No original suggestions here, but I would definitely vote for Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and The Business of Being Born.
There's no better book than Ina May's for convincing you that you and your body can handle childbirth without medical interventions. The Business of Being Born is great for convincing others to support natural birth, but also because it's reassuring to see so many other women successfully having natural births.
1) Read any/all natural birth stories you can (there are good ones in Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and Baby Cather by Peggy Vincent)
2) Don't think too much! There's something to be said for primal instincts (ideally, with the guidance/assistance of a well-trained professional (in my case, a midwife)).
Childhood cancer (DH) + chemo + radiation = 0 sperm.
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
Re: two specific important things to prepare for natural birth?
Labor at home as long as you can.
Make sure your partner is on the same page as you.
Bonus: hire a doula!
No original suggestions here, but I would definitely vote for Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and The Business of Being Born.
There's no better book than Ina May's for convincing you that you and your body can handle childbirth without medical interventions. The Business of Being Born is great for convincing others to support natural birth, but also because it's reassuring to see so many other women successfully having natural births.
I think Ina May Gaskin's books are fantastic.
Also, I think laboring at home as long as possible and not giving birth at a hospital are the most important things.
2) Don't think too much! There's something to be said for primal instincts (ideally, with the guidance/assistance of a well-trained professional (in my case, a midwife)).
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!