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Articles

Links to articles we have found helpful:


Reading and Listening

A guide to books, CDs, and DVDs to enhance your experience of pregnancy and early parenting.

Books

Pregnancy and Birth

  • Ina May's Guide to Childbirth: Ina May Gaskin
    Solid information and inspiration for those seeking a natural approach to birth. The statistics in the Appendix alone are worth the price of admission.
  • Birthing From Within: Pam England and Rob Horowitz
    An excellent guide to working through your issues, fears, concerns, joys, etc. regarding birth.
  • The Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth: Penny Simkin, PT
    This is the one to get for your husband or partner. Simple, direct, and clear.
  • Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide: Penny Simpkin, PT; Janet Whalley, RN, BSN; Ann Keppler RN, MN
    One of the best overall guides to pregnancy; great template/guides for developing a birth plan.
  • The Spirit of Pregnancy: Bonni Goldberg
    An outstanding collection of women writers and poets on the experience of pregnancy and birth
  • The VBAC Companion: The Expectant Mother's Guide to Vaginal Birth After Cesarean: Diana Korte
  • Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year: Susun Weed
  • Bestfeeding: Getting Breastfeeding Right for You: Renfrew, Fisher, Arms

Prenatal and General Yoga

  • Preparing for Birth with Yoga: Janet Balaskas
  • Motherwell Maternity Fitness Plan: Bonnie Berk
  • Yoga for Pregnancy: Sandra Jordan
  • The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health: Linda Sparrowe and Patricia Walden
  • Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living: Donna Farhi.
  • Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness: Donna Farhi.

Postpartum and Early Parenting

  • Baby Om: Yoga for Mothers and Babies: Laura Staton and Sarah Perron
    Our favorite postpartum yoga book.
  • After the Baby’s Birth: A Woman’s Way to Wellness: Robin Lim
    One of the best guides to the "fourth trimester" and beyond.
  • The Baby Book: William and Martha Sears
    From a pediatrician and nurse who have raised eight children. Lots of commonsense.
  • What’s Going On In There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life: Lise Eliot, Ph.D.
    A fascinating account of how babies’ brains grow. A must for parents of newborns.
  • Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent:
    Meredith Small

    Insightful, cross-cultural perspective on early parenting. Will relieve your anxieties about whether you’re “doing it right.”
  • Itsy Bitsy Yoga: Helen Garabedian
    The at-home complement to our Itsy Bitsy Yoga® classes
  • Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting: Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn

Audio

  • Health Journeys: Guided Visualization for a Healthy Pregnancy and Birth: Belleruth Naparstek
    We can’t recommend this enough as an empowering support during pregnancy.
  • Bija: Todd Norian
    For relaxation and the birthing room. Takes you to another realm.
  • Koi: PC Davidoff
    For savasana and relaxation.
  • Love is Space: Deva Premal
    The Essence: Deva Premal

    Either of these is wonderful for yoga and for labor.
  • Will You Be My Friend?: The Roches
    A delightful album that both children and adults will enjoy.
  • Family Tree: Tom Chapin
    Moonboat: Tom Chapin

    Hands-down one of the best singer/songwriters of family music.
  • Lullaby: A Collection: Music for Little People

Videos and DVDs

We’ve reviewed A LOT of prenatal yoga DVDs. Below are some of our favorites to support your home practice:

  • Prenatal Yoga: Shiva Rea
  • Yoga for Pregnancy, Labor and Birth: Colette Crawford
  • The Method: Baby and Me Prenatal Yoga: Gurmukh Khalsa
  • Postnatal Yoga: Shiva Rea
  • Postnatal Yoga: Colette Crawford

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Although our son was breech and had to be born via c-section, focusing on my breathing really helped me to do my job in the operating room. When it came time for the anesthesiologist to administer the epidural, I warned the nurse who was holding my hand that I would be chanting my Yoga "OHMs" so that I could stay focused. When the anesthesiologist was ready to administer the epidural, he asked quizzically, "Is that her?" That makes me smile in retrospect because my yoga breathing kept me focused and in the moment instead of being in hysterics, upset or nervous.

— Annette Nelms