Book Recommendations

Vulnerability

“The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are” by Brene Brown

“Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead” by Brene Brown

“Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution.” by Brene Brown

“Carry On, Warrior: Thoughts on Life Unarmed” by Glennon Doyle Melton

“Love Warrior (Oprah’s Book Club): A Memoir” by Glennon Doyle Melton

“When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times” by Pema Chodron

Perinatal Mental Health

Fertility

“Infreakinfertility: How to Survive When Getting Pregnant Gets Hard” by Melanie Dale

“Laughing IS Conceivable: One Woman’s Extremely Funny Peek into the Extremely Unfunny World of Infertility (Volume 1)” by Lori Shandle-Fox, illustrations by Sandy Vazan & Hilary Pearce

“It Starts with the Egg (Second Edition): How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant Naturally, Prevent Miscarriage, and Improve Your Odds in IVF” by Rebecca Fett

“Unsung Lullabies” by Janet Jaffe, David Diamond & Martha Diamond

“Three Makes Baby: How to Parent Your Donor-Conceived Child” by Jana M. Rupnow

“Infertility and PTSD: The Uncharted Storm” by Joanna Flemons, LCSW

“Ever Upward: Overcoming the Lifelong Losses of Infertility to Define Your Own Happy Ending” by Justine Brooks Froelker

Third-party Reproduction: For Kids
“Happy Together: An Egg Donation Story” by Julie Marie

“The Pea that was Me: An Egg-Donation Story (Volume 1)” by Kimberly Kluger-Bell (ages 3 – 5)

“A itsy bitsy gift of life, an egg donor story” by Carmen Martinez Jover

Pregnancy/Birth

“Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth” by Ina May Gaskin

“Birth Without Fear: The Judgement-Free Guide to Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum” by January Harshe

“Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy” by Angela Garbes

Postpartum

“This Isn’t What I Expected: Overcoming Postpartum Depression” by Karen Kleiman and Valerie Raskin

“Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts: Breaking the Cycle of Unwanted Thoughts” by Karen Kleiman

“Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A Healing Guide to the Secret Fears of New Mothers” by Karen Kleiman, illustrations by Molly McIntyre

“The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook: Practical Skills to Help You Overcome Anxiety, Worry, Panic Attacks, Obsessions, and Compulsions” by Wiegartz & Gyoerkoe, foreword by Laura J. Miller

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

“Reinventing Supermom: Support, Encouragement and Strategies for New Mothers Who Feel Lost” by Kate Kripke

Birth Trauma

“When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women” by Penny Simkin & Phyllis Klaus

“The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” by Bessel van der Kolk

“Heal Your Birth Story: releasing the unexpected” by Maureen Campion

“Traumatic Childbirth” by Cheryl Beck

Pregnancy Loss

“Empty Arms: Hope and Support for Those Who Have Suffered a Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Tubal Pregnancy” by Pam Vredevelt

“Almost a Mother: Love, Loss, and Finding Your People When Your Baby Dies” by Christy Wopat

“Empty Cradle, Broken Heart” Surviving the Death of Your Baby” by Deborah L. Davis

“Rebirth: The Journey of Pregnancy After a Loss” by Joey Miller, LCSW