DONA International Postpartum Doula Certification Reading List

Libby and Hoopla both let you borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free with a library card. Most of the titles on this list are in their catalogs. If your card doesn't currently work with Libby or Hoopla, ask your librarian about a digital card.

Your local doula collective, your training cohort, or your doula mentor likely owns half of these already. Ask. Most of us are happy to lend, and many trainers keep a small lending library specifically for students working toward certification.

If a title is available as an audiobook (marked with the audiobook tag below) or as an ebook, you can read or listen on any device. The DONA reading requirements don't specify print, so use whichever format fits your life.

Everand (formerly Scribd) gives you a 30-day free trial when you sign up through their website. During the trial you have access to their full ebook and audiobook catalog. Cancel before the 30 days are up and you won't be charged. A focused month here can cover a good chunk of this reading list.

Find this in the DONA Resource Library or in your workshop materials.

Available in the same Resource Library above.

An honest look at the realities of the first weeks after a baby arrives.

A practical guide to physical recovery after birth, with attention to the nutrient and energy depletion that often gets dismissed.

Practical, body-aware approach to returning to movement and intimacy after birth.

A grounded resource for LGBTQ+ parents on family building, identity, and the realities of early parenting.

A wonderful overview of physical and emotional postpartum healing. One I recommend often.

Recipes and traditions from around the world for nourishing a person through the early postpartum weeks. Beautiful and practical.

One of the original texts on what new postpartum families actually need. Still relevant.

A longer view of postpartum that extends well past the early weeks. Older but holds up.

A long-standing newborn reference that families ask about often. Worth knowing the contents even if it isn't your favorite.

Medical-reference style guide to the first years. Good for clients who like clinical sources.

Framework for understanding developmental leaps and the fussy weeks that come with them.

Photo-rich guide to newborn cues. Excellent for visual learners and for parents who want to feel more confident reading their baby.

Comprehensive reference for the first year. From the same author as the pregnancy book in the birth doula reading list.

One of the few resources that centers chestfeeding language and trans and nonbinary parents from the start.

Evidence-based and emotionally supportive. A good first read for clients who want both information and reassurance.

Practical handbook I recommend often.

Detailed and clinical. Good when you need answers about specific problems and want them backed by a pediatrician known for lactation work.

First-person stories of Black families and their feeding experiences.

A foundational text from two of the most trusted names in lactation.

The classic LLLI text. Some language is dated but the core information is still useful, especially on positioning and milk supply.

The go-to resource for families feeding twins or higher-order multiples. Essential if you serve this population.

A free online resource from one of the longest-running peer support organizations for postpartum mental health.

First-person stories spanning the full perinatal arc. Helpful for understanding the range of mental health experiences clients carry.

Investigative look at perinatal anxiety and how often it gets missed or dismissed in the United States.

Validating, practical book on intrusive thoughts in the postpartum period. I hand this one out often.

Names "matrescence" as a developmental stage. A frame I find useful for clients who feel disoriented after birth.

Written by the founder of Postpartum Support International. Focused on how to listen well, which is most of the work.

Workbook-style resource I sometimes recommend alongside professional support.

Compassionate, evidence-based guide to PPD that I hand to clients and students.

A practical, role-specific guide to postpartum doula work.

Written for both doulas and community health workers. Strong on cultural responsiveness in postpartum care.

Practical framework for inclusive leadership that applies to doula collectives and trainings.

An invitation to imagine a different future for racial and social justice work.

A starting point for white doulas building the stamina to talk about race without defaulting to defensiveness.

An approachable, direct entry point for talking honestly about race.

Argues that postpartum support should extend across generations. Useful framing for community-based doula work.

First-person accounts that complicate stereotypes about Black fathers. Important context for any doula serving Black families.

Practical guide for same-sex couples on the paths to parenthood. The 2022 edition is more current than the earlier title on the birth doula list.

Research-based look at how relationships shift after a baby arrives, with concrete repair tools.

Direct, useful relationship advice for couples in the early postpartum stretch.

A memoir on pregnancy, birth, and chestfeeding as a transgender father. Important reading for doulas serving LGBTQ+ families.

A foundational text on attachment from two of the same researchers behind the doula movement.

About vulnerability and showing up fully in your work. Good for doulas building their practice.

Helpful framing for doulas who are pivoting careers or stacking related work.

Business guide written for Black women building service-based ventures. Older but still relevant for solo doulas.

Workbook-style guide for doulas building nonprofit programs or chasing funding for community-based work.

Classic marketing book for service providers. Useful chapters for any doula doing their own client outreach.

Written by a birth and death doula. A thoughtful look at presence at life's edges.

A grounding read on grief that I return to. Helpful before supporting any family through loss.

Practical, research-based approach to surviving major loss. Pair with Devine for a fuller picture.

Crucial reading if you serve postpartum clients whose own mothers have died.

Bedside-level guidance for the people supporting families through pregnancy and infant loss.

Written for parents grieving the loss of a baby. Quiet, honest, and useful as a gift book when families ask what to read.

A memoir on birth after cesarean and the work of reclaiming one's body.

Essential reading for anyone supporting birthing people with abuse histories. Worth tracking down used.

Practical, compassionate guide to processing a difficult birth experience.

A current, evidence-based update on safe infant sleep. Good for keeping up with guideline changes.

Realistic, gentle approach to infant sleep that respects the biology of newborns and the needs of parents.

Sleep guidance written specifically with breastfeeding and bedsharing in mind.

Evidence-informed gentle sleep approach that doesn't rely on cry-it-out.

On Indigenous birthing knowledge and healing traditions.

The history of how American gynecology was built on the bodies of enslaved Black women. Required context for understanding present-day disparities.

A landmark text on the history of how Black women's reproductive lives have been controlled in the United States. Read this one slowly.

A look at the systemic obstacles to breastfeeding in the United States.

Tells the story of the Fultz quadruplets and the role of formula marketing in racial health disparities. A short, sharp read.

A thorough, accessible pregnancy reference written for a Canadian audience but useful anywhere.

One of the earliest pregnancy guides written specifically for Black birthing people. Still relevant for the cultural and medical context it provides.

A textbook-style reference I keep on my own shelf. Use this if you want the most detail.

A pocket-sized pregnancy and birth guide written for Black families.