14 Oct Resources for Preparing Siblings for Baby

by Kate Saumweber Hogan, CPM, LM

*If you would like to schedule a private class please email me at info@twincitiesmidwifery.com and we will share our availability and more information on the class*

Brother Love!

I love getting to discuss this topic with families and offer some tips and tricks for making the process of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum time easier on older siblings. Here are the resources we discussed in our class for future reference (and Twin Cities Midwifery clients are welcome to borrow them, as they are all part of my lending library). If you are reading this and feel like there are any that I’ve missed, please let me know!

by Megan Crown Photography

Prenatal Involvement and Development:

• Mommy Is Pregnant Coloring Book
• There’s A New Baby In My House Coloring Book
• Baby Egg Countdown Calendar (Actual Fetal Size)
• What’s Inside Your Tummy, Mommy? by Abby Cocovini
• When You Were Inside Mommy by Joanna Cole (hospital birth)
• Tell Me My Story, Mama by Deb Lund
• Before You Were Born by Jennifer Davis
• Baby on the Way by Martha and William Sears
• Hello Baby by Lizzy Rockwell
• Being Born by Sheila Kitzinger

Getting Ready to Be a Big Sibling (what to expect life will be like once baby arrives):

• Mama, Talk About Our New Baby by Toni Olson
• Hello in There!: A Big Sister’s Book of Waiting by Jo Witek
• We Have a Baby by Cathryn Falwell
• On Mother’s Lap by Ann Herbert Scott
• Mama’s Milk/Mama Me Alimenta by Michael Elsohn Ross
• I’m a Big Brother by Joanna Cole
• I’m a Big Sister by Joanna Cole
• My New Baby by Rachel Fuller
• My New Baby by Annie Kubler
• One Special Day by Lola M. Schaefer
• One Busy Day by Lola M. Schaefer
• What Baby Needs by William Sears
• I Am a Big Brother by Caroline Jayne Church
• I Am a Big Sister by Caroline Jayne Church
• There’s a Baby song by Linny Simkin
• Baby Born by Chih-Wei Chang
• Best-Ever Big Sister by Karen Katz
• The Big Sibling Book: Baby’s First Year According to ME by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

by Megan Crown Photography

Getting Ready to Attend the Birth!

• MamAmor Dolls
• Welcome With Love (Hello Baby!) by Jenni Overend
• Mama, Talk About When Max was Born by Toni Olson
• Mama Midwife by Christy Tyner
• Our Water Baby by Amy Maclean
• We’re Having a Homebirth by Kelly Mochel
• ABC Homebirth by Jessica Ghigliotti
• Mama Says Homebirth by Miquilaue Young

A big brother at his baby sister’s birth!.

Books for older children, about birth and other various aspects of bodies and sexuality:

• It’s Not the Stork by Robie H Harris
• It’s So Amazing by Robie H Harris
• Amazing You by Dr, Gail Saltz
• What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg
• Changing You!: A Guide to Body Changes and Sexuality by Gail Saltz
• Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU by Cory Silverberg
• The Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson
• Your Body Belongs to You by Cornelia Spelman
• The Human Body by Carron Brown
• Beautiful Girl by Christiane Northrup
• Moon Mother, Moon Daughter by Janet Lucy (in preparation for a girl’s first period)
• Off Limits: A Parent’s Guide to Keeping Kids Safe from Sexual Abuse by Sandy Wurtele (a book for parents to read)
• And a few more we haven’t reviewed yet.

Sibling Rivalry:

• While we don’t have these in our library, here is a great list to review if you are looking for sibling books as kids get older.
• Here are additional ideas to make this transition smoother, which includes a suggested book list at the end.

Videos:

• “Birth Day” by Naoli Vinave is a DVD showing a water birth with children present
• There’s a Baby by Penny Simkin is a DVD that shows an older sister’s joy and excitement as she learns about what the baby can do before birth, sees her baby sister be born, and shows a bit about life with a new baby.
• Births on the Blooma Prenatal Yoga DVD
• This non graphic slide show of labor, immediate postpartum, and even a shot of tandem nursing called Home Birth of Baby Boy
• This 6 minute video of a home waterbirth with older siblings present, Gus’ Home Water Birth (not very graphic).
• The home water birth of our Rainbow Baby on July 17, 2013 shows siblings preparing for baby, and then them meeting their little sister at the birth. (The sound seems like it wasn’t quite edited correctly, so you may want to turn your volume down a bit.)
• Another sweet homebirth, welcoming Macklin, with an older sibling present.
• Not a homebirth, but a sweet animated video about labor, birth, and midwives.
• Another sweet home waterbirth of Baby Sloane. It includes the newborn exam following birth, baby bonding with dad, and a sibling meeting baby for the first time.
• This is a home birth welcoming sweet Baby Elizabeth. The siblings have a sweet, first meeting with Elizabeth after the birth.
• Another sweet home waterbirth with mom catching baby. The siblings are in the video, too, when they meet baby Ivy Claire after the birth.
• The home, VBAC waterbirth of Baby Harlow.
• Baby A being born into her mama’s awaiting hands with big sister supporting mom in the birth tub at home
• Here is a sweet 10 min homebirth with a big sister.
• This is a sweet home waterbirth welcoming baby Lemma Maria and immediate postpartum.
• Here is a series of videos that were gathered with a child audience in mind.
• This site has a number of different birthing videos look through.
• Here are 6 favorites shared on Mothering.
• To see the full 17 minute video you’ll have to enter your email address. This birth is not in the water.
• Search for home births and animal births on You Tube
• This sweet 10 minute homebirth video of the birth of Teddy captured by Josephine Miller
• Fabulous 4 minute video of Mother’s Giving Birth Around the World, various birth settings
• Sister helping catch baby in this sweet 4 minute homebirth video

If you are looking for additional information, other than just the resources above, or if you would like me to present the full class, please feel free to contact me (MidwifeKate@TwinCitiesMidwifery.com)!

by Megan Crown Photography