MOTHERHOOD & PREGNANCY: Books + Podcasts that saved me
Wisdom for the journey…
Most of these books came to me as heartfelt recommendations from my village of mothers… each one a treasure.
Becoming a mother involves lots of decisions from birth to parenting. You deserve to be informed of your choices, feel confident and connected to your innate wisdom as you step into motherhood. I hope these resources bring you closer to feeling that way.
Through these books, I was introduced to a very IMPORTANT concept: matrescence, which is the profound, but often invisible, transformation women go through when becoming mothers. For the love of god, even the structure of your brain changes and it’s not talked about! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND LEARNING ABOUT THIS.
If you’d like more support as you prepare for birth and step into early motherhood, I’d love to walk alongside you in any capacity I can at the moment. This journey is too big to do alone. I’m not offering any coaching until my daughter is older (Jan 2026), but I’m open to supporting eachother in other formats or connecting you to someone who can.
With much love on your journey,
Emma
Pre_Birth Prep
Birthing from Within
Pam England
This book aligns so beautifully with the way I already think about birth - not as a medical event, but as a profound rite of passage.
It blends practical advice (natural birthing positions, natural pain relief, breathing techniques) with reflective explorations around your fears, evolving identity, inner power, etc.
Lots of the exercises involved drawing, which helped me tap into pre-verbal wisdom and connect more deeply with the mother in me.
The Positive Birth Book Milli Hill
This book guided me in creating my birth plan. I went from feeling lost in all the choices to feeling confident and informed. I chose a hospital birth with as little intervention as possible - not always an easy balance - and this book helped me see my options clearly and feel ready to advocate for myself.
It’s relevant wherever and however you birth: at home, in hospital, at a birth centre, by cesarean, or vaginally.
The First 40 Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother
Heng Ou
In many traditions, the first 40 days after birth are considered sacred. This book deepened my belief around the importance of slowing down, cocooning, and RECEIVING CARE. It reminded me how deeply worthy I am of care - and it helped me convey this to the world around me in a meaningful way.
I got so inspired by this book that I wrote my own 40 Day Plan, which forced me to think more deeply about my web of support, who could help with what, the environment I wanted to cocoon in, and more. I’m so grateful I took the time to create that vision - I’ll share it in the resources section if you’re interested in creating something similar.
*I was also gifted the same author’s pregnancy book ‘Nine Golden Months’, which is equally lovely with lots of nourishng recipees.
Post-Birth
BEST PODCAST FOR THOSE LONG HOURS AT HOME
Motherkind
Zoe Blaskey
Honest, compassionate conversations about motherhood, self-care, and identity. Listening to this felt like sitting with a wise friend - feeling seen and validated in my experience.
THE ONLY BABY BOOK YOU TRULY NEED
Your Baby Week by Week
Fertleman & Cave
For me, it was SO reassuring to have an idea of what to “expect” week by week, especially those first months when everything is so new. Also, the LARGE TEXT and short paragraphs were perfect for my foggy mind. It gave me just the right amount of guidance without overwhelming me with too much information - leaving space for listening to my intuition.
FASCINATING BOOK
The Nurture Revolution
Greer Kirshenbaum
This book provided the science-backed permission slip to follow my instincts: to cuddle, to respond quickly, to hold my baby as much as I wanted. It reframed nurturing as powerful, not indulgent or creating a ‘needy’ baby (which you’ll be shocked to hear from so many). From a neuroscience perspective, the way you respond to your baby will shape the foundation of her mental health for the rest of her life.
Matrescence - A New Way to Thrive in a World Full of Expectations
Zoe Blaskey
Motherhood can be insane. It’s so easy to forget about yourself. This book is a reminder of who you are in the midst of it all. It offers opportunities for reflection and validates many of the difficult thoughts and emotions that come with the mothering territory. Just like the book below by Lisa Marchiano, it helped me see motherhood as an opportunity for personal expansion.
Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself
Lisa Marchiano
This book explores how the journey into motherhood is not just about raising a child, but also about discovering new parts of yourself. Written from a Jungian psychoanalytic perspective, it dives into the hidden layers of identity, transformation, and growth that come with becoming a mother. I found it deeply reassuring to read stories of other women navigating both the challenges and the triumphs… it reminded me that the struggles are part of the process, and that motherhood can be a powerful path of self-discovery.
Do you have any other books you’d recommend for mothers-to-be? Drop me a message!
