Book recommendations?!?!

[chappy3]

Happy Friday everyone!! 

As a FTM I'm super curious about birth/labor techniques. I'm almost positive I will ask to be hooked up to an epidural as soon as humanly possible but I want to be sure that I have done my due diligence and making an educated decision. 

Does anyone have any recommendations on books, audio books, websites etc. to learn about different methodologies around child birth? 

Thanks

[tinydancer]

I knew I wanted to try for an unmedicated birth, and I ended up having two that way. Because of an underlying condition I have, a no or low intervention birth (no internal monitoring, no membrane rupture, no forceps, no vacuum, no episiotomy) was also recommended by my MFMs. So that's really what I focused on.

Before both of my deliveries I read Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth. It's a pretty crunchy book and some of the data on hospitals is a little outdated (at least in my version), but I found it hugely helpful for my mindset. It also makes you aware of things you want to ask about your delivering hospital and OBs - C section rate, time limits on laboring, etc.

I also very loosely follow spinning babies - it was helpful and interesting to learn about positioning, and I particularly like the recommendations on resting postures.

For my second I was with a midwife practice and they had some materials that talked about different methods - hynobirthing, etc. You may asl your practice if they have something similar.

Also, I had a nice birth plan for my first that involved laboring in the shower, low lights, music, etc., and it all went out the window - I didn't even make it to the hospital and had an accidental home birth. So...I think it's super helpful to be really informed about all your options, but not to get too attached to a specific plan for labor.