Starting from the second month of pregnancy up to the current moment, I think I’ve read dozens of books. Good and bad. So I created a guide of sources which I highly recommend to use on different stages of parenthood. Some sources are in English and some (sorry!) only in Russian.

PREPARING FOR THE BIRTH

MUST

• Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. The book covers every stage of pregnancy and gives a spiritual explanation of your sensations. It gives you a perfect practice for each month to prepare your breath, emotions, and dreams for a birth.

 

 

 

• Placenta – The Forgotten Chakra by Robin Lim. So many times I heard: “So if you gave birth at home, who cut the cord/made a knot on it/thrown away the placenta?” Nobody. The placenta is a very special organ that is created by a woman’s body for her baby to eat/breathe/survive. It is the connection between the mother and the baby. It is his/her sister and the entire world for 9 months. Right after the baby comes out from his home, doctors cut his connection with something he has been together for 9 months. This is the biggest shock for the little one. Even bigger than the birth itself. “How is that? I was eating, sleeping, playing, breathing with the placenta and now she is just thrown away in the trash bin???”

• The orgasmic birth movie by Debra Pascali-Bonaro. This documentary is the best guide towards home birth or a natural birth at the hospital. The main idea is that women’s body was created to give birth in peace, relaxation, joy, love, tears, and smiles. It was not designed to give birth in front of the army of doctors looking into her opened legs. Even if you are not interested in alternative birthing options it is good to see the movie to believe in your own strength to birth.

 

MAYBE

 

• Confident birth (FÖDA UTAN RÄDSLA METODEN) by Susanna Heli. Swedish way looking at the birth, thru the voice and breath. You can buy a book or get a link to webinars for a fair price.

 

 

 

• Birth into Being and Birth as we know it  – a water birth method taking it to the next level giving birth in the sea with the dolphins in Russia. Wow! This was fascinating but a little too extreme, that is why I add this source to my “maybe” list. Worth checking their educational courses thought.

 

 

• Online course (in Russian) AIRYOGA PERINATAL (Йога с гамаком для беременных) by AIRYOGAACADEMY. I took a course of 16 lessons with professional midwife and a yoga teacher. It gave me a lot of confidence in poses on how to give birth, how to breathe, and what I shouldn’t do when I practice.
  

 

 

 

 

• PRENATAL COURSES by Brussels childbirth trust. Definitely a
  great preparation for being a parent in Brussels. If you live in a different city/country try to find a similar course, where you can learn about pregnancy, birth, and childcare with a group of other parents.

 

 

• Hypnobirthing by Marie Mongan. A famous method which helps you to focus within as you give birth. Loads of private midwives and doulas are trained in this method. Read a book and find a local course in Hypnobirthing. For sure there is one in your city!
  

 

 

RAISING YOUR BABY

MUST

• The womanly art of breastfeeding by Diane Wiessinger. My high advice – buy this book and read some parts BEFORE you give birth. After birth, have this book by your side when you breastfeed. It has loads of advice and calms you down when you panic: “Why he is not sucking?/ Why she is not pooping?/ Why it hurts so much?”

 

 

 

• Baby-led Weaning by Gill Rapley. Once the breastfeeding is going perfect, comes a new stage – food! I was quite confused to learn that there are sooo many different theories on what baby should eat. The one explained in this book seems most close to nature for me.

 

 

 

 

MAYBE

• Instagram profile and online consultations by Wiki.Milk (only in Russian). Just by following her profile on Instagram you can avoid A LOADS OF mistakes and save your nerve cells.

 

 

• FITMAMA_MARAFON by Nastia_fit. Fitness for mothers on Instagram (only in Russian). Easy and convenient because you pay 25 euros and sign up for a three weeks sport challenge when you will receive a new fitness session every other day, plus she will be controlling your daily meals intake. You can do all training at home with your baby by your side. I am sure there is more of this in other languages. For me, this training was a lifesaver when my body craved sports and I couldn’t go to the gym.

 

• “SECRET SUPPORT. ATTACHMENT IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD” by LYUDMILA PETRANOVSKAYA («Тайная опора: привязанность в жизни ребенка», Людмила Петрановская). So far I’ve only seen this book in Russian. It is the best guide on how to understand your child. Why not to let him “cry it out” etc.