Books on birth

[furryleopard]

Hi, please could anyone recommend a book or books on labour/birth? I'd like to start reading up on the options available to me before I make any decisions for my birth plan but I'm finding it all a bit overwhelming and confusing! I thought a couple of books or suggestions for reading might make things a bit clearer! Thanks in advance!

I have Juju Sundan's "Birth Skills" which is a guide for breathing, pain coping etc'. The gist is "yes it bloody hurts but it's muscle pain- for most women it's OK, here are ways of coping and if you decide to get pain relief that's OK too..." which is reassuring.

For the plain old facts of what happens and how, I found the birth chapter in "Your Pregnancy Week By Week" by Lesley Regan very useful. It isn't a philosophy or 'birth plan' type book, more 'this is what a contraction is', 'this is what an epidural is' - I've read it all as of course while in an ideal world no one wants instruments used or whatever it's useful to know what they are and what the advantages/risks are.

I really liked Yehudi Gordon's Good Birth companion. I felt calm after reading it.

Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth
I felt on such a high after reading it, it is a bit 'hippyish' but absolutely marvellous for making you feel empowered about your birth :)

I second that for Ina May's book. Yes there are a few naked hippies but it's really inspirational and with lots of good ideas which got me through a home birth with no pain relief last time round.

Thanks all, I will check those out. Hopefully to help me feel less confused! I had 4 miscarriages last year and with this pregnancy I couldn't see past 8 weeks then 12 etc.. but now at almost 27 weeks I'm starting to believe and think ahead to the actual birth!