Resources & Recommended Reading
I have been a doula since 1999. Thankfully, I have witnessed the greatest increase in resources available to families living in the areas I serve (HRM to Truro) in recent years. In addition to these in person resources, here are a few of my favourite starting points for birth and postpartum related information available online- all trustworthy, up-to-date and evidence-based!
Mothers Advocate: www.injoyvideos.com/mothersadvocate/index.htm
This site has great videos as well as print material which illustrate the 6 Lamaze Healthy Birth practices (supported by the World Health Organization as well), which are;
1. Let labor begin on its own.
2. Walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor.
3. Bring a loved one, friend, or doula for continuous support.
4. Avoid interventions that are not medically necessary.
5. Avoid giving birth on your back, and follow your body’s urges to push.
6. Keep your baby with you—it’s best for you, your baby, and breastfeeding.
Lamaze International: www.lamaze.org
This site repeats the care practices in print (although I prefer the presentation provided on Mothers Advocate). There's also a Weekly Pregnancy Newsletter which is very positive and helps to provide additional information relevant to where you are in your pregnancy and chidbirth related research summaries.
Evidence Based Birth: www.evidencebasedbirth.com
"A trusted, non-biased source for the most current, evidence-based information on pregnancy and childbirth." This captures the most recent maternity care research and packages it in a way that makes it accessible to women and families- to help them get involved and make informed decisions about their care.
Childbirth Connections: www.childbirthconnection.org
This is another evidence based resource that provides info around your rights when it comes to your maternity care. It is important to note that most of the statistics provide in some of the papers originate from the US. Despite this, many of the topics cross borders.
Dr. Jack Newman- www.breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml
This site provides a list of breastfeeding related topics in pdf format as well as video clips which help you to see a good latch and how to identify and deal with many breastfeeding challenges you may run into.
Le Leche League Canada- www.lllc.ca
LLL is an international recognized source for breastfeeding information. This site provides info on local breastfeeding support groups and "Breastfeeding Info" button on left with lead you to detailed answers to a wide variety of topics. It is good to get to a breastfeeding support group of some kind prior to your baby's birth if possible.
Kelly Mom- www.kellymom.com
This website was developed to provide evidence based information on breastfeeding, sleep and parenting by the mother of three children, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). It's very easy to access relevant information if you are trouble shooting too.
Spinning Babies- www.spinningbabies.com
Spinning Babies looks at the effects of posterior position on pregnancy and labor, and provides suggestions for pregnancy comfort, optimal fetal positioning, cesarean avoidance and labor progress.
The top few books I'd recommend include;
This site has great videos as well as print material which illustrate the 6 Lamaze Healthy Birth practices (supported by the World Health Organization as well), which are;
1. Let labor begin on its own.
2. Walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor.
3. Bring a loved one, friend, or doula for continuous support.
4. Avoid interventions that are not medically necessary.
5. Avoid giving birth on your back, and follow your body’s urges to push.
6. Keep your baby with you—it’s best for you, your baby, and breastfeeding.
Lamaze International: www.lamaze.org
This site repeats the care practices in print (although I prefer the presentation provided on Mothers Advocate). There's also a Weekly Pregnancy Newsletter which is very positive and helps to provide additional information relevant to where you are in your pregnancy and chidbirth related research summaries.
Evidence Based Birth: www.evidencebasedbirth.com
"A trusted, non-biased source for the most current, evidence-based information on pregnancy and childbirth." This captures the most recent maternity care research and packages it in a way that makes it accessible to women and families- to help them get involved and make informed decisions about their care.
Childbirth Connections: www.childbirthconnection.org
This is another evidence based resource that provides info around your rights when it comes to your maternity care. It is important to note that most of the statistics provide in some of the papers originate from the US. Despite this, many of the topics cross borders.
Dr. Jack Newman- www.breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml
This site provides a list of breastfeeding related topics in pdf format as well as video clips which help you to see a good latch and how to identify and deal with many breastfeeding challenges you may run into.
Le Leche League Canada- www.lllc.ca
LLL is an international recognized source for breastfeeding information. This site provides info on local breastfeeding support groups and "Breastfeeding Info" button on left with lead you to detailed answers to a wide variety of topics. It is good to get to a breastfeeding support group of some kind prior to your baby's birth if possible.
Kelly Mom- www.kellymom.com
This website was developed to provide evidence based information on breastfeeding, sleep and parenting by the mother of three children, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). It's very easy to access relevant information if you are trouble shooting too.
Spinning Babies- www.spinningbabies.com
Spinning Babies looks at the effects of posterior position on pregnancy and labor, and provides suggestions for pregnancy comfort, optimal fetal positioning, cesarean avoidance and labor progress.
The top few books I'd recommend include;
- Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn, Penny Simkin
- The Birth Partner, 3rd edition, Penny Simkin
- Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, Ina May Gaskin (amazing book of interesting birth stories to increase confidence!)
- The Official Lamaze Guide Giving Birth with Confidence, Lamaze International
- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, Le Leche League
- Breastfeeding Made Simple, Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers, Nancy Mohrbacher and Kathleen Kendall- Tackett
- Birthing From Within, Pam England and Rob Horowitz