Just in case you didn't know, I am currently 36 weeks pregnant with our first baby. I have learnt so much over the last year and have certainly developed an even greater passion to work with women, whether it is for fertility, throughout pregnancy and beyond.
So, I'll be doing a number of blogs in a "Pregnancy Series" - I know this will only appeal to a certain group of people so to the men out there and women who have no interest, just skip these blogs! I will still be writing about other nutrition and health related topics though so please stay tuned for those.
Pregnancy Series: My Top Pregnancy Books & Resources
For first time mothers, the amount of information out there is very overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to start!
Obviously you need to find authors and books that resonate with you but here are the books I have read and loved leading up to the arrival of our baby.
Birth Skills by Juju Sundan (for birth)
A must read!
A friend gave me this and I'm so glad she did! Juju (with narratives from Sarah Murdoch throughout) explains practical techniques to cope with labour and birth. It is all about movement, using voice and visualisation. Read it and practice it!
Birthing Wisdom - Rhea Dempsey (for birth)
We did a two hour private class with Rhea and loved her philosophy and education around labour and birth. Rhea is a huge advocate for natural, physiological birth and explains how to navigate your way through this with her book. Her approach is very practical and straight shooting, no beating around the bush here.
The Better Baby Book by Dave Asprey (For nutrition)
Whether you are planning for pregnancy or are already pregnant, this is a great book to guide you through nutrition and lifestyle changes to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.
I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of Dave Asprey but there is some great advice that makes it worth the read. There are also parts that I feel go a bit over the top but just take from it what you like.
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin (for a bit of a laugh)
This is a book about home birthing but the birth stories that are filled with love (to increase oxytocin, the hormone needed for labour to progress) are quite hilarious.
Website: Spinning Babies - https://spinningbabies.com/
Look up “Daily Activities” - this runs through essential exercises to ensure you have a comfortable pregnancy and increase the chances of an easier labour.
I’ve been gifted a number of books that I haven’t read yet but they include:
Save Our Sleep (for when the baby arrives)
Elevating Child Care By Janet Lansbury
Are there any books you read and loved during pregnancy? Let me know! x