I'm thrilled to announce that our pick for November-December is The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence by Judy Lothian and Charlotte DeVries. I loved this book for two reasons: it is honest and well-researched and it makes it clear to pregnant women a myth that has existed for too long: that Lamaze is an outdated childbirth method solely focused on teaching women how to breathe. Nothing could be further from the truth. This book shows the real face of Lamaze today: a vibrant, hip, researched-based approach to giving birth that tells women the honest truth about birth.

This book makes sense. From the section "Making Your Choice" that encourages pregnant women to follow their gut and chose a caregiver who helps them feel the most confident through pregnancy, labor and birth to the authors' "Pain with a Purpose" section that is straight-up with pregnant women about the pain they will experience in labor. I was "sold" on this book when I read the following sentence:

Pain is a normal, healthy and necessary part of childbirth.

A book that tells women that pain is normal? Imagine how many pregnant women could have powerful births if they believed with every painful contraction that "this is normal." Lamaze International uses the word "normal" alot these days. They even have an Institute for Normal Birth which I encourage you to check out.

Giving Birth with Confidence is an essiential addition to any pregnant women's library of books. No matter what kind of birth a mother choses, she owes it to herself and her baby to have a powerful birth. Be an advocate, know the facts, then make informed decisions about her birth. Giving Birth with Confidence will help pregnant mothers acheive this.

Go buy the book now...and join our book club where we'll be discussing the book with the authors in November and December.