100 Best Midwifery Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

Spiritual Midwifery

Ina May Gaskin

5.0

Here is the 4th edition of the classic book on home birth that introduced a whole generation of women to the concept of natural childbirth. Back again are even more amazing birthing tales, including those from women who were babies in earlier editions and stories about Old Order Amish women attended by the Farm midwives.

Also new is information about the safety of techniques routinely used in hospi

2

Educated

Tara Westover

4.9

Preview Summary

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag". In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara nev

Recommended by Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Alexander Stubb, and 6 others.

Barack Obama

Former USA President

As 2018 draws to a close, I’m continuing a favorite tradition of mine and sharing my year-end lists. It gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the year through the books I found most thought-provoking, inspiring, or just plain loved. It also gives me a chance to highlight talented authors – some who are household names and others who you may not have heard of before. Here’s my best of 2018 list. [source]

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

Tara never went to school or visited a doctor until she left home at 17. I never thought I’d relate to a story about growing up in a Mormon survivalist household, but she’s such a good writer that she got me to reflect on my own life while reading about her extreme childhood. Melinda and I loved this memoir of a young woman whose thirst for learning was so strong that she ended up getting a Ph.D. from Cambridge University. [source]

Alexander Stubb

If you read or listen to only one book this summer, this is it. Bloody brilliant! Every word, every sentence. Rarely do I go through a book with such a rollecoaster of emotion, from love to hate. Thank you for sharing @tarawestover #Educated https://t.co/GqLaqlcWMp [source]

3

Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife

Peggy Vincent

4.8

An inspiring collection of birth stories by a charming midwife.

Each time she knelt to “catch” another wriggling baby—nearly three thousand times during her remarkable career—California midwife Peggy Vincent paid homage to the moment when pain bows to joy and the world makes way for one more. With every birth, she encounters another woman-turned-goddess: Catherine rides out her labor in a car caree

4

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

Ina May Gaskin

4.8

What you need to know to have the best birth experience for you.

Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation’s leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina May’s Guide t

5

Heart & Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy & Birth

Elizabeth Davis, Linda Harrison, Suzanne Arms

4.7

Heart & Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy & Birth will shows compassionate sensitivity to women's needs in pregnancy and childbirth.

6

The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times

Jennifer Worth

4.7

Call the Midwife' is a most extraordinary book and should be required reading of all students of midwifery, nursing, sociology and modern history. It tells of the experiences of a young trainee midwife in the East End of London in the 1950's and is a graphic portrayal of the quite appalling conditions that the East Enders endured.

7

Holistic Midwifery: Care During Pregnancy Vol. 1

Anne Frye, K Hindall, et al.

4.6

8

Birth Matters: A Midwife's Manifesta

Ina May Gaskin

4.5

Renowned for her practice's exemplary results and low intervention rates, Ina May Gaskin has gained international notoriety for promoting natural birth. She is a much-beloved leader of a movement that seeks to stop the hyper-medicalization of birth—which has lead to nearly a third of hospital births in America to be cesarean sections—and renew confidence in a woman's natural ability to birth.
Upbea

9

The Birth House

Ami McKay

4.5

Spanning the 20th century Ami McKay takes a primitive and superstitious rural community in Nova Scotia and creates a rich tableau of characters to tell the story of childbirth from its most secretive early practices to modern maternity as we know it. Epic and enchanting, 'The Birth House' is a gripping saga about a midwife's struggles in the wilds of Nova Scotia. As a child in the small village of

10

Midwives

Jennifer Worth

4.5

The time is 1981, and Sibyl Danforth has been a dedicated midwife in the rural community of Reddington, Vermont, for fifteen years. But one treacherous winter night, in a house isolated by icy roads and failed telephone lines, Sibyl takes desperate measures to save a baby's life. She performs an emergency Caesarean section on its mother, who appears to have died in labor. But what if—as Sibyl's as

11

Holistic Midwifery: A Comprehensive Textbook for Midwives in Homebirth Practice, Vol. 2: Care of the Mother and Baby from the Onset of Labor Through the First Hours After Birth

Anne Frye and Rhonda Baker

4.5

12

Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding

Ina May Gaskin

4.5

Everything you need to know to make breastfeeding a joyful, natural, and richly fulfilling experience for both you and your baby

Drawing on her decades of experience in caring for pregnant women, mothers, and babies, Ina May Gaskin explores the health and psychological benefits of breastfeeding and gives you invaluable practical advice that will help you nurse your baby in the most fulfilling way p

13

A Midwife's Story

Penny Armstrong, Sheryl Feldman

4.4

A gripping first-hand account of midwife Penny Armstrong’s journey from student midwife in Glasgow to running her own practice among the Amish in rural Pennsylvania, A Midwife’s Story never fails to enlighten, inform and surprise.

Going far beyond mere biography, Armstrong’s journey of self-discovery is ultimately very moving, and it is the honesty with which she describes the world she discovers w

14

A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

4.4

Drawing on the diaries of a midwife and healer in eighteenth-century Maine, this intimate history illuminates the medical practices, household economies, religious rivalries, and sexual mores of the New England frontier.

Recommended by Mark Peterson.

Mark Peterson

Laurel, who taught at New Hampshire and then at Harvard, wrote this brilliant picture of rural New England life, set from the 1780s to the 1820 or so based on the diary of a midwife named Martha Ballard. It took virtuosic interpretive work to tease meaning out of the cryptic writings in this diary. She managed to assemble coastal Maine was like in this time period. You get a stunning portrait of what it was like to live in that time and place. [source]

15

The Midwife of Hope River (Hope River #1)

Patricia Harman

4.4

A remarkable new voice in American fiction, creates an uplifting novel that celebrates the miracle of life.

A William Morrow Paperback Original
A debut novel featuring Patience Murphy, an Appalachian midwife in the 1930s struggling against disease, poverty, and prejudices-and her own haunting past-to bring new light, and life, into an otherwise cruel world

As a midwife working in the hardscrabble con

16

The Red Tent

Anita Diamant

4.4

Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the f

17

Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali

Kris Hollowa

4.4

Cover unavailable

18

The Birth Partner

Penny Simkin

4.4

Fully updated and revised, this guide covers the time from the last few weeksof pregnancy through the early postpartum period. Includes new information onwater birth, labor aids, and epidural anesthesia. 35 illustrations.

19

Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care

Jennifer Block

4.4

In the United States, more than half the women who give birth are given drugs to induce or speed up labor; for nearly a third of mothers, childbirth is major surgery - the cesarean section. For women who want an alternative, choice is often unavailable: Midwives are sometimes inaccessible; in eleven states they are illegal. In one of those states, even birthing centers are outlawed.When did birth

20

Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation

Pam England

4.4

Here is a holistic approach to childbirth that examines this profound rite-of-passage not as a medical event but as an act of self-discovery. Exercises and activities such as journal writing, meditation, and painting will help mothers analyze their thoughts and face their fears during pregnancy. For use during birth, the book offers proven techniques for coping with labor pain without drugs, a dis

21

The Labor Progress Handbook: Early Interventions to Prevent and Treat Dystocia

Penny Simkin

4.3

This is the first comprehensive compilation of problem-based, low cost, low risk measures to prevent or treat difficult labor. These measures are logically used before higher-cost, higher-risk interventions. The book is arranged so that a busy midwife can find desired information quickly using flowcharts, plentiful illustrations, and minimal text presented in a systematic approach to specific cond

22

Witches, Midwives and Nurses: A History of Women Healers

Barbara Ehrenreich, Deirdre English

4.3

Women have always been healers, and medicine has always been an arena of struggle between female practitioners and male professionals. This pamphlet explores two important phases in the male takeover of health care: the suppression of witches in medieval Europe and the rise of the male medical profession in the United States. The authors conclude that despite efforts to exclude them, the resurgenc

23

Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart- A Midwife's Saga

Carol Leonard

4.3

A memoir of a young midwife practicing in the wilds of New Hampshire who trained with a wonderful old country doctor, fell in love with her obstetrician back-up, and ultimately became a national leader in the struggle to reclaim the profession of midwifery in the United States. A story of love, loss and deep dedication to birthing women.

24

Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born

Tina Cassidy

4.3

From evolution to the epidural and beyond, Tina Cassidy presents a lively, enlightening, and impeccably researched cultural history of how and why we are born the way we are.

Women have been giving birth for millennia, so why is it that every culture—and every generation—seems to have its own ideas about the best way to get a baby born? Among the topics that Tina Cassidy looks at are: why birth ca

25

Farewell to the East End: The Last Days of the East End Midwives

Jennifer Worth

4.3

This final book in Jennifer Worth's memories of her time as a midwife in London's East end brings her story full circle. As always there are heartbreaking stories such as the family devastated by tuberculosis and a ship's woman who 'serviced' the entire crew, as well as plenty of humour and warmth such as the tale of two women who shared the same husband! Other stories cover backstreet abortions,

26

The Blue Cotton Gown: A Midwife's Memoir

Patricia Harman

4.3

Heather is pale and thin, seventeen and pregnant with twins when Patricia Harman begins to care for her. Over the course of the next five seasons Patsy will see Heather through the loss of both babies and their father. She will also care for her longtime patient Nila, pregnant for the eighth time and trying to make a new life without her abusive husband. And Patsy will try to find some comfort to

27

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

Henci Goer, Rhonda Wheeler

4.3

As an intelligent woman, you are probably used to learning as much as you can before making major decisions. But when it comes to one of the most important decisions of your life--how you will give birth—it is hard to gather accurate, unbiased information. Surprisingly, much of the research does not support common medical opinion and practice.

Birth activist Henci Goer gives clear, concise informat

28

Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year (Wise Woman Herbal Series, #1)

Susun S. Weed

4.3

Simple, safe remedies for pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and newborns.

Now in its 24th printing. A confirmed favorite with pregnant women, midwives, childbirth educators, and new parents. Packed with clear, comforting, and superbly helpful information.

Beginning with the two months before pregnancy, herbs are enlisted to provide safe, effective birth control, or to help ensure pregnancy, even in

29

Active Birth: The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally

Janet Balaskas

4.3

Janet Balaskas led a movement of women who refused to give birth lying down. She has been teaching women about "active birth" ever since. In this updated and Americanized guide, Balaskas explains how to prepare for and experience a truly natural birth. She leads the pregnant woman through yoga-based stretching exercises and massage practice, and describes the stages of labor and comfortable positi

30

Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health

Toni Weschler

4.3

Celebrating 10 years of helping hundreds of thousands of women achieve pregnancy, avoid pregnancy naturally, and gain better control of their health and lives, the 10th Anniversary Edition of the classic bestseller will include:

-New 'Preface to the 10th Anniversary Edition"

-Updates on new fertility technologies

-Natural approaches to conception

-Updated Resources and Books

For any woman unhappy with

31

Year of Wonders

Geraldine Brooks

4.3

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting

Recommended by Lynda La Plante.

Lynda La Plante

A remarkable story about the Great Plague of London and holds the reader’s attention as if a terrible crime has been committed and wondering what the outcome can be. [source]

32

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

La Leche League International.

4.3

33

When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women

Penny Simkin, Phyllis Klaus

4.2

34

A Child is Born

Lennart Nilsson

4.2

This completely revised edition of the beloved international classic is now entirely in color, with historic, never-before-seen photos in every chapter and an entirely new text.

Recommended by Vivette Glover.

Vivette Glover

This is the most outstanding book of photography showing the development of a child from the very beginning. It shows the initial blob of a few cells after the sperm meets the egg, and all the later developmental stages, culminating in the fetus at the end of pregnancy, just ready to be born as a new baby. It shows the development of all the organs, and of the hands and feet, and an unborn baby sucking its thumb at 20 weeks gestation. [source]

35

The Midwife's Apprentice

Karen Cushman

4.2

From the author of Catherine, Called Birdy comes another spellbinding novel set in medieval England. The girl known only as Brat has no family, no home, and no future until she meets Jane the Midwife and becomes her apprentice. As she helps the sharp-tempered Jane deliver babies, Brat--who renames herself Alyce--gains knowledge, confidence, and the courage to want something from life: "A full bell

36

Understanding Diagnostic Tests in the Childbearing Year: A Holistic Approach

Anne Frye and Rhonda Baker

4.2

37

Varney's Midwifery

Helen Varney

4.2

38

Listen to Me Good: The Story of an Alabama Midwife (Women & Health C&S Perspective)

MARGARET CHARLES SMITH

4.2

Margaret Charles Smith, a ninety-one-year-old Alabama midwife, has thousands of birthing stories to tell. Sifting through nearly five decades of providing care for women in rural Greene County, she relates the tales that capture the life-and-death struggle of the birthing experience and the traditions, pharmacopeia, and spiritual attitudes that influenced her practice. Believed to be the oldest li

39

Shadows of the Workhouse

Jennifer Worth

4.2

In this follow up to CALL THE MIDWIFE, Jennifer Worth, a midwife working in the docklands area of East London in the 1950s tells more stories about the people she encountered.

There's Jane, who cleaned and generally helped out at Nonnatus House - she was taken to the workhouse as a baby and was allegedly the illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat. Peggy and Frank's parents both died within 6 months

40

Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying, and Pleasurable Birth Experience

Elizabeth Davis

4.2

Based on the hit documentary that inspired a vibrant online community, this innovative approach to birthing shows women how to maximize childbirth's emotional and physical rewards

With more than 4 million babies born in the United States each year, too many women experience birth as nothing more than a routine or painful event. In her much-praised film Orgasmic Birth, acclaimed filmmaker Debra Pasc

41

My Notorious Life

Kate Manning

4.2

A brilliant rendering of a scandalous historical figure, Kate Manning's My Notorious Life is an ambitious, thrilling novel introducing Axie Muldoon, a fiery heroine for the ages. Axie's story begins on the streets of 1860s New York. The impoverished child of Irish immigrants, she grows up to become one of the wealthiest and most controversial women of her day.

In vivid prose, Axie recounts how she

42

The Roar Behind the Silence: Why Kindness, Compassion and Respect Matter in Maternity Care

Sheena Byrom, Soo Downe

4.2

For many years there has been growing concern about the culture of fear that is penetrating maternity services throughout the world, and that the fear felt by maternity care workers is directly and indirectly being transferred to the women and families they serve.

The consequences of fear include increased risk of defensive practice, where the childbearing woman and her family become potential ene

43

Skills for Midwifery Practice

Ruth Johnson BA(Hons) RGN RM and Wendy Taylor BSc (Hons) MSc RN RM

4.2

The new edition of this highly acclaimed step-by-step guide continues to offer readers with the relevant physiology, evidence-base and rationale for the key midwifery skills. Authored by experienced practitioners and educationalists, Skills for Midwifery Practice 4e will be ideal for all midwifery students, both from within the UK and worldwide.

Presents over 150 essential midwifery procedures in a

Cover unavailable

44

Childbirth without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth

Grantly Dick-Read, Michel Odent

4.2

In an age where birth has often been overtaken by obstetrics, Dr Dick-Read's philosophy is still as fresh and relevant as it was when he originally wrote this book. He unpicks every possible root cause of western woman's fear and anxiety in pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding and does so with overwhelming heart and empathy. Essential reading for all parents-to-be, childbirth educators, midwive

45

Mayes' Midwifery

Sue Macdonald MSc PGCEA ADM RM RN FETC FRCM (Hon) and Gail Johnson MADPSMPGDip Adult EducationRMRN

4.2

A new edition of a classic textbook fully updated to meet the needs of today's midwifery student. Now available for the first time in full color, the 15th edition of Mayes Midwifery has an enhanced artwork program and comes with an extensive website which provides 600 MCQs and wide selection of case studies and reflective activities; a downloadable image bank assists with essay and assignment prep

46

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide

Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley RN, et al.

4.2

Available for the first time in full color, the up-to-date and authoritative pregnancy guide that has sold 1.5 million copies--by recognizing that "one size fits all" doesn't apply to maternity care

Parents love this book because it puts them in control; experts love it because it's based on the latest medical research and recommendations from leading health organizations. Pregnancy, Childbirth, an

47

Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First

Marsden Wagner

4.2

In this rare, behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in hospitals across the country, a longtime medical insider and international authority on childbirth assesses the flawed American maternity care system, powerfully demonstrating how it fails to deliver safe, effective care for both mothers and babies. Written for mothers and fathers, obstetricians, nurses, midwives, scientists, insurance profes

48

Anatomy and Physiology for Midwives

Jane Coad BSc PhD PGCEA and Melvyn Dunstall BSc MSc PGCEA RM RGN

4.2

Anatomy & Physiology for Midwives3rd edition builds on the success of the first two editions with electronic ancillaries, more accessible, woman-centred language and strengthened links with good practice. The book provides a thorough review of anatomy and physiology applicable to midwifery, from first principles through to current research, utilizing case studies for reflection. A comprehensive an

49

Into These Hands: Wisdom from Midwives

Geradine Simkins

4.2

A complete view of midwifery including history, health care, benefits vs. hospital births.

50

Birth as an American Rite of Passage

Robbie E. Davis-Floyd

4.2

Why do so many American women allow themselves to become enmeshed in the standardized routines of technocratic childbirth--routines that can be insensitive, unnecessary, and even unhealthy? Anthropologist Robbie Davis-Floyd first addressed these questions in the 1992 edition. Her new preface to this 2003 edition of a book that has been read, applauded, and loved by women all over the world, makes

51

The Reluctant Midwife (Hope River #2)

Patricia Harman

4.2

The USA Today bestselling author of The Midwife of Hope River returns with a heartfelt sequel, a novel teeming with life and full of humor and warmth, one that celebrates the human spirit

The Great Depression has hit West Virginia hard. Men are out of work; women struggle to feed hungry children. Luckily, Nurse Becky Myers has returned to care for them. While she can handle most situations, Becky i

52

Arms Wide Open: A Midwife's Journey

Patricia Harman

4.2

A midwife’s memoir of living free and naturally against all odds

In her first, highly praised memoir, The Blue Cotton Gown, Patricia Harman recounted the stories that patients brought into her exam room, and her own story of struggling to help women as a nurse-midwife. In Arms Wide Open, a prequel to that acclaimed book, Patsy tells the story of growing up during one of the most turbulent times in

53

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way: Revised Edition

Susan McCutcheon

4.2

The classic guide to an unmedicated childbirth, fully revised for the twenty-first century--with updated information and attractive new illustrations and photos throughout. For women birthing vaginally, 90% of Bradley births are drug-free!

The Bradley Method(R), used and praised by women for almost seventy years, prepares you for drug and surgery-free childbirth and puts you in control by providin

54

My Name is Mary Sutter (Mary Sutter, #1)

Robin Oliveira

4.2

A New York Times bestseller and a moving Civil War novel about a young midwife who dreams of becoming a surgeon.

Fans of Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, and Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini will love this New York Times bestselling tale of the Civil War. Mary Sutter is a brilliant young midwife who dreams of becoming a surgeon. Eager to run a

55

Real Food for Pregnancy

Lily Nichols

4.1

Prenatal nutrition can be confusing. A lot of the advice you have been given about what to eat (or what not to eat) is well-meaning, but frankly, outdated or not evidenced-based. In Real Food for Pregnancy, you ll get clear answers on what to eat and why, with research to back up every recommendation. Author and specialist in prenatal nutrition, Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE, has taken a long and hard lo

56

For the Love of Men: A New Vision for Mindful Masculinity

Liz Plank

4.1

A nonfiction investigation into masculinity, For the Love of Men provides actionable steps for how to be a man in the modern world while also exploring how being a man has evolved.

In 2019, traditional masculinity is both rewarded and sanctioned. Men grow up being told that boys don’t cry and dolls are for girls. They learn they must hide their feelings and anxieties, that their masculinity must co

Recommended by Arianna Huffington, Brett S. Vergara, Cindy Gallop, and 6 others.

Arianna Huffington

Founder/The Huffington Post

.@feministabulous's new and vital book, "For the Love of Men," is not just about our misguided notions of masculinity, it’s a guide for how we can get to a better place for both men and women. https://t.co/W8uT1WKHQk [source]

Brett S. Vergara

This was SUCH a great and fun talk around masculinity and I can’t recommend it + reading @feministabulous new book on it enough 📚 💯 @viallnicholas28 https://t.co/XZVVIyOIB1 [source]

Cindy Gallop

@3PercentConf "I cannot recommend to you too highly, white men in advertising, but also to everyone in this audience, please read @feministabulous's brilliant book, 'For The Love Of Men: A New Vision For Mindful Masculinity'" @3PercentConf https://t.co/fvNRLNrysR #changetheratio #diversity [source]

57

Our Heaven Baby: a children's book on miscarriage and the hope of heaven

Leah Vis

4.1

58

The Farmer and the Obstetrician

Michel Odent

4.1

In his new book Michel Odent shows how farming and childbirth have been industrialized side by side during the 20th century - with dramatic and disturbing consequences. The similarities are striking. In both cases innovations have been presented as the long awaited solution to an old problem: the advent of powerful synthetic insecticides has, overnight, dramatically reduced the costs and increased

59

The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth (Revised)

Sheila Kitzinger

4.1

This new edition of The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth has been extensively revised to reflect scientific advances and cultural trends. Here, candidly and reasonably presented, is all the information expectant parents need to make their own decisions about everything--from which tests to allow to how to handle pain to where to give birth. 300 photos, drawings & diagrams.

60

A Book for Midwives: Care for Pregnancy, Birth, and Women's Health

Susan Klein, Suellen Miller, et al.

4.1

61

Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy, and Childbirth

Julia Oparah and Alicia Bonaparte

4.1

There is a global crisis in maternal health care for black women. In the United States, black women are over three times more likely to perish from pregnancy-related complications than white women; their babies are half as likely to survive the first year. Many black women experience policing, coercion, and disempowerment during pregnancy and childbirth and are disconnected from alternative birthi

62

Birth without Violence

Frédérick Leboyer, Frederick Leboyer

4.1

The classic guide to gentle birth that revolutionized the way we welcome our children into the world.

• The first book to express what mothers have always known: babies are born complete human beings with the ability to experience a full range of emotions.

• Shows how gentle lighting, a quiet atmosphere, and a warm bath allow a newborn to ease the transition from womb to world without trauma or fe

63

The Midwife of Venice (Midwife #1)

Roberta Rich

4.1

At midnight, the dogs, cats, and rats rule Venice. The Ponte di Ghetto Nuovo, the bridge that leads to the ghetto, trembles under the weight of sacks of rotting vegetables, rancid fat, and vermin. Shapeless matter, perhaps animal, floats to the surface of Rio di San Girolamo and hovers on its greasy waters. Through the mist rising from the canal the cries and grunts of foraging pigs echo. Seeping

64

Tales from a Midwife

Jennifer Worth

4.1

NOTE: Abridgement of books 1-3 of The Midwife Trilogy.

This omnibus audio edition of CALL THE MIDWIFE, SHADOWS OF THE WORKHOUSE and FAREWELL TO THE EAST END chronicles Jennifer Worth's career as a midwife, from her arrival in the war-scarred Docklands as a wide-eyed trainee, to the demolition of the tenements.

It provides a fascinating snapshot of social history, documenting the East End in the days

65

The Last Midwife

Sandra Dallas

4.1

It is 1880 and Gracy Brookens is the only midwife in a small Colorado mining town where she has delivered hundreds, maybe thousands, of babies in her lifetime. The women of Swandyke trust and depend on Gracy, and most couldn't imagine getting through pregnancy and labor without her by their sides.

But everything changes when a baby is found dead...and the evidence points to Gracy as the murderer.

Sh

66

Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities: A Guide to the Medical Literature

Henci Goer

4.1

Anyone working to improve the childbearing experience and help women avoid unnecessary intervention has encountered numerous obstetric myths or old doctors' tales. And while the evidence in the medical literature may be solidly, often unequivocably, against whatever the doctor said, without access to that evidence, the pregnant woman is quite reasonably going to follow her doctor. This book is an

67

Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experience

Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein, Jacques Moritz

4.1

The national C-section rate is at an all-time high of 31 percent. Are all these C-sections necessary, or are some of them done simply for the sake of convenience? Inductions seem to be the norm, but are they always needed? Today, expectant mothers are often left feeling powerless, as their instincts are replaced by drugs and routine medical procedures.

What you are about to discover is that you ha

68

The Midwife's Revolt (The Midwife Series, #1)

Jodi Daynar

4.1

On a dark night in 1775, Lizzie Boylston is awakened by the sound of cannons. From a hill south of Boston, she watches as fires burn in Charlestown, in a battle that she soon discovers has claimed her husband’s life.

Alone in a new town, Lizzie grieves privately but takes comfort in her deepening friendship with Abigail Adams. Soon, word spreads of Lizzie’s extraordinary midwifery and healing skill

69

Textbook of Neonatal Resuscitation

American Academy of Pediatrics

4.1

New 7th Edition!
Powerful resource for interactive, simulation-based teaching and learning!
The Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) is an educational program jointly sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA). The course is designed to teach an evidence-based approach to resuscitation of the newborn to hospital staff who care for newborns at the

70

Birth Reborn: What Childbirth Should Be

Michel Odent

4.1

In Birth Reborn Michel Odent outlines the choices available to the mother who wants to give birth naturally, in her own way and with full control over her own body, drawing on his decades of experience as an obstetrician who dealt with 1,000 births a year. It is central to his philosophy that birth is instinctive, and that an environment that promotes intimacy and creativity is essential in the ex

71

The Secrets of Midwives

Sally Hepworth

4.1

A novel about three generations of midwives (a woman, her mother, and her grandmother) and the secrets they keep that push them apart and ultimately bind them together

THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES tells the story of three generations of women devoted to delivering new life into the world—and the secrets they keep that threaten to change their own lives forever. Neva Bradley, a third-generation midwife,

72

Immaculate Deception II: Myth, Magic and Birth

Suzanne Arms

4.1

In this intimate perspective on birth, renowned author and photographer Suzanne Arms conveys the inherent wisdom in this natural process, through her eloquent words and pictures.

73

Scientification of Love

Michel Odent

4.1

Why do all cultures ritually disrupt the first contact between mother and new-born baby? Why has there hitherto been an evolutionary advantage in developing human potential for aggression rather than the capacity to love? Until recently love has been the realm of poets, artists and philosophers. Latterly it has been studied from multiple scientific perspectives. Michel Odent argues that the specia

74

Tales of a Midwife

Maria Anderson

4.1

After fainting whilst attending her first three births, Maria went from nervous trainee to assured midwife and in her brilliant memoir she recounts the highs and lows of life inside the maternity unit. From frantic fathers and breaking her hand during a traumatic home birth, to witnessing the delivery of quads and the ultimate devastation of assisting the delivery of a stillborn baby, Maria has ha

75

The Caesarean

Michel Odent

4.1

How did a magnificent rescue operation become such a common way of giving birth? And how safe is it really? Why do some countries have 10 percent caesarean births, and some more than 50 percent? Why have risky procedures, such as forceps deliveries, not been eliminated by the C-section? What are the very first microbes met by a caesarean-born baby? Is it easy to breastfeed after a caesarean? What

76

Midwife: A Calling

Peggy Vincen

4.1

From the author of BABY CATCHER.

When Peggy Vincent first found herself holding a naked baby in her bare hands as a student nurse in 1962, she never dreamed the path her life would take as a result of that accidental catch.

Countless births followed. Hippies, lawyers, teenagers, welfare moms, marijuana growers, smugglers, spiritualists, Orthodox Jews, neurologists, Christian Scientists, Muslims, t

77

The Midwife's Confession

Diane Chamberlain

4.1

Dear Anna,
What I have to tell you is difficult to write, but I know it will be far more difficult for you to hear, and I'm so sorry—

The unfinished letter is the only clue Tara and Emerson have to the reason behind their close friend Noelle's suicide. Everything they knew about Noelle—her calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family—described a woman who embrace

78

Gentle Birth Choices

Barbara Harper, Suzanne Arms

4.1

Birth as every woman would like it to be

• Recommended by Lamaze International as one of the top ten books for pregnant women and their families

• Includes a 45-minute DVD of six live gentle births

• More than 32,000 copies sold of the original edition

New parents are faced with a myriad of choices about pregnancy, labor, and birth. In Gentle Birth Choices Barbara Harper, renowned childbirth advocate

79

The Book of Negroes

Lawrence Hill

4.1

Based on a true story, "The Book of Negroes" tells the story of Aminata, a young girl abducted from her village in Mali aged 11 in 1755, and who, after a deathly journey on a slave ship where she witnesses the brutal repression of a slave revolt, is sold to a plantation owner in South Carolina, who rapes her. She is brought to New York, where she escapes her owner, and finds herself helping the Br

80

Myles' Textbook for Midwives

Diane M. Fraser PhD MPHil BEd MTD RM RGN, Margaret A. Cooper BA RGN RM MTD

4.1

The new edition of this market-leading textbook builds on the strengths of the previous edition. Completely updated and revised, it provides the most up-to-date perspectives and research on a complete range of the theoretical, practical, and background concepts with which modern midwives should be familiar. In addition, it offers numerous summary boxes and flowcharts and provides clear guidance on

81

Evidence-Based Care for Normal Labour and Birth: A Guide for Midwives

Denis Walsh

4.1

Evidence-based care is a well established principle in contemporary healthcare and a world wide health care movement. However, despite the emphasis on promoting evidence-based or effective care without the unnecessary use of technologies and drugs, intervention rates in childbirth are rising rapidly.

Evidence-based Care for Normal Labour and Birth brings to light much of the evidence around what wo

82

Myles Textbook for Midwives

Jayne E. Marshall FRCMPFHEAPhDMAPGCEAADMRMRN and Maureen D. Raynor MA PGCEA ADM RMN RN RM

4.1

The sixteenth edition of this seminal textbook, Myles Textbook for Midwives, has been extensively revised and restructured to ensure that it reflects current midwifery practice, with an increased focus on topics that are fundamental to midwifery practice today. The book comes with Elsevier EVOLVE ancillaries - an online learning package which consists of 500 self-assessment questions and answers a

83

Oxorn-Foote Human Labor and Birth

Harry Oxorn

4.0

84

The Politics of Breastfeeding: When Breasts Are Bad for Business

Gabrielle Palmer

4.0

As revealing as Freakonomics, shocking as Fast Food Nationand thought provoking as No Logo, The Politics of Breastfeeding exposes infant feeding as one of the most important public health issues of our time.
Every thirty seconds a baby dies from infections due to a lack of breastfeeding and the use of bottles, artificial milks and other risky products. In her powerful book Gabrielle Palmer describe

85

The Amish Midwife

Mindy Starns Clark, Leslie Gould

4.0

A dusty carved box containing two locks of hair and a century-old letter regarding property in Switzerland, and a burning desire to learn about her biological family lead nurse-midwife Lexie Jaeger from her home in Oregon to the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country. There she meets Marta Bayer, a mysterious lay-midwife who desperately needs help after an Amish client and her baby die.

Lexie steps in

86

Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds

Cynthia Gabriel

4.0

These days, many mothers-to-be find themselves torn between the desire for a natural childbirth with minimal medical intervention and the peace of mind offered by instant access to life-saving technology that only a hospital can provide. In Natural Hospital Birth, doula Cynthia Gabriel asserts that there is no good reason that women in North America should not be able to have both. She shows expec

87

The Archaeology of Mothering: An African-American Midwife's Tale

Laurie A. Wilkie

4.0

Using archaeological materials recovered from a housesite in Mobile, Alabama, Laurie Wilkie explores how one extended African-American family engaged with competing and conflicting mothering ideologies in the post-Emancipation South.

88

The Midwife's Tale

Gretchen Moran Laskas

4.0

"I come from a long line of midwives," narrates Elizabeth Whitely. "I was expected to follow Mama, follow Granny, follow Great-granny. In the end, I didn't disappoint them.

Or perhaps I did. After all, there were no more midwives after me."For generations, the women in Elizabeth's family have brought life to Kettle Valley, West Virginia, heeding a destiny to tend its women with herbals, experience,

89

Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers

Nancy Mohrbacher, Kathleen Kendall-tackett

4.0

Breastfeeding is natural, but it's not always easy. It is the biological norm, but it is not the cultural norm. By learning the seven basic principles in this book, mothers can dramatically increase their likelihood of success and make breastfeeding the enjoyable experience it should be. The seven laws taught in Breast Feeding Made Simple are easy for mothers to understand and are sure to help the

90

Diary of a Midwife: The Power of Positive Childbearing

Juliana van Olphen-Fehr

4.0

Despite our country's affluence and high-tech advances in neonatal intensive care, in 1994 the U.S. ranked twenty-first in infant mortality rates among developed countries with populations over 2.5 million. Women with low-risk pregnancies are frequently failed by the traditional obstetrical system, either because they cannot afford proper prenatal care--and therefore often give birth to babies who

91

What to Expect When You're Expecting

Heidi Murkoff

4.0

America’s pregnancy bible answers all your baby questions.
When can I take home a pregnancy test?
How can I eat for two if I’m too queasy to eat for one?
Can I keep up my spinning classes?
Is fish safe to eat? And what’s this I hear about soft cheese?
Can I work until I deliver? What are my rights on the job?
I’m blotchy and broken out—where’s the glow?
Should we do a gender reveal? What about a 4-D ultr

92

The Baby Book, Revised Edition: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two

William Sears MD, Martha Sears RN, et al.

4.0

America's bestselling "baby bible" -- an encyclopedic guide to the first two years of your baby's life.

The million-copy bestseller by "the man who remade motherhood" (TIME) has now been revised, expanded, and bought thoroughly up-to-date -- with the latest information on everything from diapering to day care, from midwifery to hospital birthing rooms, from postpartum nutrition to infant developme

93

Give Birth Like a Feminist: Your body. Your baby. Your choices.

Milli Hill

4.0

As featured on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 5 Live
Selected as one of the Independent’s 10 best pregnancy books for expectant parents
Birth is a feminist issue. It’s the feminist issue nobody’s talking about.

For too long women have been told, ‘a healthy baby is all that matters’. This book dares to say women matter too.

Finally blasting the feminist spotlight into the labour ward, Milli Hill encourages

94

The Midwife's Here! The Enchanting True Story of One of Britain's Longest Serving Midwives

Linda Fairley

4.0

Delivering my first baby is a memory that will stay with me forever. Just feeling the warmth of a newborn head in your hands, that new life, there’s honestly nothing like it… I’ve since brought more than 2,200 babies into the world, and I still tingle with excitement every time.

It’s the summer of 1967and St Mary’s Maternity Hospital in Manchester is a place from a bygone age. It is filled with sta

95

Our Bodies, Ourselves for the New Century

Boston womens health book

4.0

Our Bodies, Ourselves is the resource that women of all ages turn to for information about their bodies, sexuality, and reproductive health. Completely revised and updated, these pages provide women with the information and tools they need to make key health decisions—accurate, evidence-based information, input from leading experts, and personal stories from women who share their experiences. This

96

Midwifery & Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Certification Review Guide

Beth M. Kelsey and Jamille Nagtalon-Ramos

4.0

The Perfect Study Guide for the AMCB or NCC Exam! Midwifery & Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Certification Review Guide, Second Edition is a comprehensive review designed specifically for those preparing to take the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) or the National Certification Corporation (NCC) Women's Health Nurse Practitioner certification exams. Completely revised and updated,

97

A Pocket Guide to Clinical Midwifery: The Efficient Midwife

Lauren A. Dutton, Jessica E. Densmore, et al.

4.0

A Pocket Guide to Clinical Midwifery: The Efficient Midwife, Second Edition is a must-have resource for midwives, women's health nurse practitioners, and all levels of health care providers working in the women's health field. Organized alphabetically for easy reference, it features important concepts, diagnostic tools, algorithms, and management options, including conventional, lifestyle, and com

98

The Nursing Mother's Companion

Kathleen Huggins

4.0

Breastfeeding is natural, but it is not entirely instinctive for either mothers or babies. The Nursing Mother’s Companion has been among the best-selling books on breastfeeding for 25 years, and is respected and recommended by professionals and well loved by new parents for its encouraging and accessible style. Kathleen Huggins equips breastfeeding mothers with all the information they need to ove

99

Birth Emergency Skills Training: Manual for Out-Of-Hospital Midwives

Bonnie U. Gruenberg

4.0

Midwives attending childbirth in homes and birth centers seldom encounter emergencies, but when crisis occurs, lives hang in the balance! It is difficult to remain proficient in skills so seldom practiced, yet pregnant women rely on the expertise of the provider in an emergency. Birth Emergency Skills Training: Manual for Out-of-Hospital Midwives is the interface between the world of midwifery and

100

Birth Crisis

Sheila Kitzinger

4.0

One new mother in twenty is diagnosed with traumatic stress after childbirth. In Birth Crisis Sheila Kitzinger explores the disempowerment and anxiety experienced by these women. Key topics discussed include:

increasing intervention in pregnancy the shift in emphasis from relationships to technology in childbirth how family, friends and professional caregivers can reach out to traumatized mothers h