Key concept : A non-stop, illustrated pregnancy guide, fully equipped with information from the moment of conception to the first weeks of a newborn’s life.

The Positive Birth Book is like everything I ever Googled pre-birth rolled into a friendly, warm format and is full-to-burtsing with USEFUL information. For example, I am rhesus negative and to be honest I never really understood what that meant, I just did what I was told! This book explains it so well. It is also refreshing to read something positive about all types of birth – I didn’t feel like I was being preached to. I wish I had read this book during my pregnancies!” Hypnobirthing: Practical Ways To Make Your Birth Better, by Siobhan Miller: The best pregnancy book for hypnobirthing What to Expect When You’re Expecting, by Heidi Murkoff: The best pregnancy book for month-by-month coverageThe Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth puts the power of the latest scientific research of childbirth into the hands of women to help them discern the facts from the myths and make informed decisions about their maternity care.”— Maureen P. Corry, M.P.H., Executive Director, Maternity Center Association Childbirth Books #4: Birthing From Within by Pam England

A book can either make you feel more worried and uncertain, or it can provide you with the confidence you need to birth the way you dream of. The type who give birth and wish that a fairy godmother would make the baby disappear and restore them to their former life; Many parents-to-be and their support people have little knowledge of what to expect in the birthing suite. Drawing on his extensive experience as a leading obstetrician and international researcher into safe childbirth, Professor Stephen Tong guides you through vital information to help prepare for a safe and happy birth day.So find your flow, bust some myths and start to feel proud of your monthly cycle and your truly amazing body! It’s a colourful read with lots of unique imagery and diagrams, and it also includes helpful tips on meal plans and exercises. We particularly loved that this book is littered with personal stories and experiences, which make it feel a lot more relatable. PMSL: Or How I Literally Pissed Myself Laughing and Survived the Last Taboo to Tell the Tale by Luce Brett

Key concept : A guide to support any woman, whether in the first or third trimester, helping to bring the science of pregnancy to real life. Louise covers complex subjects such as the nervous system during pregnancy, the journey a baby takes when passing through the birth canal and anatomical facts on breastfeeding. While the book wasn’t geared towards my experience, I did still find it beneficial. It will definitely be beneficial if your birth trauma is linked to the care you received and how you were treated by medical professionals. A brilliant riposte to all the ways women are encouraged to approach childbirth with fear and deference, Hill’s book leaves the reader not just well-informed, but with a renewed sense of pride in the power of the female body”Essential information about your pelvic floor, core and postnatal incontinence by Nikki Bergen, creator of the Belle Method, and Luce Brett, author of PMSL A zip file with all 98 icons individually as jpg files, which you can drop into Word documents, etc. My to do list includes more important matters like developing a new social identity, losing two stone, and raising a human” writes Luce Brett, whose life turned a yellowish-brown after a dreadful labour. The adult nappy aisle and the urogynaecology department were not where she expected to be at her age; as if navigating new motherhood wasn’t enough. Each chapter covers a great deal of information, including outlines on what to expect during doctors’ appointments, every possible pregnancy symptom that could occur, helpful tips for partners, exercises with diagrams and a whole lot more. There’s also a lot on mental health and how to make the best choices for you when dealing with a variety of issues that may arise. I did not find this book helpful at all. In my view the book approaches birth trauma from the viewpoint that natural birth is best and that doctors are to be avoided. It makes medics sound hell bent on interfering with 'nature' and taking control of the birth from the woman. Given my own birth experience, which I really struggled to get over, this was very unhelpful and in my case also wrong. If I had done this I would be dead and my baby also. I think this book just proves the need for every woman to be treated individually and to make her own choices about how she gives birth. There can never be a one-size-fits-all when it comes to giving birth, although you wouldn't know it after reading this book."