Book Recos

Books That Actually Help: My Favourite Reads for Pregnancy, Birth + Beyond

There’s so much noise out there when it comes to preparing for pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Websearch one question and suddenly you’re knee-deep in forums, social media advice, and contradictory opinions from total strangers.

Sometimes, what you really need is a quiet, trusted voice — something you can sink into, highlight, dog-ear, and come back to when things feel overwhelming. That’s where a good book comes in.

These are the reads I most often recommend to clients and friends — resources that are practical, evidence-informed, and grounded in real-life experience. Whether you’re pregnant for the first time, preparing for another birth, or deep in the trenches of early parenting, these titles offer knowledge and a sense of calm confidence.

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These are great for “childprofing” your intimate relationship and getting on the same page about raising children and division of labour:

• And Baby Makes Three: The Six-Step Plan for Preserving Marital Intimacy and Rekindling Romance After Baby Arrives by John Gottman PhD, Julie Schwartz Gottman PhD

• The Conscious Parent by Dr. Shefali Tsabary

• The Awakened Family: How to Raise Empowered, Resilient, and Conscious Children By Shefali Tsabary

• The Parenting Map: Step-By-Step Solutions to Consciously Create the Ultimate Parent-Child Relationship By Shefali Tsabary

• Fair Play (book & cards) by Eve Rodsky

This one is popular with gentle modern souls:

• Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood - and Trusting Yourself and Your Body by Erica Chidi

• The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother By Amely Greeven, Heng Ou, Marisa Belger

photo of the book The First Forty Days by creating light photography

These are older but still pretty relevant and have slightly more “cruchy parent vibes.”

• The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin & Melissa Cheyney

• Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation By Pam England and Rob Horowitz

• Mother Trip: Hip Mama's Guide to Staying Sane in the Chaos of Motherhood by Ariel Gore

• The Hip Mama Survival Guide: Advice from the Trenches on Pregnancy, Childbirth, Cool Names, Clueless Doctors, Potty Training, and Toddler Avengers by Ariel Gore

This is breast/bodyfeeding specific and also more “cruchy parent vibes”

• Sweet Sleep by La Lache League

These three are popular and more modern, as always, take with a grain of salt:

• Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting (now with Bébé Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting) by Pamela Druckerman

• Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--and What You Really Need to Know By Emily Oster

• Cribsheet: A Data-driven Guide To Better, More Relaxed Parenting, From Birth To Preschool by Emily Oster

This is a link to 6 books recommended by some awesome queer parents about alternative family building:

• Conceivable: A Guide to Making 2SLGBTQ+ Family by Laine Halpbern Zisman

• What to read when you're queer and expecting - 6 parenting books that smash the patriarchy.

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photo of Ruth Ruttan doula, with her model pelvis and crocheted breast by creating light photography

A Quick Note on Too Many Books

There’s no need to read everything. Pick one or two that resonate, take what feels useful, and leave the rest.

Sometimes just having a solid base of knowledge helps you move through the noise with more confidence — you don’t need to have every answer ahead of time.

Books are such a great foundation, but they’re even more powerful when paired with real-life practice. If you want to move beyond reading and actually feel more prepared — through movement, mindset, and partner skills — that’s exactly what I teach in my private, in-your-home Prenatal Education Sessions.

It’s hands-on, customized, and built around you and your partner — so you can feel grounded, connected, and ready for whatever your real-life labour and parenting bring. Be in touch!

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