Recommendations for Childbirth Reference books (home/water births)

[Minnie00]

Hi there,
I'm looking to buy a couple of decent books about giving birth, the process and what to expect, with a specific focus on natural home and water birthing.
Having looked on Amazon, there's a bewildering choice available so I'd really appreciate any recommendations for specific books covering the above.
Many thanks, Minnie

[Pruhoohooohoooooni]

THe Active Birth Handbook (Janet balaskas) is great. (Active Birth classes also v useful from this point of view.)
I read one by Sheila Kitzinger called Your Birth Your Way when I was pg and I nearly burnt it. It was rather didactic and scaremongery about hospitals, and though it was a new edition the figures hadn't been changed and I knew hospital policies had moved on, so I wasn't convinced.
It's not that bad but bear in mind the stats are wrong. (Unless it's been updated since its 2003 reprinting.)

[3andnomore]

I loved the Book "rediscovering Birth" by Sheila Kitzinger...it sort of explains a bit of the History of why Birth has changed to todays high technology Births, etc....!

[TuttiFrutti]

My favourite of them all was the one by Professor Lesley Regan, called something original like "Pregnancy and Childbirth". It explains everything with photos in great detail, and there is no agenda, which there is with a lot of the other books.

I enjoyed Janet Balaskas's "Active Birth", but having now been through childbirth I think in retrospect it was quite idealistic. However it does focus on natural and home births so that might be what you are looking for.

[Minnie00]

Thanks very much for the recommendations. I'll have a look at the ones you mentionon - the 'Active Birth' one sounds promising. I've got a couple of Janet Balaskas books and find them to be very comprehensive.

Thanks again.

[dizzybint]

ditto anything by sheila kitzinger. 'the new pregnancy and childbirth' covers everything. she also does a good book called something like 'understanding your crying baby.'

[TheBlonde]

Birth and Beyond by Yehudi Gordon is quite good

[Peanutgant]

Homebirrth by Shelia K is great. She is quite intense but if you look past that its a good book.

[thebigbadmouse]

Nicky Wesson's Homebirth book is really thorough and informative - I think it's just about to be reprinted as a new edition.