, and teach readers what they need to know to take control of their own birthings. The Birth Book is divided into three parts: "Preparing for Birth," "Easing Pain in Labor," and "Experiencing Birth." You'll find details about vaginal births; cesareans; VBACs; water births; home births; best birthing positions; drugs; pain; how to design your own birth plan; the humor, chemistry, and sexuality of birth; and pages and pages of birth stories. (from amazon.com)

In this comprehensive guide, Dr. Jack Newman—aleading authority on infant care who has established breastfeeding clinics throughout the world—brings the most important facts about breastfeeding to you. You’ll learn:

• How to achieve a good "latch"—the essence of trouble-free breastfeeding
• What to do if your baby refuses the breast
• How to deal with sore breasts, cracked nipples, or breast surgeries
• Ways to ensure your baby gets enough milk
• How to breastfeed premature and adopted babies
• Ways to cope with the jaundiced or colicky baby
• And more

Whether this is your first baby or your fourth; if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding your newborn, or wondering about weaning your toddler, this book is for you.

In this much-needed, family-friendly guide, weary parents will learn to define their own individual sleep goals, those that work for their family's schedule and style. They'll create a customized "sleep planner" to ensure consistency with both parents as well as extended caregivers. (As an added bonus, they'll even improve the readers' relationships with their spouses with the "marriage-saver" section.) With comprehensive sections devoted to each stage of Baby's and Toddler's development, plus solutions to special circumstances like traveling, daylight saving's time, moving to a "big kid bed" and multiples, The Sleepeasy Solution is a dream come true!