The birth book that feels like having a doula in your pocket.

Most pregnancy books fall into two categories: dense medical textbooks that read like instruction manuals, or fear-based bestsellers that leave you more anxious than informed. This book is neither. It's the guide you'd get if your smartest, funniest, most experienced doula friend sat down and told you everything you actually need to know about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

What makes this book different:
This isn't just another pregnancy guide. Written by Madeline LeBlanc, a registered nurse, lactation consultant, and birth doula trainer who's supported hundreds of families, this book translates complex medical information into real talk. No jargon. No judgment. Just evidence-based information delivered in a way that makes sense and actually helps you make decisions.

Throughout the book, you'll follow Jasmine, a first-time mom whose story unfolds chapter by chapter. Her questions become your questions. Her fears might mirror yours. Her journey shows you what this whole experience really looks like, from the first positive test through those hazy postpartum weeks.

What you'll find inside:
The book is divided into three parts, taking you through the entire journey. Part One covers understanding pregnancy, including what a doula actually does and why you might want one; how your body changes week by week; warning signs you absolutely shouldn't ignore; navigating prenatal care and choosing your provider; and nutrition that doesn't require a PhD to understand.

Part Two walks you through your birth experience. You'll learn about preparing for labor (hospital bag, birth plan, and the stuff that actually matters), what really happens during each stage of labor, comfort measures that work from breathing techniques to positioning, pain management options explained honestly, understanding interventions so you can make informed choices, everything about cesarean birth, and the Golden Hour and why it matters.

Part Three takes you through your postpartum journey, covering what your body actually goes through after birth (the real story), postpartum emotions from baby blues to when to get help, taking care of yourself when you're taking care of everyone else, your postpartum appointments and what to expect, and includes a whole chapter for partners—finally, something for them to read.

Special features throughout:
Every chapter includes Warning Signs boxes with important safety information you need to recognize, Doula Wisdom boxes with practical tips from years of experience, Jasmine's Story sections that bring each topic to life with real scenarios, For Partners sections with specific guidance for support people, and Key Takeaways that give you quick summaries when you need info fast. The B.R.A.I.N. Framework, a decision-making tool, is woven throughout the book to help you evaluate your options and advocate for yourself.

Who this book is for:
This book is for first-time parents who want real information without the overwhelm. It's for partners who want to actually understand what's happening. It's for anyone who's read three other pregnancy books and still has questions. It's for people who want to feel prepared, not scared. It's for families who want to make informed decisions but don't have time to become medical experts.

The bottom line:
Your body already knows how to do this. This book just helps you trust it, ask the right questions, and navigate the system with confidence. It's like having Madeline in your corner for the whole journey—which is exactly what every family deserves.
Whether you read it cover to cover or flip to sections as you need them, you'll find honest answers, practical support, and the reminder that you're stronger than you think. Plus, you'll finally understand what a mucus plug is and why everyone keeps talking about it.

Approved for 16 ICEA Continuing Education Units toward Doula Recertification.

When a family loses a baby, the clinical team knows how to manage the medical crisis. Almost no one knows how to manage what comes after. Bereavement Doula: A Comprehensive Guide to Supporting Families Through Pregnancy and Infant Loss fills that gap.
Written by Madeline LeBlanc (MHA, RN, IBCLC, IAT-BD), labor and delivery nurse, founder of Mary's Hands Network, and one of Louisiana's leading voices in evidence-based doula training, this is the most comprehensive bereavement doula training resource available. Every framework, protocol, and clinical communication approach was developed in collaboration with an expert review panel that includes morticians, obstetricians, social workers, and labor and delivery and NICU nurses. The result is a resource that reflects the full reality of pregnancy and infant loss across every setting where it occurs, the delivery room, the NICU, the funeral home, and the months that follow.

This is not a book about what to say. It's a book about becoming trained well enough that the right response becomes instinct.
Madeline LeBlanc has trained over 254 doulas and supported more than 450 families across Louisiana through Mary's Hands Network, achieving a 22.1% cesarean rate, compared with Louisiana's state average of 36.1%, outcomes that reflect what happens when support is treated as a clinical discipline, not an afterthought. This book is for doulas seeking bereavement specialization, labor and delivery, and NICU nurses wanting to expand their practice, social workers supporting families through pregnancy and infant loss, and anyone called to show up with skill, not just sympathy, for families navigating one of the most devastating experiences of human life.

You're choosing sacred, harrowing, heartbreaking, beautiful work. This workbook is for anyone willing to walk alongside families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss—whether it's an early miscarriage, a stillbirth, a neonatal death, or a termination for medical reasons. You won't find sanitized language that distances you from the reality of loss. You won't get platitudes about everything happening for a reason. Instead, you'll get honest, practical, evidence-based training from someone who's held hundreds of babies who never took a breath and sat with countless families saying goodbye far too early. Through eight chapters and five composite family stories, you'll learn the medical reality families face, how to support them through impossible decisions, what words actually help, how to honor their babies, and how to care for yourself in work that will change you. This is training in presence, not therapy. In witnessing, not fixing. In the profound difference that showing up with compassion and clarity makes in someone's darkest moments. You don't have to be perfect. You just have to be present. This workbook will teach you how.

The EVERYTHING Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Postpartum

Take a breath. You're not alone in this.

Whether you're staring at a positive test in disbelief, counting down the weeks until your due date, or somewhere in the messy middle of it all, this book is for you. The EVERYTHING Guide is the supportive, knowledgeable friend you wish you had by your side, walking you through every stage from pregnancy through the fourth trimester and beyond.

This isn't a clinical textbook that talks at you. It's a warm, honest guide that talks with you—covering what you actually need to know in language you can understand. You'll follow Jasmine, a first-time mom navigating her own fears and triumphs, whose story weaves through each chapter as a reminder that whatever you're feeling, you're not the first and you won't be the last.

Inside this comprehensive guide, you'll find:

- How your body changes during pregnancy and what's actually normal
- Warning signs that need attention and when to call your provider
- What really happens during labor—all the stages, explained
- Pain management options from breathing techniques to epidurals
- The truth about interventions, inductions, and cesarean birth
- Your first hour with baby and why it matters
- Physical recovery after birth (the stuff no one tells you)
- Emotional health, baby blues, and when to get help
- Dedicated chapters for partners and support people
- 100+ glossary terms, trusted resources, and a complete index

Written by a certified birth doula and childbirth educator, this evidence-based guide is designed to inform and empower—never to judge. Whether you're planning an unmedicated birth or a scheduled cesarean, whether you have a village or you're building one from scratch, this book meets you exactly where you are.

Your pregnancy. Your birth. Your postpartum. Your way.

You've got this, and now you've got the guide to prove it.

Pocket Doula delivers 50 practical, evidence-informed comfort strategies to help families prepare for labor and birth. Compact and easy to use, this guide empowers partners, friends, and loved ones to actively support the birthing person with confidence and clarity. Use it as a conversation starter with your provider, a planning tool for your support team, and a reminder that informed, compassionate care makes a difference. Discover more about community-based doula care at maryshandsnetwork.org.