Perinatal Resources
(use promo code MEAGAN25 for discount)
Fraser Birth Collaborative – Abbotsford
Agassiz Chilliwack Prenatal – Agassiz
Douglas College – New Westminster, Virtual
Baby Prep – Vancouver, Virtual
Hypnobirthing – Virtual
Empowered Birth by Beyond the Bump – Virtual (self-paced)
VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) - Resource
Evidence-Based Birth – Resource
Thrive Midwifery – Abbotsford
Grow Midwifery – Chilliwack, Abbotsford
Chilliwack Midwifery – Chilliwack
Mission Midwifery – Mission
Fraser Birth Collective (midwife and doctor team) – Abbotsford
Cedar Sisters Doula – Birth, Postpartum, Reiki
The Valley Doulas – Birth, Postpartum, Fertility
Ridge Meadows Doulas – Birth, Postpartum, Placenta Services
Wildflower Birth Collective – Abbotsford
Jen LaRoy – Chilliwack
Gravida Physio – New Westminster
Bump Physio Co – Langley, Port Moody, New Westminster
Dayan Physio – Vancouver
BC Centre for Vulvar Health - Vancouver
Carolyne Hiebert – Abbotsford
Emily McManus – Langley
Zehra Gerretsen – Maple Ridge
Krista at Pacific North Wellness – Abbotsford
Au Lait – Chilliwack
The Mama Coach – Fraser Valley, Langley
La Leche League Canada
Relactation and Induced Lactation
Physician Guide to Breastfeeding
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
Thrive Collective – Abbotsford, Chilliwack
Fraser Birth Collaborative - Abbotsford
Nicole Chambers – Maple Ridge
Reverie Therapy – Maple Ridge
Coastal Calm Therapy – Coquitlam
The Perinatal Collective – Virtual
Re.Pose Therapy – Abbotsford
Postpartum Anxiety and Depression Resources by Anxiety Canada
Bellies Community Space – Pitt Meadows
Care for Women – Abbotsford
The Motherhood Project – Surrey, Virtual
Safe Beginnings Infant First Aid courses
Pacific Postpartum Society Support Groups – Burnaby
New Baby Care
New Birther Care
Cesarean Recovery
Postpartum Recovery Guide – Virtual (self-paced course)
Postpartum Strength (Pacific North Wellness) – Abbotsford
Prenatal Yoga and Baby & Me Yoga – Chilliwack
Nathalie Jones RMT at Soar Wellness for Craniosacral Therapy (CST) – Abbotsford
Emma Bronton RMT at Soar Wellness – Abbotsford
Everywoman’s Health Centre (under 14 weeks) – Vancouver
Willow Clinic (under 10 weeks) – Vancouver
CARE Program, BC Women’s Hospital (under 24 weeks) – Vancouver
Lending Library
Some of these titles have been passed down from other parents, midwives, and doulas, and it shows in their folded pages and highlighted excerpts. Although these are signs of a well-loved book, we kindly ask that you do not add to the existing damage. Treat these pages as your own (or maybe even better!).
If possible, set a goal for yourself to finish a book in 30 days (though we won't enforce this if you're a slow reader) and please return finished books as soon as possible so another expecting parent can enjoy it before their baby arrives too.
9 Months is Not Enough
by Alexandria DeVito.
"Navigating the fertility gap facing couples today can be challenging, but hope and solutions await. "9 Months Is Not Enough" unveils a new perspective on preparing for pregnancy, emphasizing pre-pregnancy wellness as the foundation for fertility and generational health.
Authored by pre-pregnancy expert Alexandria DeVito, this groundbreaking book combines scientific research with practical advice, offering a comprehensive roadmap to optimize your health before conception. DeVito's approach goes beyond traditional infertility treatments, focusing on natural, accessible strategies that prepare your body, mind and environment for pregnancy.
Key Highlights:
- Uncover hidden health issues with comprehensive diagnostic testing that may affect fertility.
- Learn how to effectively prepare for a preconception visit with your healthcare provider.
- Implement a fertility-boosting diet, supplementation, and lifestyle plan designed to enhance your wellness.
- Discover how your pre-pregnancy health can inspire a legacy of wellness for future generations.
Whether you're considering egg freezing, just starting to think about pregnancy or have been navigating the path to parenthood, "9 Months Is Not Enough" is the essential guide for anyone looking to embrace a holistic approach to fertility and generational health. Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about your pre-pregnancy journey and set the foundation for a healthy future for you and your family."
After the Baby's Birth
"The first few weeks and months after a baby's birth can be a wonderful and confusing time. While trying to discover the best ways to care for her child, new (and experienced) mothers often neglect their own health. It is essential, however, that mothers pay as much attention to their own wellness as they pay to their baby's health and happiness during this crucial time. In a completely revised and updated edition of AFTER THE BABY'S BIRTH, childcare and women's-wellness expert Robin Lim guides mothers through the best methods of mother and baby postpartum care, including parental nurturing, breastfeeding, the role of the father, nutrition, and early sensory education. Focusing on natural and wholesome practices, AFTER THE BABY'S BIRTH is a sensitive, practical guide to post-pregnancy health.
Includes touching personal stories based on real-life experiences of mothers.
Features a collection of delicious recipes formulated especially for postpartum women, plus a special chapter dedicated to the ancient practice of Ayurvedic medicine."
The Baby Book
by William Sears, Martha Sears, Robert W. Sears, James M. Sears.
"The "baby bible" of the post-Dr. Spock generation, already embraced by hundreds of thousands of American parents, has now been revised, expanded, and brought thoroughly up-to-date -- with the latest information on everything from diapering to day care, from midwifery to hospital birthing rooms, from postpartum nutrition to infant development.
Dr. Bill and Martha Sears draw from their vast experience both as medical professionals and as the parents of eight children to provide comprehensive information on virtually every aspect of infant care. Working for the first time with their sons Dr. Bob and Dr. Jim, both pediatric specialists in their own right, the Searses have produced a completely updated guide that is unrivaled in its scope and authority.
The Baby Book focuses on the essential needs of babies -- cating, sleeping, development, health, and comfort -- as it addresses the questions of greatest concern to today's parents. The Baby Book presents a practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today. The Searses acknowledge that there is no one way to parent a baby, and they offer the basic guidance and inspiration you need to develop the parenting style that best suits you and your child. The Baby Book is a rich and invaluable resource that will help you get the most out of parenting -- for your child, for yourself, and for your entire family."
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
by Ina May Gaskin
"Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care and drawing upon her decades of experience, Ina May Gaskin gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention.
Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, this invaluable resource covers:
• Reducing the pain of labor without drugs—and the miraculous roles touch and massage play
• What really happens during labor
• Orgasmic birth—making birth pleasurable
• Common methods of inducing labor—and which to avoid at all costs
• Tips for maximizing your chances of an unmedicated labor and birth
• How to avoid postpartum bleeding—and depression
• The risks of anesthesia and cesareans—what your doctor doesn’t necessarily tell you
• How to create a safe, comfortable environment for birth in any setting, including a hospital
• And much more!
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth takes the fear out of childbirth by restoring women’s faith in their own natural power to give birth with more ease, less pain, and less medical intervention."
Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method (3rd Ed.)
by Marie F. Mongan
"HypnoBirthing® has gained momentum around the globe as a positive and empowering method of childbirth. Here's why: HypnoBirthing helps women to become empowered by developing an awareness of the instinctive birthing capability of their bodies. It greatly reduces the pain of labor and childbirth; frequently eliminates the need for drugs; reduces the need for caesarean surgery or other doctor-controlled birth interventions; and it also shortens birthing and recovery time, allowing for better and earlier bonding with the baby, which has been proven to be vital to the mother-child bond. What's more, parents report that their infants sleep better and feed more easily when they haven't experienced birth trauma.
HypnoBirthing founder Marie Mongan knows from her own four births that it is not necessary for childbirth to be a terribly painful experience. In this book she shows women how the Mongan Method works and how parents they can take control of the greatest and most important event of their lives.
So, why is birth such a traumatic event for so many women? And why do more than 40% of births now end in caesarean section, the highest percentage in history? The answer is simple: because our culture teaches women to fear birth as a painful and unsettling experience. Fear causes three physical reactions in the body—tightening of the muscles, reduced blood flow to the birthing muscles, and the release of certain hormones—which increase the pain and discomfort of childbirth. This is not hocus-pocus, this is science."
**NOTE: DVD included with book does not work.**
Gentle Birth Choices
by Barbara Harper
"Birth as every woman would like it to be.
New parents are faced with a myriad of choices about pregnancy, labor, and birth. In Gentle Birth Choices Barbara Harper, renowned childbirth advocate, nurse, former midwife, and mother of three, helps to clarify these choices and shows how to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience. She dispels medical myths and reimagines birth without fear, pain, or violence. Harper explains the numerous gentle birth choices available, including giving birth in an independent birth center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room; finding a primary caregiver who shares your philosophy of birth; and deciding how to best use current technologies. She also provides practical advice for couples wishing to explore the option of using a doula or water during labor and birth to avoid the unwanted effects of drugs and epidurals.
The Gentle Birth Choices DVD blends interviews with midwives and physicians and six actual births that illustrate the options of water birth, home birth, and vaginal birth after a prior Cesarean section. The DVD clearly reveals the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of women exercising gentle birth choices. It is a powerful instructional tool, not only for expectant parents, but also for midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors."
Cut, Stapled and Mended
by Roanna Rosewood
"At least you and the baby are healthy."
That's what they said when they handed him to me. And they were right. Why then, so long after my body has healed, do I still feel broken? A whisper inside of me insists: Birth is more than a means to a baby. There was something I was supposed to do, something I was to receive through giving birth.
Pregnant again, when the doctor tries to schedule another cesarean, I refuse. I will not submit to being tied down, cut open, and having my uterus extracted again without a fight.
That's why I ask a midwife to help me give birth. I tell her that I'm determined and strong. But she sees through my tough-guy armor. She smiles, saying, "Birth isn't a battle to win or lose. It's the result of delving into your vulnerability and finding your true feminine power."
Butterfly People
by Robin Lim
"A cast of characters as multicultural as fiction and history can conjure. The clash of cultures: revulsion against female circumcision, American disdain of native culinary habits and even cultural artifacts (woven hanging, wooden saints) and the East-West divide on family values."
Birthing From Within
by Pam England
"Here is a holistic approach to childbirth that examines this profound rite-of-passage not as a medical event but as an act of self-discovery. Exercises and activities such as journal writing, meditation, and painting will help mothers analyze their thoughts and face their fears during pregnancy. For use during birth, the book offers proven techniques for coping with labor pain without drugs, a discussion of the doctor or midwife’s role, and a look at the father’s responsibilities. Childbirth education should also include what to expect after the baby is born. Here are baby basics, such as how to bathe a newborn, how to get the little one to sleep, and tips for getting nursing off to a good start. Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is a process of continuous learning and adjustment; Birthing From Within provides the necessary support and education to make each phase of birthing a rewarding experience."
The Birth Partner (4th Ed.)
by Penny Simkin
"Since the original publication of The Birth Partner, new mothers' mates, friends, and relatives and doulas (professional birth assistants) have relied on Penny Simkin's guidance in caring for the new mother from the last few weeks of pregnancy through the early postpartum period. Fully revised in its fourth edition, The Birth Partner remains the definitive guide for preparing to help a woman through childbirth and the essential manual to have at hand during the event. This completely updated edition includes thorough information on: Preparing for labor and knowing when it has begun; Normal labor and how to help the woman every step of the way; Epidurals and other medications for labor; Non-drug techniques for easing labor pain; Cesarean birth and complications that may require it; Breastfeeding and newborn care; And much more. For the partner who wishes to be truly helpful in the birthing room, this book is indispensable."
Birth Matters: a Midwife's Manifesta
by Ina May Gaskin
"Upbeat and informative, Gaskin asserts that the way in which women become mothers is a women's rights issue, and it is perhaps the act that most powerfully exhibits what it is to be instinctually human. Birth Matters is a spirited manifesta showing us how to trust women, value birth, and reconcile modern life with a process as old as our species. Renowned for her practice's exemplary results and low intervention rates, Ina May Gaskin has gained international notoriety for promoting natural birth. She is a much-beloved leader of a movement that seeks to stop the hyper-medicalization of birth-which has lead to nearly a third of hospital births in America to be cesarean sections-and renew confidence in a woman's natural ability to birth."
Baby-Led Weaning
by Gill Rapley, Tracey Murkett.
"Though many believe that babies should be weaned by being spoon-fed purées, self-feeding allows babies to use their natural abilities to explore taste, texture, color and smell. It also encourages independence and confidence by allowing them to experiment with foods at their own pace. This practical guide offers parents information on how to introduce a child to solid food and hints on developing a happy and confident eater. With practical tips for getting started and the low-down on what to expect, this informed reference show why self-feeding from the start is the healthiest way for any baby to develop."
Sacred Pregnancy: A Loving Guide and Journal for Expectant Moms
by Anni Daulter
"In today's western cultures, the typical pregnancy focuses on the baby to the exclusion of the woman herself, so that the entire experience has become more about preparing for the baby's arrival than looking closely at oneself to prepare emotionally for all of the changes that creating a new life brings. Sacred Pregnancy was written to help the pregnant woman journey within herself to prepare for the birth of her baby.
Sacred Pregnancy is a gorgeous four-color book especially created for mothers-to-be to reflect on the many personal milestones of the full gestation period of a pregnancy. With beautiful professional photos that correspond to each topic, Sacred Pregnancy also features a journal space for the pregnant woman to record her thoughts and feelings. Each week the mother-to-be is given information on her baby, her body, and her spirit and is asked to reflect on these via the topic of the week, which touches on a variety of issues such as sexuality, fears about labor, becoming a mother, courage, rite of passage, adornment, body image, meditation, and sisterhood to name a few. Mothers-to-be are invited to look deeply at the issues unique to their journey and find a centered, peaceful place to live their pregnancy fully. Lastly, Sacred Pregnancy includes place for the new mother to record her birth story and a large resource section on various birthing options and supports for pregnant women."
Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition
by Lily Nichols
"Prenatal nutrition can be confusing. A lot of the advice you have been given about what to eat (or what not to eat) is well-meaning, but frankly, outdated or not evidenced-based. In Real Food for Pregnancy, you will get clear answers on what to eat and why, with research to back up every recommendation. Author and specialist in prenatal nutrition, Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE, has taken a long and hard look at the science and discovered a wide gap between current prenatal nutrition recommendations and what foods are required for optimal health in pregnancy and for your baby's development. There has never been a more comprehensive and well-referenced resource on prenatal nutrition. With Real Food for Pregnancy as your guide, you can be confident that your food and lifestyle choices support a smooth, healthy pregnancy."
Queer Conception: The Complete Fertility Guide for Queer and Trans Parents-to-Be
by Kristin Liam Kali
"This groundbreaking, up-to-date fertility guide from trusted queer and trans midwife Kristin Liam Kali is perfect for every queer family seeking pregnancy. It’s also the first evidence-based, transgender inclusive, and body-positive fertility resource for our community. Here, queer prospective parents will find sound advice about every step of the baby-making process:
· Creating a timeline
· Fertile health for every body
· Preconception tests
· Identifying ovulation
· Sperm donors, egg donors, gamete banks, and surrogacy
· Methods of insemination including IUI, IVF, and reciprocal IVF
· Miscarriage and infertility
· Navigating early pregnancy and preparing for infant feeding, including lactation induction for trans women and other nongestational parents
This book is for all LGBTQ+ readers interested in creating family through pregnancy: anyone who identifies as queer, lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, trans and nonbinary people, couples, single parents by choice, poly families, and coparents. It’s an antidote to a culture and medical system that all too often centers heterosexual couples experiencing infertility while overlooking our unique needs.
Also contains sidebars with guidance for reproductive healthcare professionals."
Pregnant Butch: Nine Long Months Spent in Drag
by A.K. Summers
"First pregnancy can be a fraught, uncomfortable experience for any woman, but for resolutely butch lesbian Teek Thomasson, it is exceptionally challenging.
Teek identifies as a masculine woman in a world bent on associating pregnancy with a cult of uber-femininity. Teek wonders, Can butches even get pregnant?”
Of course, as she and her pragmatic femme girlfriend Vee discover, they can. But what happens when they do? Written and illustrated by A.K. Summers, and based on her own pregnancy, Pregnant Butch strives to depict this increasingly common, but still underrepresented experience of queer pregnancy with humor and complexityfrom the question of whether suspenders count as legitimate maternity wear to the strains created by different views of pregnancy within a couple and finally to a culturally critical and compassionate interrogation of gender in pregnancy.
Offering smart, ambitious art, this graphic memoir is a must-read for would-be pregnant butches and anyone interested in the intersection of birth and gender, as well as a perfect queer baby shower gift and conversation starter for those who always assumed they got” being pregnant."
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn
by Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley, Ann Keppler
"Provides comprehensive information on all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth, including updated sections on prenatal nutrition, pain medications, and obstetrical interventions."
Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy
by Angela Garbes
"A badass, feminist, and personal deep-dive into the science and culture of pregnancy and early motherhood that debunks myths and dated assumptions, offering guidance and camaraderie to women navigating one of the biggest and most profound changes in their lives.
Like most first-time mothers, Angela Garbes was filled with questions when she became pregnant. What exactly is a placenta? How does a body go into labor? Why is breast best? What are the signs and effects of post-partum depression?
But as she discovered, it’s not easy to find satisfying answers. Your OB will cautiously quote statistics; online sources will scare you with conflicting and often inaccurate information; and even the most trusted books will offer information with a heavy dose of judgment. To educate herself, the food and culture writer embarked on an intensive journey of exploration, diving into the scientific mysteries and cultural myths that surround motherhood to find answers to her questions that had only previously been given through a lens of what women ought to do—instead of allowing them the freedom to choose the right path themselves.
In Like a Mother, Angela offers a rigorously researched and compelling look at the physiology, biology, chemistry, and psychology of pregnancy and motherhood, informed by research, reportage, and her own experience. With a journalist’s curiosity and discipline, a mother’s urgency, and a food writer’s insatiability, she explores the science behind the pressing questions women have about a number of subjects, including postpartum hormones, breast milk, and miscarriage.
Infused with candor and humor, born out of awe, appreciation, and understanding of the human body and its workings, Like a Mother is a full-frontal look at what’s really happening underneath your skin (and to it), and why women need to know."
Life Stages and Native Women
by Kim Anderson
"Life Stages and Native Women explores how life stages and responsibilities of Métis, Cree, and Anishinaabe women were integral to the health and well-being of their communities during the mid- 20th century. The book is rich with oral history conducted with fourteen Algonquian elders from the Canadian prairies and Ontario. These elders share stories about the girls and women of their childhood communities at mid-century (1930–1960), and customs related to pregnancy, birth and post-natal care, infant and child care, puberty rites, gender, and age-specific work roles, the distinct roles of post-menopausal women, and women's roles in managing death. The book concludes with a consideration of how oral historians' memories can be applied to building healthier communities today. It is a fascinating and powerful book that will speak to all women."