My favorite books, one arguably more important than the others.

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When I first set out to make big changes in my life and to learn more about the reproductive system, I was intimidated. Like with anything, learning and trying new things can be scary; but if you really want it, you will find the way that works best for you to learn more. I was googling, youtubing, tiktoking– are these even words?– until I finally decided to go back to the root of knowledge before all these resources: BOOKS!

I was on birth control for seven years– SEVEN! I have tried multiple different types, experienced ridiculous symptoms, and finally decided to make a change and start learning how to regulate my body more naturally.

My favorite book, that changed my life and arguably deserves credit for the swiftness and planning of my healthy pregnancy, was the WomanCode by Alisa Vitti.

The Woman Code is a bit of a step-by-step guide for how to gradually make changes instead of a large exaggerated change. The best features of this book is the ability to read over time, it expands on the four parts of the hormonal cycle, the best foods to eat, the relationship that we create with our bodies and best of all how to listen to your body.

This is the book that I recommend to every single woman in my life, especially anyone who is transitioning into a hormone balancing lifestyle after being on birth control for years. This author also has her own website, program, and interactive blog for those who want to learn more or to expand further.

Not only is it easy to understand, but it gives way for the flexibility and understanding that not all bodies are created the same and what works for some–does not always work for others.

More on my journey with this book on my blog.

The next book that I loved, not only during pregnancy, but I read pre-pregnancy was The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth by Genevieve Howland.

Mama Natural is amazing! One of the things I love most is the fact that this book is written with medical professionals and doulas! On top of that, she has her own blog with a ton of resources for new moms and doulas alike.

The week-by-week aspect of this book also takes away the intimidating nature of learning more about a new topic or the news of becoming a parent.

This book covers everything from symptoms, interventions, breathing techniques, and recipes. I started reading this book when my partner and I began our conversations of starting a family, and restarted it when we got pregnant. I feel like having this book gave me a head start to know what to expect and what to plan for.

As someone who both appreciates modern medicine AND natural remedies this book is perfect because they not only expand on the science of everything, the medical reasons and devices, but also natural outputs and reasons why you may decide one option over the other.
A book like this is great for those ‘scrunchy’ people who aren’t afraid of a water birth, but also are totally down for an epidural. It’s a great read and even better for learning more about the different ways people experience pregnancy.

The next book I enjoyed, and used as a supplemental tool was Why Did No One Tell Me This?: The Doulas’ (Honest) Guide for Expectant Parents by Natalia Hales and Ash Spivak.

This is one of those books that, in my opinion, held a pleathora of knowledge, maybe too much for me when I first started.

This ended up becoming a supplemental book for me, where I would tap in to expand my knowledge on certain topics, like breastfeeding or dilation.

I appreciated the inclusivity of this book, where not only they expanded on being a mother, but being a parent. There was a lot in this book about preparing to be a birthing partner as well, which in my eyes, is invaluable.

Not only is written by doulas, but it also is written in a way that makes sense, which when it comes to science should be standard practice! They wrote this book in a way to make an already adjusting time feel more comforting, but also in a way that you can learn and expand your knowledge if you are interested in becoming a Doula yourself

Although there are bookoo books out there, and I am still getting started and flipping through some, these three were my starting points, the first one being the root of my interested in Women’s Reproductive Health, Endocrinology, and becoming a doula.