Good books about labour?

**Aurelius2011** · 20-03-2012 21:39

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has some good recommendations for books about labour/pain management during labour and so forth. I'm a little obsessed with the whole "knowledge is power" thing at the moment!! I have heard elsewhere on the forum that one called Birth Skills is quite good but are there any others that people have found particularly helpful?

Thanks a million!

**~Bec~** · 20-03-2012 21:50

Have your thought about hypnobirthing bookes? They can give you some great stratgies for pain management. I read and read for my DDs birth, watched lots of lovely homebirths and was very well prepared for the labour which turned out to be really not that painful at all (unlike DS who was induced).

**House Mumma** · 20-03-2012 21:51

Yep, Birth Skills is really good and well worth reading

. It's the only book I've read in preparation for my birth.

I have just recently typed up some of the skills to bring along with me in labour so I don't forget what to do and DH can help me follow them as he hasn't read the book. Hopefully these will help with pain management.

**headoverfeet** · 20-03-2012 21:53

Gentle birth gentle mothering awesome book, my fav one! Also Ina May Gaskins guide to childbirth

**Bin13** · 20-03-2012 22:06

Janet Balaskas (?) - Active Birth or New Active Birth (not sure which one, probably doesn't matter). I found this one most useful in just making me feel confident about the whole process and relaxing into it and just letting labour happen. This was by fat the most effective pain management strategy for me combined with the shower. Everyone is different though and you won't know until you get there.

Birth Skills - good for arming yourself with pain management strategies. I only used a couple but you never know what might work for you.

Gentle Birth Gentle Mothering - good for educating yourself for making informed decisions right through pregnancy and for your labour. Can get a bit heavy and confusing with so much info and can be a bit "fluffy" but worth the read.

**Jorja** · 20-03-2012 22:06

New active birth!!..... I can't rember the author right now.

**Aurelius2011** · 20-03-2012 23:49

Originally Posted by luv2luv

Yep, Birth Skills is really good and well worth reading

. It's the only book I've read in preparation for my birth.

I have just recently typed up some of the skills to bring along with me in labour so I don't forget what to do and DH can help me follow them as he hasn't read the book. Hopefully these will help with pain management.

Thanks luv2luv - I had a good chuckle to hear that you have taken notes! That is just the kind of thing that I would do. I'm such a geek!

**Wheaty** · 21-03-2012 01:04

I found birth skills great, I went into labour armed with so much confidence (and notes too), even though my labour didn't go to plan I felt like I had control, before I read that book I had no idea, it helped me heaps

**dancermum** · 22-03-2012 10:36

I haven't read them yet but I ordered all the books mentioned on this thread on the book depository the other day

**MummyBic** · 22-03-2012 11:56

A Labour of Love is a great book about labour it's written by an Aussie from WA also can get it with CD with birth affirmations and relaxation tracks. CD can be found in iTunes and I go the book from the authors website labor of love. It's this that I attribute to having a drug free natural labour