I found this list on the Green Mommy Blog (
http://greenmommyblog.com/index.php/2010/04/16/pregnancy-and-baby-books/)
Rainbow Live-Food Cuisine by Dr. Gabriel Cousens – this book has information about nutrition and food options for babies. I’m a big fan of Dr. Cousens.
Conscious Eating by Dr. Gabriel Cousens – this big book has a nice section about pregnancy and nutrition (as well as covering so much more about health in general).
Your Best Birth by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein – I can’t stress how important it is to read this book if you’re trying to conceive or already pregnant. There is so much useful information about the different birthing scenarios (home birth, hospital, or birth center). Read why I’m having a home birth here.
Evie’s Kitchen by Shazzie – I really like this book for pregnancy and children nutrition information. This is the one book that is filled with lots of info about raw foods. She covers many natural alternatives and health food options that you won’t find in other books.
Baby Greens by Michaela Lynn and Michael Chrisemer – This book gives information about living foods for children of all ages.
Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin – I’m a huge fan of the Skinny Bitch books (they’re my style – total sass and fun). This energizing book details the vegan diet and pregnancy.
The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Jill Romm – This book was useful for learning about the women’s journey from baby’s conception to birth. Romm is a midwife and herbalist which is what turned me on to this book.
Naturally Healthy Babies and Children by Aviva Jill Romm – This is one of those books that I haven’t read yet, but I’m looking forward to it because, again, I like the idea of learning from someone who is a midwife and herbalist. The book covers herbal remedies, nutrition, hygiene, etc.
Baby Matters by Linda F. Palmer – This book supports natural parenting practices… “rebuts cry-it-out parenting and the frequent usage of various drugs and vaccinations in children, reveals incredibly common, yet seldom diagnosed food intolerance symptoms—even from foods in mom’s diet—and how to treat them, and discloses the real causes of ear infections, colic, reflux, ADHD and SIDS.”
Wise Woman Herbal Childbearing Year by Susan S. Weed – I didn’t use this book much because I didn’t need to, but still glad to have it in my library. It offers simple remedies for pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and newborns (including herbs for fertility and birth control).
Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May – By the time I read this book, I’d already read some others on breastfeeding, but it was still enjoyable. I’m a huge fan of Ina May and recommend this book.
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May – One of the best books ever. I read it before we conceived and I’m reading it again now in preparation for birth. I bought copies for my mom and mom-in-law to read. Highly recommended.
Permission to Mother by Dr. Denise Punger – A nice book by a doctor with expertise in breastfeeding.
Natural Health after Birth by Aviva Jill Romm – This is a guide to postpartum wellness that I haven’t read yet, but I’m a fan of Romm’s so I suspect I’ll really like it.
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Dr. Sarah J. Buckley – I really liked this book. I enjoy reading books by medical doctors who support natural childbirth. Buckley covers birth choices with sections interwoven about her own four home births. It also includes information about attachment, breastfeeding, and baby sleep.
HypnoBirthing by Marie F. Mongan – My husband and I took hypnobirthing classes in preparation for our home birth and this book was a part of the course. I think it would be of great use whether you took the classes or not. I wrote a blog post about our experience after a HypnoBirthing class here.
The Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh – As many of you know, we’ll be trying our hand at Elimination Communication (blog post here). This book was very helpful in teaching us about it.
Good Nights by Dr. Jay Gordon – This is a great book with information about cosleeping and having a family bed. (I can’t wait to cosleep with our baby!)
The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff – This is a book about attachment parenting. It was recommended by many people… call me crazy, but I did not think this was a page turner (although I’m very interested in attachment parenting). I recently listened to a current interview with the author that I enjoyed very much. (Thanks, Deb, for reminding me to add it to my list here… oops, I forgot about it – lol)
Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand, N.D., Robert Rountree, M.D., and Rachel Walton, MSN, CRNP – I haven’t read this book yet, but I suspect I will put it to good use over the years. It offers “safe and effective relief of common childhood disorders, using nutritional supplements, herbs, homeopathy, acupressure, diet, and conventional medicine.”
Mothering.com is a great resource (both the magazine and the forum).
I would also add Dherbs Ebook on Home Births
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