Recommended Reads…

Great reading for the birthing woman.

Ten Moons - The Inner Journey of Pregnancy, Preparation for Natural Birth

Jane Hardwicke Collings

This is a unique guide to pregnancy and birth. Written by a homebirth midwife, mother and grandmother, this book gives the power back to the woman to be the centre of her birthing universe, returning to her the keys to the long locked gates of the realm of feminine strength and the spiritual essence of birth. "The female body is designed for ecstasy-at menstruation, during lovemaking and giving birth. This book is your guide into the ecstasy and sacredness of birth. Full of love for everything that's right about your amazing body as a woman, you'll discover a wiser, more empowered approach to pregnancy and birth. It's knowledge that should be every woman's birthright...lets spread the word!" Alexandra Pope, author of 'The Wild Genie: The Healing Power of Menstruation" and "The Woman's Quest"

Spiritual Midwifery
Ina May Gaskin

Now in its 4th edition, Spiritual Midwifery remains a groundbreaking classic that introduced an entire generation to the concept of natural childbirth.

This updated edition features even more inspiring birth stories—including accounts from women who were born during earlier editions of the book. New material includes up-to-date information on the safety of common hospital practices during and after birth, insights into postpartum depression and maternal mortality, and the latest statistics on births overseen by the Farm Midwives.

From remarkable birth stories to comprehensive guidance on newborn care, Spiritual Midwifery continues to be an essential resource for expectant mothers. It also includes valuable resources for doulas, childbirth educators, birth centers, and organizations dedicated to advancing maternity care both at home and in hospitals.

Matrescence

Lucy Jones

A revelatory account of the transition into motherhood and how it affects the mind, brain and body.

During pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood, women undergo a far-reaching physiological and psychological metamorphosis. There is no other time in a human's life course that entails such dramatic change-other than adolescence. And yet this life-altering transition has been sorely neglected by science, medicine and philosophy. Its seismic effects go largely unrepresented across literature and the arts. Speaking about motherhood as anything other than a pastel-hued dream is virtually taboo.

In this ground-breaking investigation, acclaimed science journalist and author Lucy Jones brings to light the emerging concept of 'matrescence'. Drawing on new research across various fields - neuroscience and evolutionary biology; psychoanalysis and existential therapy; sociology, economics, ecology and cultural history - Jones shows how the changes in the maternal mind, brain and body are far more profound, wild and enduring than we have been led to believe. She reveals the dangerous consequences of our neglect of the maternal experience - today, one in ten women develop a mental illness in the first year of new motherhood; a third of mothers with more than one child suffer from postnatal depression - and she explores the patriarchal and capitalist institutions that have created the untenable situation mothers face today.

Here is an urgent examination of motherhood and mental health, which seeks to unshackle mothers from the weight of unrealistic medical, cultural and economic expectations. It is an unignorable rallying cry to deepen our understanding of matrescence, and to make the experience of pregnancy, birth and child-raising better for future parents.

Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering
Sarah Buckley

Sarah Buckley might be called a third-wave natural birth advocate. A doctor and a mother, she approaches the question of how a woman and baby might have the most fulfilling birth experience with respect for the wisdom of both medical science and the human body. Using current medical and epidemiological research plus women's experiences (including her own), she demonstrates that what she calls undisturbed birth is almost always healthier and safer than hospital births. Her wise counsel on issues like breastfeeding and sleeping during postpartum helps extend the gentle birth experience into a gentle parenting relationship.

The Heart In The Womb: An Exploration Into The Roots Of Human Love And Social Cohesion
Amali Lokugamage

Modern-day life and our highly stressed, risk-averse society has led to a medicalised, fearful model of childbirth, one that has stripped the process of its wondrous magic. In this groundbreaking book, consultant obstetrician Dr Amali Lokugamage discusses ways in which every woman can aim to give birth in the most natural, supportive way possible, and looks at the wider implications for society at large. This is an exploration into the roots of human love and social cohesion.

Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives: How To Use Meditation, Yoga And Other Techniques To Give Your Child The Perfect Start In Life, From Conception to Early Infancy.

Deepak Chopra

Using exercises and techniques developed over ten years of teaching a popular series of workshops at the Chopra Center for Well Being, Dr Deepak Chopra shows readers how to see parenthood from a very different perspective. Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives uses meditation, yoga, dietary guidelines, natural remedies, visualization, journaling and drawing to enhance the experience of pregnancy and birth for both parents and baby. Also included are practical strategies to prepare the parents for labour and delivery, caring for the newborn child and enjoying parenthood. By applying established techniques from Deepak Chopra's internationally famous mind/body approach to the experience of pregnancy, childbirth and early infancy, Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives adds previously unexplored dimensions of physical health, joy and insight to elevate one of life's primal experiences to the realm of the miraculous.

New Active Birth: A Concise Guide To Natural Childbirth
Janet Balaskas

New Active Birth will help you and your partner prepare for and experience an Active Birth. Naturally, throughout time and the world over, women have chosen to walk, stand, squat, lie - to move their bodies freely and actively to find the most comfortable positions for labour and birth. It is only we in the west who have the extraordinary notion that a woman should lie on her back in a position that defies the laws of nature and gravity. With this book, you can learn to develop all your body's resources to deal with the instinctive experience of childbirth. It is also for partners, teachers, midwives and everyone involved, to help mothers get up off the delivery table and to bring back some of the common sense which has been overlooked by modern obstetrics. 

Heart And Hands: A Midwife's Guide To Pregnancy And Birth
Elizabeth Davis

A fully revised update of the foundational text on birth assisting from internationally renowned authority Elizabeth Davis, offering professional guidance for both aspiring and veteran midwives. Presenting information on what to expect during each stage of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery, Heart and Hands has been the most trusted guide for midwives and expecting parents for more than two decades. This completely revised edition includes new photographs and illustrations, updated resources for parents, and a current list of midwifery schools. Information will be added throughout to reflect the latest research on the physiology of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Combining time-honoured teachings with the most current obstetric techniques, this essential reference empowers birthing helpers and parents to create a truly woman-centred birth experience.

The Child within the Lotus
Margaret Stephenson Meere

The Child within the Lotus is a ground-breaking spiritual parenting guide that demystifies baby behaviour to empower new parents to effectively guide and nurture a child physically, emotionally and spiritually through their stages of growth. This is a book for everyone, whether you are parenting a little child, considering having a child or even thinking about your own childhood and wanting to parent your own personal development.

Further Resources…

Homebirth Australia is the peak national body for Homebirth in Australia. For over thirty years, HBA has worked to support consumers and midwives who choose homebirth. The organisation is run by volunteers – consumers and midwives.

Australian Breastfeeding Association
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is Australia's largest breastfeeding information and support service.

One World Birth was born as a film project by British couple, Toni Harman and Alex Wakeford.

School of Shamanic Womancraft is a community of women united by a revolutionary impulse for social change and healing to bring forward a new sense of inner authority and inner power for all involved. We are committed to raising consciousness, supporting and reawakening deep feminine wisdom, healing birth and healing the Earth.

Birth International: providing training and education of those involved in maternity care and developing and promoting a range of appropriate and innovative teaching aids, equipment, models, charts and videos to support the work of midwifery.