Articles and suggested further reading

Articles by Birthtalk

Getting your previous birth notes - a healing step
includes list of 'what to ask for' when retrieving your notes

Why Birth Trauma is Unspoken - most women don't even
know what they’ve experienced!
This article was published in the September 2008 edition of Birth Matters,
the national journal of the National Maternity Coalition. It is the personal story of Melissa’s (co-founder of Birthtalk) journey through a traumatic birth, to understanding the nature of Birth Trauma.

Do I need a Doula?

The Nature of Birth Trauma
From our seminar "Moving On After a Challenging Birth"

Feelings after a caesarean

Magazine Articles where Birthtalk was interviewed

Practical Parenting magazine, “Fixing The Hurt”

Infosheets by the National Maternity Coalition

Induction
Pre-labour rupture of membranes
Bearing Down or Directed Pushing
Third Stage of Labour
Baby’s Transition

Articles by Dr Sarah Buckley

1. “Pain in Labour - Our Hormones are our Helpers”
- a wonderful article we highly recommend.
2. Dr Buckley’s article about the third stage of labour
(delivery of placenta)

The Cochrane Database

The medical and midwifery professions hold the Cochrane Database Library as its gold standard. This database is also held in high esteem by the World Health Organisation. In the Cochrane Database, all the well researched data on a particular topic is collated, compared and analysed, and the results of this process are then offered.

There is a book called A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth edited by Enkin,etc, that collates all these results from the Cochrane Database in easy-to-understand terms and language. There is a free online version of this book available.
This is a highly reliable source of evidence-based information and one that Birthtalk recommends as a first port-of-call when looking for research about pregnancy and childbirth.

Other Articles

Excellent article about going ‘postdates’ After your due date by Cas McCullough

Books

These books are ‘recommended reading’ to attendees of our courses. Many of them are unavailable at regular bookstores, but we find the information contained in these titles to be extremely helpful when working towards an empowering birth. Some are available in Birthtalk’s own library, for attendees of our courses and support group to borrow.

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer.
Available in Birthtalk Library. Someone has told us that Borders bookstore has this in stock. Otherwise, www.capersbookstore.com.au usually has it as well.

Birth Reborn by Michel Odent.
C currently available at Brisbane City Council Libraries. Check out their online catalogue to get it sent to a library near you – we highly recommend this book.

Rediscovering Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
Currently available at Brisbane City Council Libraries. Check out their online catalogue
to get it sent to a library near you – we highly recommend this book.

Our Mothers Ourselves by Shelia Kitzinger

Birthing From WIthin by Pam England.
Available in Birthtalk Library.

Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah J Buckley
Sarah is a Brisbane-based doctor and mother of 4, and is highly respected worldwide in the birthing community. We love Sarah’s work, and also recommend her website.