natural birth books for l&d nurse

kxp004 · October 2014

My friend works in labor and delivery but is very interested in natural birth, however given the fact that she is a hospital nurse, I didn't want to give her a book that completely bashed hospital techniques and births... Any suggestions on a good book to bring her over to the dark side??? :P TIA!

CandaceC1020 · October 2014

Why not give her Ina May's Guide to Childbirth? That's pretty straightforward and no overly abundant hospital bashing.

catsinawindow · October 2014

I really liked "the thinking woman's guide to better birth" by Henci Goener (sp?). It provides evidence-based arguments for natural birth and covers the research behind various interventions. As a researcher, it really resonated with me.

kxp004 · October 2014

I will definitely have to look into some of those

thank you!

jennypolkadots · October 2014

I read "Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds" and it would be perfect for what you're looking for. It explains how to best have an intervention free birth in the hospital based on evidence, not fear of doctors. It is also different in that it doesn't bash hospitals/doctors since it is all about birthing in the hospital. "Natural Birth the Bradley Way" is another good one that is all about combining hospital care with natural birth.

Ultimately I decided against a hospital birth but if your friend is probably going to deliver there, it would be a really good book for her. I also loved Ina May's book. 1/2 of the book is birth stories that all occurred out of hospital though and I do seem to remember quite a bit of hate on doctors. Still a wonderful book and a must read for anyone planning a natural birth.