Book Recommendations

This is a list of books, in no particular order) that I or folks I trust recommend for support in birth, postpartum care, relationship and family dynamics, and more. My view positions holistic approaches and wisdom traditions at the center of daily and lifelong wellness with allopatic medicine and science as a valuable support. This list blends evidence-based research, traditional wisdom, intuitive guidance, and family-affirming language.

Holistic Pregnancy & Birth

• The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth — Genevieve Howland

• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth — Ina May Gaskin

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

• The Natural Pregnancy Book: Herbs, Nutrition, and Other Holistic Choices — Aviva Jill Romm

• Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong — and What You Really Need to Know — Emily Oster

• The Birth Partner — Penny Simkin

• Sacred Pregnancy — Anni Daulter

• The Mindful Mother: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Whole Motherhood — Naomi Chun & Ksenia Mezentseva

  
  

Holistic Postpartum Care

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

• The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality — Kimberly Ann Johnson

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

• Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year — Anne Lamott

• Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool — Emily Oster

• Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting — Pamela Druckerman

  
  

Herbal-Focused Resources for Pregnancy & Postpartum

• Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year — Susun S. Weed

• Herbal Healing for Women — Rosemary Gladstar

• The Natural Pregnancy Book — Aviva Jill Romm

• Naturally Healthy Pregnancy: A Guide to Gestation and Beyond — Shonda Parker

• The Earthwise Herbal Repertory — Matthew Wood

• The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual — James Green

Postpartum Nutrition-Specific Books

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

• Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition — Lily Nichols

• The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care — Sally Fallon Morell & Thomas Cowan

• Ayurveda for Women: The Power of Food as Medicine — Emily L. Glaser

• Feed the Belly: The Pregnant Mom's Healthy Eating Guide — Frances Largeman-Roth

• Mother Food: A Breastfeeding Diet Guide with Lactogenic Foods and Herbs — Hilary Jacobson

• The Nourished Mother: Nutrition & Self-Care Practices for Postpartum Recovery — Jaren Soloff

Alternative Family Structures & Queer-Inclusive Resources

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

• The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians — Rachel Pepper

• Birthing Beyond the Binary — King Yaa (Zine / Digital)

• Supporting Queer Birth — AJ Silver

• The Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook — Anneliese A. Singh

• What Makes a Baby — Cory Silverberg

• The Queer Parent: Everything You Need to Know from Gay to Ze — Lotte Jeffs & Stu Oakley

• Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy, and Childbirth — Julia Chinyere Oparah & Alicia D. Bonaparte

Relationship & Intimacy Resources for New Parents

• And Baby Makes Three — John Gottman & Julie Schwartz Gottman

• The Fourth Trimester Cards: Relationship Edition — Kimberly Ann Johnson (companion deck to her book)

• Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life — Emily Nagoski

• The New I Do: Reshaping Marriage for Skeptics, Realists, and Rebels — Susan Pease Gadoua & Vicki Larson

• How to Keep Love Alive When the Baby Arrives — Dr. Mercedes Samudio (E-Guide/Short Book)

• Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence — Esther Perel

• Parenting Without Regret: Raising Kids With Purpose, Not Pressure — Jimmy Seibert

Mainstream Classics & Science based books

• What to Expect When You're Expecting — Heidi Murkoff

• Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong — and What You Really Need to Know — Emily Oster

• Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool — Emily Oster

• Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting — Pamela Druckerman

• The Birth Partner — Penny Simkin

• Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year — Anne Lamott