The Top 12 Evidence-Based Resources for Birth Professionals

With social media feeding information to our clients like a fire hose, it can be overwhelming for birth professionals (childbirth educators, doulas, lactation consultants) to discern all of the information and change curriculum or visit information to address every issue.

So with all of the information available to us, how do we choose which ones to heed and which ones to ignore? 

Top Websites for Evidence-Based Information (in no particular order, except for #1)

www.birthbythenumbers.org This website was conceived by Dr. Gene Declercq and has been developed by a group of students from Boston University School of Public Health.  If you don’t know about Dr. Declercq, that should be the very first thing you Google.  He is incredibly intelligent and has been a prolific writer and disseminator of truth for several decades.  I am his

greatest fan.

 www.childbirthconnection.org  Once known as the Maternity Center Association (show me a childbirth educator with over 25 years of experience and I’ll show you her Birth Atlas from MCA!) since 1918, this program is now a core of the National Partnership for Women and Families.

www.marchofdimes.org The March of Dimes and in particular their “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait” focuses on reducing elective births before 39 weeks.

 www.kellymom.com It’s all about breastfeeding – great info for both professionals and parents!

www.midirs.org The Midwives Information and Resource Service is a not-for-profit educational charity providing essential materials to assist midwives and other professionals.

www.vbac.com Fantastic website for info on cesareans and VBACs.

and of course.......

www.birthsource.com Celebrating 17 years of evidence based information for both parents and professionals.

Top Books as Reference for Birth/Breastfeeding Professionals (in no particular order)

Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds (2011) by Cynthia Gabriel.

Optimal Care in Childbirth: The Case for a Physiologic Approach (2012) Amy Romano and Henci Goer.

The Birth Partner 4^th Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas and All Other Labor Companions. (2013) by Penny Simkin.

Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn The Complete Guide (2016) by Penny Simkin and Janet Whalley.

Impact of Birthing Practices on Breastfeeding (2010) by Linda J. Smith.

Sweet Sleep: Nighttime and Naptime Strategies for the Breastfeeding Family (2014) by Diane Wiessinger, Diana West, Linda Smith and Teresa Pitman.

The Nursing Mother’s Companion 7^th Edition. (2015) by Kathleen Huggins.

Is there a book you feel should be on this list?  Email me at info@birthsource.com and I’ll be happy to share it with my readers!