Recommended Reading for Expectant Parents:

DONEOK Doulas encourage expectant parents to educate themselves on the normal processes of pregnancy and childbirth.  The key to good education is reading the right books, not just the most popular books, and not just the ones your caregiver recommends.  So, we've compiled a list of those books we highly recommend reading ... Check your local library, or ask your doula if she can lend them to you from her personal library.

*Note, book descriptions provided by amazon.com, otherwise from the book itself

The Birth Book* by William Sears, MD, and Martha Sears, RN
In The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying
Birth, by 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 options; drugs; pain; how to design your own
birth plan; the humor, chemistry, and sexuality of birth, and pages and pages of
birth stories."

Active Birth: The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally by Janet Balaskas  

"In an 'active birth,' a mother moves about freely, finds comfortable positions for
labor and delivery, and seldom needs drugs or obstetrical interventions.  In Active
Birth, Janet Balaskas teaches mothers to develop all of their bodily resources for
giving birth, to follow their own instincts, and to take full control of the childbirth
experience.  Active Birth includes:
- Fully-illustrated exercises for a comfortable, energetic pregnancy
- Massage for pregnancy and labor
- Ways to create the ideal setting for an active birth in the hospital or at home
- Positions for labor and birth, for maximum comfort and efficient contractions
- The latest information about water birth, and how to plan one
- Exercises for recovery and relaxation after the birth
- Helpful tips for partners and birth attendants"

The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin, PT
"The Birth Partner is the definitive guide for preparing to help a woman through
childbirth and the essential manual to have at hand during the event.  Since the
book's original publication in 1989, fathers-to-be, new mothers' friends and
relatives, and professional doulas (labor assistants) alike 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.
This fully-revised and updated edition includes the latest information on
- techniques and devices to ease labor pain;
- epidural anesthesia and other types of medication;
- tests and treatments of the fetus and newborn;
- vaginal birth after cesarean;
and much more.  For the partner who wishes to be truly helpful in the birthing room,
this book is indispensable.

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
"Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation's
leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing
women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling
birthing experience.  Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina
May's Guide to Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on
everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without
technological intervention.
Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, this valuable resource
includes:
- Reducing the pain of labor without drugs - and the miraculous roles touch and
massage play
- What really happens during labor
- Orgasmic birth - making birth pleasurable
- Episiotomy - is it really necessary?
- Common methods of inducing labor - and which to avoid at all costs
- Tips for maximizing your chances of an unmedicated labor and birth
- How to avoid postpartum bleeding - and depression
- The risks of anesthesia and cesarean - what your doctor doesn't necessarily tell
you
- The best ways to work with doctors and/or birth care providers
- How to create a safe, comfortable environment for birth in any setting, including a
hospital
- And much more
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth takes the fear out of childbirth by restoring women's
faith in their own natural power to give birth with more ease, less pain, and less
medical intervention."

Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier
and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus, MD, John H. Kennell, MD, and
Phyllis H. Klaus, MEd, CSW
"This indispensable book by three distinguished authorities on childbirth shows how
every expectant parent can use the help of a doula, or trained labor companion, to:
- shorten first time labor by an average of two hours
- decrease the chance of cesarean section by 50%
- decrease the need for pain medication
- help father's participate with confidence
- increase success in breast-feeding
In their vivid, step-by-step guide, the authors follow the actual course of birth in
various settings.  They show readers how to achieve these dramatic benefits, and
how to find and evaluate a doula."

The Pregnancy Book: Month-by-Month, Everything You Need to Know by
America's Baby Experts* by William Sears, MD, and Martha Sears, RN
"The Pregnancy Book is an excellent all-in-one guide to pregnancy from Wiliam and
Martha Sears, creators of the concept of 'attachment parenting.'  Each of the
book's chapters represents a month, and deals with physical and emotional
changes, describes the growth of the fetus, and discusses common concerns.  The
authors also focus on nutrition, exercise, information, and support for home births
and birthing centers, traveling while pregnant, how to avoid episiotomy, and so on.  
The approach is gentle, thorough, and includes more information that some
month-by-month guides, which makes The Pregnancy Book an excellent choice for
pregnant couples."

Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper, RN
"With Cesarean rates in some hospitals at more than 50 percent, women everwhere
are seeking ways to reclaim the experience of birth and control over their own
bodies.  In Gentle Birth Choices, Barbara Harper, midwife, nurse, and mother of
three, outlines elements of gentle birthing: support from loved ones, a reassuring
and quiet environment, and minimal medical intervention.  She shows you how to
plan a meaninful, family-centered birth experience and discusses the many
alternatives available to you, including giving birth in a freestanding birthing center,
at home, or in a hospital birthing room; finding a primary caregiver who shares your
philosophy of birth, whether a midwife, a doctor, or both; and deciding how best to
use current technologies.  Harper also provides practical advice for couples wishing
to explore the option of water birth, a choice that maximizes the attributes of water
as a natural, pain-relieving relaxant and as an alternative to drugs and their
unwanted side effects.
Gentle Birth Choices provides a new model of maternity care that reduces the need
for high-tech crisis intervention and focuses instead on preparation and good
health for mother and child.  More than 50 black-and-white photographs by
Suzanne Arms capture the joy and intensity of birth."

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
"As an intelligent woman, you are probably used to learning as you can before
making major decisions.  But when it comes to one of the most important decisions
of your life - how you will give birth - it is hard to gather accurate, unbiased
information.  Surprisingly, much of the research does not support common medical
opinion and practice.
Birth activist Henci Goer gives clear, concise information based on the latest
medical studies.  The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth helps you compare
and contrast your various options and shows you how to avoid unncessary
procedures, drugs, restrictions, and tests.  The book covers:  cesareans, breech
babies, inducing labor, IVs, electronic fetal monitoring, rupturing membranes,
coping with slow labor, pain medication, episiotomy, vaginal birth after a cesarean,
doulas, deciding on a doctor or midwife, choosing where to have your baby, and
much more."