Reproductive Justice, Systems & Liberation

• A People’s History of the United States – Howard Zinn

The first book that truly shifted how I understood systems. A re-telling of American history from the perspective of those most impacted, not those in power. It taught me to look deeper, ask better questions, and understand that birthwork is always political.

• Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack – Peggy McIntosh

This list of 50 daily examples of white privilege changed how I saw the world. It’s a must-read for white doulas who want to understand how privilege plays out in invisible ways.

• White Privilege and Male Privilege – Peggy McIntosh

The companion piece to the knapsack. Reading this made me realize how embedded inequality is, and how important it is to name what we’re standing on before we try to build something better.

• How to Be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi

This book helped me move from awareness to action. It doesn’t let you stay neutral, and that’s the point.

• White Tears, Brown Scars – Ruby Hamad

A deeply confronting read that helped me understand the role white women have historically played in harm. As a white woman leading international trips, this book challenged and sharpened me in all the right ways.

 

Trauma, Attachment & Maternal Mental Health

• The Deepest Well – Nadine Burke Harris

This was the book that made me reframe birthwork as trauma prevention. Learning about ACEs and how early adversity affects long-term health shaped how I approach maternal care.

• Ordinary Insanity – Sarah Menkedick

A haunting, literary exploration of postpartum mental health. It gave language to the invisible weight so many mothers carry.

• The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk

If you support birthing people, you need to understand how trauma lives in the body. This book is foundational for trauma-informed care.

• Hold Me Tight – Dr. Sue Johnson

Perfect for doulas supporting couples through the transition into parenthood. It gave me so much insight into love, attachment, and repair.

• Atlas of the Heart – Brené Brown

This one helped me deepen my emotional fluency. Brené gave me words for what I already felt but couldn’t always explain.

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Birth, Postpartum & the Doula Lens

• Catching Babies – Sheena Byrom

One of the first true “birth books” I ever read, during that raw, in-between time right after my doula training and before my first trip to Tanzania. Sheena chronicles the sacred, the messy, and the humbling nature of birth, and reading her words helped me feel both reverent and ready. It’s the kind of book that makes you fall in love with this work before you even begin.

• The Fourth Trimester – Kimberly Ann Johnson

Not just a guide to postpartum recovery. This book taught me how to tend to the body, the nervous system, and the emotional shifts that come after birth.

• Like a Mother – Angela Garbes

Smart, funny, and full of research. This is the book I recommend to anyone who wants to understand pregnancy and parenting beyond the surface.

• Babies Are Not Pizzas – Rebecca Dekker

This one breaks down birth systems in an accessible, evidence-based way. It’s clear, empowering, and client-friendly.

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Cultural Wisdom, Ceremony & Personal Reflection

• Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer

This book is pure reverence. It’s not about birth specifically, but it reminded me how much the natural world can teach us about care, reciprocity, and rhythm.

• The Red Tent – Anita Diamant

A fictional entry into the rituals and sisterhood surrounding birth. This one helped me imagine what we’ve lost and what we might rebuild.

Women Who Run With the Wolves – Clarissa Pinkola Estés
A deep, mythic excavation of the feminine. Not a quick read, but one that stays with you.

• The Chalice and the Blade – Riane Eisler

This book gave me language for a world built on partnership instead of domination. It helped me imagine systems of care that center relationship over control.

• Pleasure Activism – adrienne maree brown

This reminded me that birth doesn’t have to be about pain and sacrifice. There is joy, pleasure, and power in the body. And that matters.

• Emergent Strategy – adrienne maree brown

This one helped me think about birthwork as movement work. About how we grow, adapt, and build together. Anything by adrienne maree brown is worth the read,