Friday, January 25, 2008

Friday Book Review - Birth Books and Farewell Dennis

While birthing is on my mind, I thought I'd share some of my favorites books on this wonderful topic.

Children's Books:

Runa's Birth
Hands down this is one of our favorite birth books. It has great illustrations and shows home birth from the older siblings point of view. Parker loved for me to read this book when preparing for Dema's birth and they both enjoy it still. Unfortunately, the English version is no longer in print. I did have some in stock, but they went quickly once word got out about the printing. We are working with our supplier to hopefully get a small English print run, but we'll see. If you can find this for sale or at your local library and you enjoy birth books, pick it up!

Welcome with Love
Our second favorite birth book. Another wonderful book about homebirth from a siblings point of view. I really like this book, with one exception...I don't like the text about the laboring mother screaming. I tend to labor very quietly and although I'm happy for women to labor any way they feel works for them, I guess I've seen too many TV shows with the woman screaming at her husband and begging for drugs. This isn't that type of scene at all, but I sort of cringe a tiny bit at that part in the book. Overall, a lovely story!

The Baby on the Way
I'm hormonal so many things make me tear up these days, but I always get misty eyed at the end of this one. A grandson asks his grandmother if she was ever a baby and she shares her birth story (delivered by a midwife...the last in a long line of children) and how they celebrated her birth. There aren't enough birth books out there with African American characters so this is a great find from that aspect as well. At the end the little boy wonders if he will some day be asked if he was a baby and the grandmother offers to tell him the story of his birth.

Baby on the Way
Of course, I'm a Dr. Sears/Sears fan and have several of their books on pregnancy, birthing, parenting. I really like this children's book. The kids love it too. I like how the book leaves the options open for different birthing possibilities. It is also gives siblings ideas on what to do during the pregnancy to help mom out/prepare for the baby, during the birth, and after.

If You Were Born a Kitten
I love giving this book as a baby present. It is such a sweet little story with different baby animals. A mother is saying how things would be different if her little baby was born a kitten and many other animals which is educational and cute at the same time. It inspire the boys to learn more about how babies of different species are born. Even though we have this in board book form, the boys still love to read it.


Welcoming Babies
I could read this book over and over...wait, I have. I don't mind though because it is so much fun to read the different ways different families celebrate the birth of their children. The kids love to hear about the different cultural or religious traditions for people all over the world. This book makes them want to read more. The pictures are well done and this is another favorite to give to new parents.


Welcome to the World
We had this book on our coffee table for years. You just want to flip through it again and again for the pictures. It is so beautiful and touching. The diversity is wonderful. A great collection.



Older Children/Adult Books:

The Midwife's Apprentice
I enjoyed this book, but the original midwife in the story is not the type of midwife I think of...although probably more accurate for the middle ages than my image. It is a coming of age story for a little girl and I can look past the fact that the midwife is not some sweet touchy feely person. This is on my list of books to read with the kids.


Spiritual Midwifery
A classic! A great book for anyone interested in birth, but a must read for anyone thinking about a home birth. Great information from the Farm Midwives and birth stories. Make sure to look for the latest version of this great book.

A Child is Born
I love this book for the pictures. It is so worth the money without reading the text. It was great for both boys when I was pregnant. They were always asking to see the pictures and how big the baby was at that point in my pregnancy. Parker loved the book when he was four and waiting for me to have Dema. It was nice preparation for him for what the birth might look like. The picture of the placenta bothered him at first, but when Dema's birth day came, he was a trooper and cut the cord with no worries.


Baby Catcher
I read this book cover to cover in a few days while I was pregnant with Dema. I went back to my favorite stories as inspiration. If you like to read birth stories (from the midwifes perspective), this is a book for you.

Giving Birth
I read this book at the same time as Baby Catcher and loved them both. This book covers the spectrum of birthing from the author's point of view as a pregnant woman through her own birth experience.

Also check out The Birth Book Blog if you still haven't had enough on birthing.

I just want to say a farewell to Dennis Kucinich. I totally understand why he dropped out of the race, but I shed a tear along with so many environmental activists. Imagine a USA where a person like Kucinich or anyone who really wants change has a chance at the presidency. We all were told when we were kids that any of us could grow up to be president. Well folks, it just ain't so. I know we have a woman and/or a person of color who might actually make it to the white house and doesn't that make the left feel good and I'm happy those two candidates are taken seriously for possibly the first time in US history? In reality it will be the same old same old politics whoever wins and we are running out of time people. We can't afford to elect the same anymore.

1 comment:

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