My Vote For Best Childbirth book!

If you are pregnant, I STRONGLY recommend purchasing this book: 

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and theNewborn: The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin, April Bolding, Ann Keppler, andJanelle Durham 4th ed.

 

It was by far my favorite out of all the books I had, SO GREAT. If you are looking for a book that breaks down pregnancy week by week or month by month, this is not the book you want. What this book does have, is the most comprehensive, straight forward, judgement free facts on the stages of childbirth and pain relief methods (including natural coping strategies) I found in any book or on the web. There is so much information out there, but not all of it is easy to read. If you know you want pain relief during labor, there is a great list of options which breaks  down the benefits and potential risks of each. If you know you want a natural birth, there are many natural pain relief methods included as well. There are no scare tactics for either choice, just straightforward facts. The exhaustive overview of childbirth alone makes this book worth a read, but it also includes information on eating well, exercise, and newborn care.