This book inspired me to be a doula, real life stories of natural chilbirth.......

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9838 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Synopsis
Providing technical expertise for midwives, nurses and doctors, this book features information on labour, delivery, care of the new baby, and breast-feeding, all from a spiritual perspective.

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Customer Reviews

labour
once you get past the hippy terminology of the book and into the purpose of the book you will want to read it, remember it and loan it to all of your pregnant friends. This book along with my midwife helped me realise that birth was a natural thing for a woman to do and something that shouldnt be feared. My husband was amazed that his control freak wife was happy to give birth at home without pain relief except water (pool), I am not saying that things didnt hurt because trust me they do but having it in the back of your mind that you are capable and built to give birth helps loads. I am now pregnant with number two and have bought her new book and everything allowing will attempt the home birth again!

Beautiful birthing accounts
I thought this book was wanderfully inspring, and I'm extremely happy to see the majority of people who have commented about this book have given it full stars and a positive comment. I would like to have a home-birth now with my partner fully attended- it has made me realise how important it is to have him around and it will certianly be lovely for our relationship. Some people are put off by the 'hippy' language of the book but it was only their culture and they could just as easily sigh at the culture we have now and think "How mad!?". It ceertainly takes an open minded person to read this book. As far as I'm aware the women were not on drugs when they gave birth- the word stoned is used to describe the emotion of the event, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Student Midwife's Review
If you can look beyond the very "hippyish" language (a sigh of the times!) this book is a truly fabulous piece of work, and an inspiration to midwives and mothers alike. Yes, its slightly dated, but the actual purpose, to show women as capable of birthing their babies and to make us all consider the effect of medicalisation on childbirth are still very relevant.
I would recommed all those working in, and expecting a baby in countries who have taken over childbirth as a medical event read this and other similar texts to reevaluate which outlook is really the most "advanced".