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Resources

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Below is a list of resources to help answer your pregnancy, birth and baby questions.
Click on the headers to expand each section.

Pregnancy & Birth

Lamaze International
belly belly – make your own informed decisions on all things conception, pregnancy, birth and baby. No fluff. Real stuff.
Birth Goddess – Fantastic website full of empowering, positive messages about pregnancy and birth
Maternity Choices Australia (formerly Maternity Coalition) (a national consumer advocacy organisation committed to the advancement of best-practice maternity care for all Australian women and their families)
Maternity Consumer Network
Home Birth Australia
A-Z Fact Sheets on Pregnancy & Birth (fantastic resource from the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne)
Pregnancy Birth & Beyond – an up-to-date and extensive source of information on pregnancy, birth and parenting.
Birth Hub – Are you planning a natural birth and would like to connect with people and groups in greater Melbourne that best support your choices? This site is designed with just you in mind.
Bouncing Back from Birth – fantastic online store that stocks a fabulous range of postpartum recovery products
International Childbirth Initiative
The Positive Birth Movement – a grass roots movement, spreading positivity about childbirth via a global network of free Positive Birth groups, linked up by social media.
Childbirth Connection (a US-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of maternity care)
Evidence-based Birth – The mission of Evidence Based Birth is to get the research evidence on birth into the hands of mothers and families, inspiring them to make more informed decisions about their care during childbirth.
Improving Birth – U.S.-based advocacy organisation dedicated to raising awareness of evidence-based maternity care.
Spinning Babies – Easier childbirth with fetal positioning
Dr Sarah Buckley (author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering)
Dr Sara Wickham – renowned UK-based professor of midwifery who has some amazing evidence-based resources pregnancy and birth
Penny Simkin – renowned US-based childbirth educator
Baby Friendly Health Initiative
Birth by the Numbers – Accurate, up-to-date information on childbirth practices and outcomes in the United States and other countries.

Midwives

MAMA – Midwives and Mothers Australia is the first midwifery-run centre of its kind in Victoria, with centres in Kensington & Hampton.
Melbourne Midwifery Collective – Melbourne Midwifery Collective is a directory of midwives who are working together & have a shared philosophy of keeping birth normal.
My Midwives
Yarra Valley Midwives
Mamatoto Midwives
Doulas

Doula Network Australia (online directory of Australian doulas)
Find A Doula (online directory of Australian doulas)
Birth Attendants (online directory of Melbourne doulas)
Dial A Doula (online directory of Australian doulas)
Australian Doula College (online directory of Australian doulas)
Birthing Wisdom – birth attendant/doula  graduates trained by Rhea Dempsey
DONA International (the oldest, largest and most respected doula association in the world)
We The Parents – features a great infographic detailing the science behind doula support.

Allied Health Practitioners

Vida Lifestyles – Chiropractor & Wellness Centre
Fertile Ground Health Group
The Fertility Pod
Goodness Gracious Health with Grace Miano – doctor of Nutritional Medicine
Dana Toogood Chiropractor (Box Hill North, Melbourne)

Traumatic Birth

SANDS – Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Newborn death support (including 24/7 free helpline)
BirthTalk
How To Heal A Bad Birth
The Birth Trauma Association (UK)
When Survivors Give Birth – book by Penny Simkin & Phyllis Klaus

Caesarean Prevention & VBAC
Caesarean Awareness Network Australia (CANA) Up-to-date and evidence-based information and resources about caesareans and birth after Caesareans, links to support groups around the country
ICAN – International Caesarean Awareness Network
The VBAC Education Project
Childbirth Connection – VBAC or Repeat Caesarean?
VBAC Facts 
What Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know About Caesarean Section (Childbirth Connection)
So you want to have a VBAC? Here’s where to start. 
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) – updated guidelines for birth after previous Caesarean (October 2015)
Birthrites – Healing After Caesarean
Birth Goddess VBAC Support
Maternity Choices Australia Fact Sheet
Cut, Stapled and Mended: When One Woman Reclaimed Her Body and Gave Birth on Her Own Terms After Cesarean by Roanna Rosewood

Dads & Partners
LGBTQI Community

Rainbow Network
Rainbow Fertility is the first dedicated fertility service provider in Australia to cater exclusively for the LGBTI Community.
Rainbow Families Victoria
Transcend
IVF Australia – Fertility Treatment for same sex couples
DocLIST is an online list of doctors and mental health professionals who have been recommended by lesbian and bisexual women in Australia

Pregnancy & Parenting Books

The Official Lamaze Guide
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin
Birth With Confidence: Savvy Choices for Normal Birth by Rhea Dempsey
The Positive Birth Book by Milli Hill
The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
New Active Birth by Janet Balaskas
Birth Skills : Proven Pain-management Techniques for Your Labour and Birth by Juju Sundin & Sarah Murdoch
Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke CNM
The New Pregnancy & Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
Your No-Guilt Pregnancy Plan by Rebecca Schiller
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn (5th Edition) by Penny Simkin, April Bolding, Ann Keppler, Janelle Durham & Janet Whalley
Group B Strep Explained by Dr Sara Wickham
Why Induction Matters by Dr Rachel Reed
Gentle Birth Gentle Mothering: A Doctor’s Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices by Dr Sarah Buckley
A Modern Woman’s Guide to Natural Empowering Birth by Katrina Zaslavsky
Pride and Joy: A Guide for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Parents by Sarah & Rachel Hagger-Holt
Men at Birth edited by David Vernon
Men, Love & Birth by Mark Harris
The Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions by Penny Simkin
The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Dr Jack Newman
Dr Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding (2014 edition) by Dr Jack Newman & Teresa Pitman
Born to Breastfeed by Rowena Gray
Breastfeeding with Confidence by Sue Cox
Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League
Information Booklets produced by the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)
The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr Harvey Karp
The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Newborns by Elizabeth Pantley

Breastfeeding
Parenting

Babywearing Victoria
Raising Children Network
Attachment Parenting Australia
Caring Mums is a home-based, confidential, free of charge program for mothers of newborns or infants and pregnant women that provides emotional support for all mothers with a child under 12 months old who feel isolated, depressed or just want somebody to talk to.
Elly Taylor – Author and Creator of the Becoming Us™ Parenthood Program.
Red Nose – Red Nose (formerly SIDS and Kids) is dedicated to saving the lives of babies and children during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood and supporting bereaved families.
Pinky McKay
New Generation First Aid – Empowering parents and carers in infant and child first aid
National Car Seat Restraint Laws – Correct child car seats for children’s age and size
Kids Health Info – excellent fact sheets from The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (app available on both the App store and Google Play

Perinatal Anxiety & Postnatal Depression

Just Speak Up (support for Antenatal and Postnatal Depression)
The Gidget Foundation (promoting emotional wellbeing for expectant & new parents
Beyond Blue (support for Postnatal Depression)
PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia)
GLOW Perinatal & Emotional Wellbeing Clinic (Berwick, Melbourne)
How Is Dad Going? (PANDA’s brother site dedicated to providing support for new fathers)
Depression During Pregnancy – an online guide from the US, but has some good general information and links.
MumSpace – support for the emotional health of new mums
What Were We Thinking! Reassurance & Practical Support for Mums and Dads.

Pregnancy & Parenting Apps

BabyBump
Mum2Mum – new breastfeeding app from the Australian Breastfeeding Association
Birth for Real
Digital Doula
My Birth Wishes
My Pregnancy Today (Baby Center)
BubLove
Mind the Bump
The Wonder Weeks
Baby Feed Timer
White Noise Free Sleep Sounds
Mush – the new, free way for mums to meet local mums with kids the same age (AKA “Tinder for Mums”!)
Kids Health Info – excellent fact sheets from The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (app available on both the App store and Google Play

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