As a doula, I'm always happy to recommend "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn" by Penny Simkin, et al. I have always appreciated Penny's calm, informative and supportive writing style, along with her fair treatment of interventions, labor support and the birth process. So many books come with a hidden (and oftentimes not-so-hidden!) agenda, whether in favor of natural birth or interventionist birth. Simkin, while clearly acknowledging the risks of interventions, lays out the risk/benefit argument in such a way that parents feel respected and not spoken down to. While I love Henci Goer's book, it desperately needs updating, and the tone can be off-putting to some parents who might be more on the fence regarding the brith process. Granted, we all know Henci is RIGHT, but some parents need a little more hand holding. Oh, one last resource, since the father is French - perhaps they should read something written by Dr. Michel Odent, the French obstetrician? He's wonderful! Good luck to the parents-to-be!! Cheers, Alison Ziskind Doula *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome