Book Club Night Kit
Birth Vibes
Jen Hamilton
Cozy night
Labor and delivery nurse Jen Hamilton writes about the delivery room, one of the most emotional places there is, with humor and a lot of tenderness. It's a great pick for a comfy night of shared stories and a few happy tears.
Come Cozy Up for Birth Vibes
Bring your comfiest socks and your best family birth story for a night of warm mugs, baked ziti, and Jen Hamilton's heartfelt tales from the delivery room. Happy tears are welcome.
Reading level: Easy
Best for: Clubs that like true stories, a good cry and a good laugh, and conversation that turns personal
Discussion
Warm-up
- 1.Do you know the story of the day you were born? Who told it to you, and what detail always gets repeated?
- 2.Where were you and what were you wearing (pajamas count) while you read this book? Did any moment make you laugh out loud or tear up?
Digging in
- 1.Nurses are often strangers who become very important for a single day. Has a caregiver, nurse, or stranger ever made you feel safe during a scary or vulnerable moment?
- 2.The book moves between funny moments and tender ones. Which kind stayed with you more, and why do you think humor and deep emotion so often show up together?
- 3.What did the book make you feel about the people who care for others all day and night? Did it change how you might thank a nurse or caregiver in your own life?
- 4.Birth is a beginning for a whole family, not just a baby. What welcomes, traditions, or rituals (meals, visits, keepsakes, names) mean the most to you or your family?
Going deep
- 1.Delivery rooms hold great joy and sometimes real heartbreak. How did the author's way of holding both at once affect you, and what did it teach you about showing up for someone during hard news?
- 2.By the last page, what feeling did you close the book with? Is there one story or idea you want to carry with you, or pass on to someone expecting or caring for others?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Meal-Train Baked Ziti
This is the classic dish people bring to new parents: cheesy, make-ahead, and easy to scoop into bowls. It fits a book about the ways we take care of each other.
Night-Shift Cinnamon Rolls
A nod to the long overnight hours of labor and delivery nurses. Store-bought dough, warmed and frosted, fills the room with a cozy smell without much effort.
Nurses' Station Snack Board
A cozy upgrade of the hospital staple, graham crackers with peanut butter, plus apple slices, cheese, and a few chocolates, the kind of treats that get passed around the break room.
To sip
Honey Ginger Comfort Tea (no alcohol)
A soothing, belly-warming mug that feels like being taken care of. Offer lemon slices and extra honey on the side.
Pebble Ice Cranberry Sparkler (no alcohol)
A playful nod to the famously good hospital nugget ice. Pour cranberry juice and sparkling water over crunchy pebble ice in a big cup with a bendy straw.
Irish Cream Night-Shift Coffee
Decaf coffee with a splash of Irish cream and whipped cream, a toast to everyone who has worked through the night to bring a family together.
Run of show
7:00
Welcome and Warm Mugs
Greet guests with the tea or cranberry sparkler. Put out blankets and cushions and start the playlist quietly.
7:15
Comfort Food Buffet
Serve the baked ziti buffet-style and let people settle in with a plate wherever they're comfy.
7:40
Birth Story Warm-Up
Go around with the warm-up questions. Keep it light, and anyone can pass or share a family story instead of their own.
8:00
Heart-to-Heart Discussion
Move through the theme and deep questions. Let tangents and personal stories run, since that's the point tonight.
8:40
Cinnamon Rolls and Trivia
Bring out the warm cinnamon rolls and the Irish cream coffee, then play a relaxed round of trivia in teams or all together.
9:00
Scorecards and Gratitude Notes
Fill out scorecards, and invite guests to write a short thank-you note to a caregiver in their lives if they'd like.
Host tips
- Birth can be a tender subject (infertility, loss, and hard deliveries touch many people). Say early on that passing is always fine, and gently steer if a story needs space.
- Make the ziti and set up the snack board the day before so you can relax with your guests instead of staying in the kitchen.
- Leave a small box of tissues on the coffee table. It's a caring touch, and it usually gets a laugh too.
Playlist
Soft, sweet, and a little sentimental, like a lullaby for grown-ups with the lights turned low
- 01 Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
- 02 Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
- 03 Sweet Baby James - James Taylor
- 04 Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) - Billy Joel
- 05 Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - John Lennon
- 06 Forever Young - Bob Dylan
- 07 Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
- 08 Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Trivia
- 1.What is Jen Hamilton's profession? (She is a labor and delivery nurse.)
- 2.On which social media platform did Jen Hamilton build a huge following sharing stories and moments from her work? (TikTok)
- 3.What genre is Birth Vibes? (Nonfiction memoir)
- 4.In hospitals, what does the abbreviation L&D stand for? (Labor and Delivery)
- 5.About how many weeks long is a typical full-term pregnancy, counted from the last menstrual period? (About 40 weeks)
- 6.The Apgar score, used to check newborns right after birth, is named after which doctor? (Dr. Virginia Apgar, an American anesthesiologist)
- 7.International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12, the birthday of which famous nursing pioneer? (Florence Nightingale)
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“Every beginning deserves someone holding your hand.”
Birth Vibes
Jen Hamilton
bookclubnight.com
“Warm blankets, soft voices, and a brand-new heartbeat.”
Birth Vibes
Jen Hamilton
bookclubnight.com
“Laugh, cry, then pour another cup of tea.”
Birth Vibes
Jen Hamilton
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Heartwarming Moments☆☆☆☆☆
Laugh-Out-Loud Factor☆☆☆☆☆
Happy Tears Count☆☆☆☆☆
Comfort Read Level☆☆☆☆☆
Would Gift to a Friend☆☆☆☆☆
The story that made me feel most was: ______________________
One word for how this book made me feel: ______________________
A caregiver I'd love to thank is: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.