Tree of Life Midwifery

Here are some of my favorites. I’ll be adding new book reviews in the future so check back soon.

Pregnancy and Childbirth
* Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth Ina May Gaskin. 2003.
* Special Delivery Rahima Baldwin. 1991.
* Immaculate Deception II: Myth, Magic & Birth Suzanne Arms. 1994.
* Transformation Through Birth Claudia Panuthos. 1984.
* Birth As An American Rite of Passage Robbie E. Davis-Floyd. 1993.
* The Thinking Woman’s Guide to A Better Birth Henci Goer. 1999.
* Your Baby, Your Way: Making Pregnancy Decisions and Birth Plans (1987) and Rediscovering Birth (2001) Sheila Kitzinger.

How Birth Affects Babies
* Birth Without Violence Frederick LeBoyer. Revised 2nd Edition, 2002.
* Ghosts From the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence Robin Karr-Morse, S. Wiley, T. Berry Braselton. 1999.
* Your Amazing Newborn Marshall Klaus and Phyllis Klaus. 2000.

Exercise and Diet
* Prenatal Yoga and Natural Birth Jeanine Parvati-Baker.

Breastfeeding
* Babies, Breastfeeding and Bonding Ina May Gaskin. 2000.
* Bestfeeding: Getting Breastfeeding Right for You Mary Renfrew, Chloe Fisher, Suzanne Arms. 2000.
* The Nursing Mother’s Companion Kathleen Huggins, Harriet Hartigan. 1999.

Herbals
* Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year Susun S. Weed. 1985.
* Herbal Healing for Women Rosemary Gladstar. 1993.

Fertility and Family Planning
* Your Fertility Signals: Using Them to Achieve or Avoid Pregnancy Naturally. Merryl Weinstein. 1991.

Ina May Gaskin is sometimes called the Grandmother of modern midwifery. Her book, Spiritual Midwifery, was the authority for aspiring midwives in the 70s, 80s and 90s. The book is divided into two sections; birth stories and information for practitioners.

Thirty years later, her new guide is set up the same way but now includes experience and statistics to back up her words.

This is one of my all time favorite books. Highly Recommended.

El rebozo is the Spanish word for shawl. The shawl has many varied and wonderful uses as a clothing accessory. After you’ve used it to seduce your mate, it comes in very handy during pregnancy, labor and birth. Traditional Mexican midwives would not attend a birth without a rebozo in their birth bag. It’s been used as a tool to help relax the mother, change the baby’s position, to help support the mother during pushing. After the birth it makes a perfect baby carrier. It’s easy to nurse discretely and fashionable with a lovely rebozo.