I have compiled a list of mostly natural/holistic (and some Christian) educational resources over the years. Feel free to copy this list for your own educational arsenal! I will continue to add resources and categories as I collect them.
Reproductive Health Resources
Fertility has a lot to do with your nutrition. Check out Freely Rooted to find their podcast and check out the course they have to offer. I have compiled a list of books, podcasts, and websites/blogs from my own research as well as recommendations from other Free Birth mommas I trust.
BOOKS:
The author of this book prioritizes a natural approach to your reproductive health. You can find this book on amazon.
The author of this book highlights the importance of understanding your menstrual cycle and how it plays a role in your overall health and fertility. You can also find this book on amazon.
PODCASTS:
WEBSITES/BLOGS:
Browse the website, take the quiz, and sign up for her email list that contains wonderfully valuable information on fertility.
Focusing on nutrition for your fertility and reproductive health, this is a great resource. Get their Freebies here or on their website: Cycle Literacy & Sperm Booster Manual
The Business of Birth Control
From the makers of The Business of Being Born, check out this documentary on birth control. While you're at it, watch The Business of Being Born, too, if you haven't already!
HELPFUL APPS:
*A holistic forward workout, cycle, and fertility tracking app.
*A cycle tracking app.
Pregnancy and Birth Resources
BOOKS:
All books can be found on amazon, and some may also be found on audible! Some of these books have switched to gender inclusive language in their most recent editions. As A Woman Who Serves trained doula, a woman, and a Christ believer, I do not use such language and I do not endorse everything in these books listed below. I will not insult the incredible abilities and accomplishments of women by removing words like woman, breastfeeding, mother, and so on from our vocabulary. I will, rather, celebrate women's unique ability given to us by God to create, grow, and birth life, and then nurture and nourish that life with our perfectly designed bodies.
*A wonderful Christian based book on preparing for labor.
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
*Partners (spouse, mother, doula, etc), please read this book!
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simkin
Preparing For A Gentle Birth by Blandine Calais-Germain
The Female Pelvis by Blandine Calais-Germain
The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Jill Romm
Anti-D Explained by Sara Wickham
*If you are Rh-, please read this book.
Group B Strep Explained by Sara Wickham
Optimal Care in Childbirth by Henci Goer
In Your Own Time by Sara Wickham
The Labor Progress Handbook: Early Interventions to Prevent and Treat Dystocia by Penny Simkin, Lisa Hanson, and Ruth Ancheta
Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel
*If you are not planning a home birth or birth center birth, please read this book.
When Survivors Give Birth by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus
*If you are a survivor of sexual trauma/abuse, this book may be helpful to you.
The Nurturing Touch at Birth by Paulina Perez
COURSES:
This is a wonderful resource for faith-based home birth.
This is a wonderful course on free birth packed full of information to ease both you and your partner's fears or concerns on birthing unassisted at home.
They have a free mini birth course worth checking out as well!
As a Christian, I would enter this course with caution. While FBS is a wonderful resource for information on free birth, they tend to lean more new age/witchy in their beliefs. I still very much enjoy their podcast as there are truly incredible stories with tons of useful information available for free on their podcast.
PODCASTS:
*Christian viewers - listen with caution. While this is an incredible resource for information and success stories on free birth, they are very new age/witchy leaning in some of their language.
WEBSITES/BLOGS:
*This is an absolutely incredible resource for debunking myths about pregnancy and birth in the medical world. Please check out their podcast as well as their comprehensive articles that provide studies and evidence based research on pregnancy diagnoses, ultrasounds and other pre-screening prenatal tests, interventions in labor, and birth.
*This is a seriously valuable (and free) resource for learning how and what to eat to prevent or reverse pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, blood pressure issues, hemorrhage, etcetera. It is also a great guide on how to support normal pregnancy, multiples in pregnancy, and pregnancy while breastfeeding. The only thing I disagree with about this diet is that they are against the use of ANY herb/tea. I do not believe they have done any research on herbal benefits during pregnancy (such as NORA tea), so they choose to recommend avoiding them since they do not know for sure the effects they may have on your pregnancy.
*This is a holistic, Christian home birth blog, education resource, podcast, and other free resources worth browsing. Check out their free mini course, too!
*As you may have noticed above, Dr. Sara Wickham is the author of a few of those books on my list. She is a valuable, research-based pregnancy and birth information resource to have on hand.
*Check out this website for facts on vaginal births after cesareans.
*This is a Christian run site for birth affirmations and prayer, as well as a birth course. While the course is faith based, I prefer the Sister Birth course over this one as the creator of the Christian Hypnobirthing Course recommends against unassisted birth (insert sad-face here).
HELPFUL ARTICLES:
*The most common "reason" for a doctor to recommend and push for emergency cesarean section is "failure to progress." Read this article to see why this is not a true diagnosis or reason for major abdominal surgery.
*Read about how a diagnosis of a large baby is only about 50% accurate, does not effect your ability to birth vaginally, and the statistics on shoulder dystocia with larger babies.
*Read about the methods of fetal monitoring and their risks and benefits.
*This is an incredible source of knowledge to have in your pocket for a multitude of fetal positioning issues. Check out this video as well!
*The evidence on doulas is overwhelmingly positive. If you can afford a doula, I highly highly recommend hiring one!
*This video explains why delayed cord clamping is important for your newborn's health.
*Before you agree to giving your newborn baby antibiotics based off of a positive GBS test (or before you consent to GBS screening), read this article so you are well equipped with all of the information from statistics, risks, benefits, and more.
HELPFUL APPS:
*Faith based pregnancy and birth app with hours of scripture, prayer, meditations.
*I used this hypnobirthing app throughout my second pregnancy with incredible success.
Christian Hypnobirthing - Apple App Here or Android App Here
*Christian app with faith based hypnobirthing tracks
ONLINE SHOPS:
*Your one-stop shop for all your home birth supplies needs.
*Herbs and tinctures for all of your motherhood needs. If you're an Untamed Birth client, check out my tinctures and herbs list for pregnancy, birth, baby, and more in the private Untamed Birth Facebook Group!
*My all-time favorite product from Earthley is their Goodnight Lotion. If you struggle with restless leg syndrome in pregnancy like I do, you need this magnesium lotion!
COMMUNITY HELP:
*This is a great resource for family members to set up for an expecting momma! This is a great tool for finding a way to support, coordinate, and communicate by using their care calendars, well-wishes, photos, meal plans, important announcements, and more.
*Sometimes all we need help with are meals postpartum. This is a great tool for those to sign up to help provide meals for mom's postpartum period!
Free Birth / Unassisted Birth Resources
There are a ton of resources above that are also incredibly beneficial when planning your free birth / unassisted birth at home. Here are just some of my favorites I wanted to highlight!
BOOKS:
Home Birth On Your Own Terms by Heather Baker (buyer beware that the author has recently come out very pro-choice and is not kind to pro-lifers — for this reason I recommend that you find this book second-hand if you are not comfortable supporting this author, as the information in this book is still very valuable for planning an unassisted birth).
COURSES / EDUCATION:
Breech Without Borders - Breech birth is a variation of normal. Even though women accidentally birth breech babies unassisted all the time and all turns out perfectly fine, it's a good idea to educate yourself on delivering a breech baby for your planned unassisted birth just in case!
Free Birth Society - there are several courses on their website for whatever free birth journey you are on. Check out their free starter kit here as well!
Sister Birth - Embrace Birth Journey, Labor Pain Remedy, and Trust God Trust Birth Workshop are all wonderful courses to invest in that is faith based!
PODCASTS:
Free Birth Society - the ultimate free birth podcast, truly. Christian listeners beware that the speakers are very new age and witchy in some of their language. Regardless of their spiritual beliefs, though, there is a TON of useful information and insights from them and many of their guest speakers as well.
Holy Wild Birth - Created by Brooke Collier & Lauren Hall of Sister Birth!
Taking Back Birth - Created by Maryn Green of Indie Birth, an autonomous midwife for radical birth and motherhood.
Postpartum Resources
BOOKS:
All books can be found on amazon, and some may also be found on audible! Some of these books have switched to gender inclusive language in their most recent editions. As A Woman Who Serves trained doula, a woman, and a Christ believer, I do not use such language and I do not endorse everything in these books listed below. I will not insult the incredible abilities and accomplishments of women by removing words like woman, breastfeeding, mother, and so on from our vocabulary. I will, rather, celebrate women's unique ability given to us by God to create, grow, and birth life, and then nurture and nourish that life with our perfectly designed bodies.
Living Beyond Postpartum Depression: Help and Hope for the Hurting Mom and Those Around Her by Jerusha Clark
*This is a Christian perspective book!
Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety by Shoshana S. Bennett
Postpartum Depression Demystified by Joyce A. Venis
The Fourth Trimester: Understanding, Protecting, and Nurturing and Infant Through the First Three Months by Susan Brink
The Fourth Trimester Companion: How to Take Care of Your Body, Mind, and Family as You Welcome Your New Baby by Cynthia Gabriel
Mothering the New Mother by Sally Placksin
The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp
The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley
Natural Health After Birth: The Complete Guide to Postpartum Wellness by Aviva Jill Romm
Heal Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein
WEBSITES & BLOGS:
*If your insurance states they do not cover home births, they have declined reimbursement, or your reason for not having your dream home birth is because of this, read this and follow the steps! While you may have to pay out of pocket initially, you may also be able to get a 100% reimbursement from your insurance!
HELPFUL APPS:
Birth Recovery Center Subscription/App
*This is a subscription for postpartum recovery and it includes: Ab Rehab, C-Section Recovery Protocols, 30 Day Slim Down nutrition, Ab Rehab Plus+, Bod Squad, Sleep Training, Maternal Mental Health, Lactation, Supplement Store, At Home Lab Testing Kits at a Member Rate, 10 Day Detox, Easy Eats Lifestyle Recipes
Baby Care
Health & Development
HELPFUL APPS:
Baby Language App
*I highly, highly recommend getting this app for those first six weeks of Baby's life. Babies communicate through their different cries. This Baby Language App helps you identify your baby's cry to determine what they need (upper/lower gas cry, hungry cry, discomfort cry, tired cry).
*Check out this YouTube video here for a quick rundown on the Dunstan Baby Language.
Baby Led Wean App
*Great app where you can find Baby's first 100 foods list, food log, and recipes.
BOOKS:
COURSES:
INNATE Physiologic Baby Care Course
*Also take a look at their information on baby containers.
OTHER:
*Baby Led Weaning
*Milestones and physical development - check out her instagram as well!
Circumcision
SCRIPTURE:
In Jewish law and culture, circumcision was one of the many “works” that has to be done in order to be a good Jew and go to heaven.
When Jesus came he did away with all of those “works-based” rules that were required to be saved. When Jesus started teaching, and then His disciples, others were coming along and trying to mix what Jesus and the disciples taught with the old law requirements for salvation; basically corrupting Grace based salvation. It became known in later Protestant teaching as heretical.
“"Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you be circumcised, Christ will be of no advantage to you." – Gal 5:2
"And even those who advocate circumcision don’t really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples." – Gal 6:13
"For there are many who rebel against right teaching; they engage in useless talk and deceive people. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced. By their wrong teaching, they have already turned whole families away from the truth. Such teachers only want your money" – Titus 1:10-11
"Watch out for those wicked men – dangerous dogs, I call them – who say you must be circumcised. Beware of the evil doers. Beware of the mutilation. For it isn’t the cutting of our bodies that makes us children of God; it is worshiping him with our spirits." – Phil 3:2-3
"And I testify again to every male who receives circumcision, that he is in debt to keep the whole Law. You who do so have been severed from Christ...you have fallen from grace." - Gal 5:3
WEBSITES:
ARTICLES:
Peaceful Parenting - Functions of the Foreskin: Purposes of the Prepuce
Saving Our Sons - Circumcision Medical Studies
Check out this video for a faith based perspective on circumcision --> Christians and Infant Circumcision: Where Should I Stand?
Baby Sleep
*This is a holistic sleep specialist who provides so much incredible information that is anti-fear based!
*Great book on co-sleeping!
Oral Ties
Freely Rooted Podcast Episode 17. The Big Picture of Tongue Ties
Vaccines
WEBSITES:
*An incredible resource for comprehensive, unbiased information on vaccine ingredients, side-effects, injuries, and more. Check out their FREE Course: How To Read An Insert
*Christian based resource that includes a Religious Exemption Letter
GOOGLE DRIVE DOCS
Deep Dive DOC
BOOKS:
The Unvaccinated Child: A Treatment Guide for Parents and Caregivers by Judith Thompson and Eli Camp
Well Considered by the founder of Just The Inserts - A handbook for making informed medical decisions.
ARTICLES / DOCUMENTARIES
Breastfeeding Resources
BOOKS:
All books can be found on amazon, and some may also be found on audible! Some of these books have switched to gender inclusive language in their most recent editions. As A Woman Who Serves trained doula, a woman, and a Christ believer, I do not use such language and I do not endorse everything in these books listed below. I will not insult the incredible abilities and accomplishments of women by removing words like woman, breastfeeding, mother, and so on from our vocabulary. I will, rather, celebrate women's unique ability given to us by God to create, grow, and birth life, and then nurture and nourish that life with our perfectly designed bodies.
Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More! by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada
Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Breastfeeding Mothers by Nancy Mohrbacher, Kathleen Kendall-Tackett
Breastfeeding Naturally by Hannah Lothrop
The Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Nancy Mohrbacher
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League
The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Huggins
PODCASTS:
The Boob Group Podcast
Holistic Lactation Podcast
WEBSITES/BLOGS:
*Helpful herbs and tinctures to support breastfeeding.
HELPFUL APPS:
Breastfeeding Newborn Tracker App - Apple Download Here or Android Download Here
*This is a breastfeeding tracker, pumping tracker, diaper tracker, AND sleep tracker.
*PLEASE remember that these apps are meant to be tools for peace of mind and organization purposes, NOT for obsessive logging. If your baby is gaining weight and producing wet/dirty diapers - they're okay! If you're finding yourself obsessing over the log/tracker, do yourself a favor and delete the app immediately.
Comments