Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Reviews

• Exactly the book that's needed in this Epidural Age

  
  By A2ODBHT4URXVXQ on 2003-04-29
  Anyone associated with the childbirth genre knows of Ina May, and her many devotees have been waiting a long time for this book. It couldn't have come at a better time, as legions of today's women voluntarily turn to the tricks of modern obstetrics, notably epidemic epidurals.
  I'm a retired midwife (and author of Baby Catcher, a modern midwifery memoir), and feel I learned a good bit of my craft by listening to Gaskin speak, visiting The Farm a bazillion years ago, and reading and rereading and rereading Spiritual Midwifery. But much in obstetrics has changed since Spir. Mid. was published; at that time, natural childbirth was all the vogue, and Ina May was sort of preaching to the choir. Now, oh lordy, now things are very, very different. Cesarean rates hover around 25-30% in some hospitals, and the epidural rate is twice that. What are these women thinking??
  It was by studying Ina May's 'style' that I realized the power of teaching by parable: the power of story-telling. Women's eyes glaze over when they're lectured to, but their attention is rivited by birth stories. In this Guide to Childbirth, Gaskin deals with the changes in modern OB and offers ways to get around the routines. But she once again relies on her story-telling techniques for getting across her central message: If you're surrounded by people who believe you can do it and who support your own belief that you can do it, then guess what? You can do it.
  
  

• Also Good for Fathers-To-Be

  
  By A1RAUVCWYHTQI4 on 2006-08-31
  One of the very few stipulations my wife made after we learned we were going to have a child is that I read this book by the doyenne of natural childbirth in the U.S. While the tone of the book is much too touchy-feely/hippyish for me, I have to admit that it is well worth reading regardless of whether you're planning a natural childbirth or a fully tech'ed out hospital one. That said, it would be very easy to read it as gospel and get swept up in its giddy repudiation of modern medicine, so one should approach it with, if not a skeptical eye, at least with one's critical faculties fully engaged. There is also the potential that readers who are fully committed to a hospital birth may come away from this book feeling scolded, or as if their decision is somehow "wrong".
  
  The author is a superstar in the field of natural childbirth, largely as a result of her 35+ years work at "The Farm", a kind of birthing commune in Tennessee. The first half of the book is a compilation of natural childbirth stories written by mothers who've either done it at The Farm, or somehow in conjunction with the author. While these are certainly useful as illustrative examples of how it all goes down, they tend to get rather repetitive and could certainly stand to be scaled back a bit. And for those who know little about the birthing process, some of the terminology can be unclear. Finally, for those who might want to read this book on the subway (like me), be forewarned that there are some pretty graphic photos of childbirthing in this section.
  
  The second half of the book walks the reader through the entire process, mostly with the aim of explaining why modern medical childbirthing procedures are not based on the mother's health and needs, but are designed for convenience of the medical establishment. Stuff like epidurals, amnios, fetal monitoring, pitocin, forceps, vacuum extractors, etc. all come under sustained assault. Gaskin makes a convincing case for most of her criticism, with plenty of good examples from historical texts and anthropological research. Perhaps the most striking and compelling examples come from studies of childbirthing in modern Scandinavia. Sometimes Gaskin stretches a little to far in her attempt to debunk every single medical procedure and doesn't always have the most current data. For example, Rhogham does not have any mercury whatsoever any more, and the danger from amniocentesis is vastly overstated. However, simply in terms of the debate over natural childbirth vs. hospital birth, it's awfully hard to argue with the data she's gathered from thousands of natural childbirths.
  
  Ultimately the reality is that every mother's experience is different, and there's no technique, approach, or solution that works for everyone. That said, the book did a pretty good job of convincing me that the mother's mental approach to childbirthing and expectations for the experience are the single most important indicator of how it will all go.
  
  

• Changed How I Viewed Giving Birth

  
  By A17SZZO9LM3WYC on 2003-05-08
  I'm 17 weeks pregnant, and while I'm overjoyed to be pregnant...I've always been afraid of the pain I'll experience during childbirth. Reading Ina May's book, and the birth stories of the women in it, has changed all of that. I feel that I can handle labor now...and am even toying with the idea of not using drugs. (Prior to this, I used to say that I'd like an epidural plus any other drug they'd give me.) Even if I end up using some pain meds, I know I'll be entering the labor process without the level of fear I had before. That is priceless. This is a must-read for any pregnant woman and her husband...whether or not she wants to have a medicated or non-medicated birth. Bravo Ina May! Just wish I lived closer to TN so that I could use her services.
  
  

• We feel this book misled us in many ways

  
  By A3KR9Q99D1EGEB on 2006-03-23
  In preparing for the birth of our first child, we read a number of books. This book was probably the one that we consulted more than any other, because it was recommended by a friend.
  
  Without getting too private or personal, let me just note that in the end, our birth process was absolutely nothing like what we were led to believe would be possible. My poor wife labored for over 30 hours, wound up having to have almost every intervention that this book opines against (each of which we resisted for far too long), and ultimately wound up with a c-section.
  
  In retrospect, paging through this book, I feel that almost every impression that was given was flat-out wrong. The consistent message throughout the book is:
  
  -- Trust your body. It will know what to do.
  -- The best tools for childbirth are not medical procedures but mind over body, emotional support, relaxation, getting rid of negative thoughts, etc.
  -- Almost every medical trend in handling childbirth is wrong-headed, there's no evidence that it helps, it may do more harm than good.
  
  This book goes through various of the medical procedures and tools: pitocin, forceps, epidurals, fetal monitoring, etc -- takes the vantage point that these are usually unnecessary, best avoided, etc.
  
  My BS antenna did go up a few times when reading the book and I wished I'd paid more attention. There are some wacky stories here about women being able to stop their bleeding just by having some great emotional epiphany, etc. I found these to be implausible at the time, and wish that I had treated the book with more skepticism.
  
  In our experience, none of this stuff helped: the breathing exercises, the visualization, the relaxation, the different positions for pushing, etc. It was all completely irrelevant to our experience. Going in with a "birth plan" based largely on this book really set us up for disappointment and for a whole lot of unnecessary suffering on my wife's part.
  
  If you're lucky and this stuff works for you, great. But this book doesn't prepare you for the possibility that many women may not be so lucky.
  
  The worst aspect of this book is that it holds up an ideal of natural childbirth as to being what birth "should" be. So if it winds up not being possible for you, you feel as though you have missed out. I really dislike the fact that my wife was led to believe that this particular way of proceeding is the ideal, and that somehow things hadn't gone "right" if this type of childbirth isn't possible.
  
  For some women, you might have to do a c-section, you might need an epidural, you might need pitocin, or something similar, no matter what this book says. And when you do, don't feel badly about it.
  
  We have a beautiful baby girl, and she is no less beautiful to us because we weren't able to follow this book's prescriptions.
  
  If we had it to do over again, I think we would have just scheduled a c-section rather than to subject my beloved wife to 30 hours of torture.
  
  

• Good, but highly biased

  
  By A1DP9B5RL65XTO on 2004-10-04
  I recommend this book for those who are considering home birth or birth at a birth center. There are so many horror stories out there about these types of births that parents who would like to choose an alternative to a hospital birth would be encouraged by this book.
  However, this book does make it sound as if you are endangering your baby and yourself by considering a hospital birth. It includes as many horror stories about hospital births as other books include about home birth or birth center births, including a story of the nurse who died soon after a c-section.
  All in all, I would like to find a book about natural childbirth that does not demonize the mainstream medical community. Until then, this book does fill a need for an informed, experienced resource for learning about alternative birth methods. Take what she says about natural childbirth seriously and be encouraged by it, but take what she says about hospital birth with a grain of salt.
  
  
• Save your money for something useful to the baby.
  By A3HE1B7ZTTXJIN on 2005-03-07
  I'm in my 34th week of pregnancy and wanted to read up on what to expect when I give birth. This book was reccomended to me, but I couldn't stand this book. Ina May pounding the messages of "hospitals are evil", "Doctors are idiots" and "Men who aren't your husband are all clueless" was too much. Since the book had been reccomended to me, I was trying to make my way through it (After skipping half of the "empowering" birthing stories in the first half of the book) but when I got to the message of "ALL prenatal screening and tests are unecessary and postentially harmful" I had enough. I'm returning this book to get something, anything better.
  
  
• Better than the girlfriends by a landslide
  By A18TATPCDUZCC3 on 2003-03-08
  I have known Ina May for a long time, and I have been waiting for this book for years. Now that I have my copy in hand, I am not disappointed. First off, she starts the book with 100 plus pages of birth stories. Wonderful birth stories, scary birth stories, maddening birth stories, and even second generation birth stories. I loved reading the story of the birth of Mariahna, and then several pages later the story of how Mariahna herself gave birth. There is a special bonus in the birth story of two obstetricians (a married couple) giving birth. The book would be worth the investment if only for the birth stories.
  Part two of the book includes well written and researched information on pregnancy, birth, midwifery, and obstetrics. It includes a historical perspective that is fascinating and imformative. Statistics and research are covered in a way that is neither dry nor boring.
  I highly recommend that anyone pregnant, contemplating pregnancy, or involved with pregnant women should read this book. While one may disagree with some of the conclusions and recommendations, the data is compelling and the recommendations both evidence based and cost effective.
  When the wealthiest country in the world has criminally high infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates, it is time for some change. Read the last chapter (first if you like) for a vision of how that change might be brought about.
  
  
• Unrealistic Expectations
  By A1JGMNTC2MW3SD on 2007-01-02
  The "ecstasy" of childbirth? Having an orgasm as you push your baby into the world? Giving birth on a "farm" completely free of medical interventions? These are a few of the ideas this book touts to its readers, while simultaneously discrediting many legitimate obstetric procedures. This book does more to make women feel guilty and inadequate for requiring medical interventions with their births than it does to empower women with tools to use to reach the goal of natural childbirth. Most importantly, it loses sight of the fact that the ultimate goal of childbirth is not to forsake all medication, but rather for both mother and baby to emerge from the experience healthy.
  
  
• All I can do is echo the other reviews!!!
  By A1SH2M0LXT323 on 2003-09-02
  I'm currently 29 weeks pregnant with my first child, and I've read a lot of the "bestselling" pregnancy and labor books on the market (i.e. "What to Expect", the Dr. Sears books, etc) but this one blew the rest out of the water when it comes to labor and delivery! Ina May's book explains the importance of psychological readiness for labor and delivery, as well as awesome techniques to overcome the "obstacles" of labor naturally. The first half of the book consists of very inspirational natural birth stories which made me feel prepared and even EXCITED about natural childbirth before I even read the second half of the book.

  After reading this book, I decided to switch from using my OBGYN to a midwife instead. My OBGYN is supportive of my decision to try a "natural" childbirth, but her definition of the concept doesn't go beyond "patient doesn't want an epidural". She is totally untrained and unprepared to help me naturally deal with stalled labor, avoiding an episiotomy, delivering a "stuck" baby, etc. I know she would give me drugs or wheel me in for a C-section long before a midwife despite her "supportiveness".

  You CAN try the ideas in Ina May's book on your own during labor, without the doctor knowing a thing about natural childbirth, as long as the OB isn't going to argue with what you want to try in the middle of delivery! For example, if baby's shoulders are stuck, most OB's will want to do an immediate C-section; Ina May's book tells you that if you simply turn over on your hands and knees, the baby will most likely slide right out!
  
  

• Don't read this book if you're booked at a hospital for your birth
  By A2JZ1HEZ9XAZT7 on 2006-04-03
  I was merrily skipping along during the first five months of my pregnancy, dutifully showing up at the hospital for my routine checkups, somewhat apprehensive of the big scary monster that is birth, but otherwise unconcerned. And then, at the urging of a friend, I read this book. And suddenly anxiety set in - I couldn't possibly have my baby at the hospital, I knew too much. I frantically searched for a homebirth midwife, feeling like my time was running out. Luckily, I found an excellent one, and then I took Hypnobirthing classes to prepare myself for an unmedicated planned homebirth. Fast forward four months: I had my baby at home, and everything happened just as nature designed it to. I was sure of my self, had no fear whatsoever, and dealt with the pain one contraction at a time. Twenty-four hours later I had my beautiful little girl. Thanks to this book, I had the confidence to do the right thing for her and for myself.
  
  
• All Parents-To-Be: BUY THIS BOOK AND MEMORIZE IT!
  By A3G2SCTD53EV2E on 2004-02-08
  I am related by marriage to a midwife, so I have heard the gospel of homebirth for years. But the books she lent me had publication dates from my grade school and junior high years, so I often sneakily wondered--is it still really that bad? Then I started prenatal visits for my own first baby, and yes, it pretty much is. I am going to a doctor to keep an eye out for conditions that would call for the resources of a hospital--but if there aren't any, I'm staying home to have this baby. Read this book and you may decide the same thing.
  
  Without scare tactics, and with plenty of solid data to back her up, Ina May provides a timely antidote for the overly mechanical, overly pharmaceutical way of childbirth that is still the conventional wisdom in most U.S. hospitals. She makes the chilling point that a lot of so-called necessary medical procedures--procedures that can increase the stress and dangers of childbirth--are based on modern physicians' ignorance of how birth really works. Ina May quotes from medical texts written before many of the drugs and procedures now used in "routine" hospital births were invented. The doctors who wrote those old books did something most modern obstetricians have never done: they observed normal births, over and over and over. They took for granted things that have been forgotten by modern medical schools. Ina May combines this old medical model of childbirth with her own vast experience in midwifery to guide you through what really happens during labor and what you (you plural--Mom *and* Dad) really can and should do.
  
  Ina May will steer you safely between the artificial terrors of modern obstetrics and the artificial transcendentalism of many pregnancy handbooks. Her common-sense advice will help you sleep at night and click on a lot of light bulbs over your head. You will close the book feeling the truth of Ina May's pungent closing line: "Your body is not a lemon!"
  
  UPDATE--JULY 2006: I've given birth twice since I wrote the above review and I still stand by every word. Whether you plan to give birth at home, in a birthing center, or at a hospital, take a childbirth education class for the basic details of the birth process--but read this book to fill in the inevitable gaps.
  
  
• All Black and White?
  By A3DYUC7M49L03I on 2004-03-09
  I read this book together with a lot of other books during my wife's pregnancy. The experience reports might be nice for people who like it (which I don't) but the second advisery part is completely unbalanced. The world is not black and white as this book wants to make you think. None of the described evils that supposedly awaits you if you choose a doctor and a hospital during your pregnancy ever happened to us so far. This might have been relevant 40 years ago but with a little knowledge and curiosity nowadays you can easily get the best of both "worlds" (a differentiation that put me off right away). You definitely should not use this book as your only source of information.
  
  
• Empowering and Informative
  By A2XM4IFRQ6YVWX on 2003-03-11
  Ina May's informal approach to the topic of natural childbirth enables the reader to access detailed and empowering information about the physical, mental, and emotional process of giving birth. The first half of the book includes birth stories from many women who have experienced both medical and natural births. Their personal stories help the reader understand the impact of both approaches and make a more informed decision. This section of the book would be especially helpful to women with few friends/family from which to seek advice, or those who have heard primarily "horror stories" about birth. The second half of the book is a guide to achieving a natural birth in many different settings, from home to hospital. The book is easy to read, informative and empowering because you come away with so much knowledge. I also appreciated the fact that the author avoids using "hippy speak", or a dialect that everyone can understand. Some natural childbirth guides use more slang. Definitely read this book if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant!
  
  
• Timely, Excellent, and Life-Changing
  By AJII6QJTFGAZ6 on 2004-01-19
  Ina May Gaskin has done it again! I got my hands on this book almost as soon as it came out, and it is probably the best childbirth book I have read in a very long time... possibly ever. Pregnant women are inundated with horror stories and high-tech shenanigans from the moment they discover they are pregnant; this book is the perfect counter-balance. Ina May discusses in a clear, accessible, and friendly style all of the stages of labor, and the birth stories she includes are joyful, realistic, and are sure to give any woman more hope and less fear about her impending childbirth.

  Gaskin also discusses the various interventions and procedures that women are likely to encounter, and gives a good assessment of the pros, cons, and indications for each. Her section on VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) is truly excellent.

  I would recommend this book to any woman, and to anyone who works in the field. It's fabulous!
  
  

• Excellent book!!!
  By on 2003-03-10
  This is an excellent book for prospective new mothers and for birth professionals. New parents share their birth stories, and one is able to learn that birth does not have to be a scary, painful experience, which mothers can endure only with drugs. The second half of the book details and explains many interventions, tests, and controversial drugs, currently being used for the convenience of doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies. Prospective parents need to know about the pros and cons of these tests, to make an informed decision about what kind of a birth experience they wish to have. Open minded MD's, midwives, and parents will learn and enjoy this powerful book.
  
  
• not persuasive to someone committed to natural childbirth
  By A1FI3FNLU8NES0 on 2007-05-14
  Like those reviewers who ranked this book more highly, I am strongly committed to natural birth. However, it may be difficult for women (like me) who are not planning their births at home or in a free-standing birthing center to relate to ANY of the stories in the book. They are very dated and consistently in the voice of the stereotypical "hippie" birthing woman. Instead of this, I recommend _Adventures in Natural Childbirth_, by P. England, which includes births in a wider variety of settings (from hospital with an OB to unassisted at home) and all much more recently.
  
  A premise of this book is that birth can be painless, even ecstatic. This is a bit of a leap for me. I find it easier to believe a source that is more realistic. However, the central message of this book -- that birth is a safe and normal event and nothing to be afraid of -- should be shouted from the mountaintops, and birth stories are a great way to convey that message. I just think a less starry-eyed presentation would lend more credence to that message.
  
  
• Good but dated
  By A3SV17NIB1TDA on 2007-05-28
  I would give this book five stars if I were only rating its message - that moms can take back childbirth from the medical machine and make it a beautiful, natural, spiritual, safe and fulfilling event in their lives without unnecessary intervention. I love that!
  
  However, this book was written in the 70s by a freethinker living in a commune. Ina May has done amazing work during her lifetime, but for the modern urban mom this book can seem a "million miles away." The language and references are clearly dated and can make the reader feel like she is reading the book HER mom read while pregnant.
  
  Additionally, I think sometimes natural childbirth advocates purposefully downplay the pain and intensity of childbirth so as not to scare away undecided moms. I wish that, in this book and others, there could be more openness about the fact that a high number of moms experience excrutiating pain during labor, despite their commitment to a natural birth. Sometimes it is portrayed that the only moms who feel intense pain are the ones who are scared or unsure of their bodies or in an unfamiliar setting, almost blaming the mom for the pain.
  
  
• The must read childbirth book of the Millenium
  By A2MXGQHA4YUKGG on 2003-03-20
  Having been raised by extreme liberals (o.k., my mom was the original hippie), but finding myself somehow living in the California Suburbs, expecting my first child, and expecting lots of drugs and hospitalization, I was surprised to find that this book changed my plans and changed our lives. I finished the last chapters hours before my water broke. I planned to deliver at a birthhome, but was so relaxed with Ina-Mae's techniques, and felt so absolutely in control of myself and my surroundings, that the baby came in 3 hours and there was no time to get to the birthhome! I would never have believed that I could feel so in control, confident and comfortable, and I truly feel the wonderful outcome was as a direct result of Ina-Mae's guidance. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE EXPECTING. Good luck to all the new "families-to-be", and a great big debt of gratitude to Ina-Mae for writing this important work.
  
  
• Essential information for women!
  By A16ONTBPSP2QI on 2003-06-23
  I finished reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth about a week and a half before the due date of my second child. I was motivated to have a different, more natural birth experience than with my first child. The birth stories told in the book were so inspirational, and the medical information so helpful. I referred to the book throughout the end of my pregnancy, for advice when confronted with an "overdue" baby, and when contractions started but did not form a pattern for more than 24 hours. More importantly, the advice in the book was at my fingertips and in my heart during labor,allowing me to have the birth experience I was hoping for. Ina May's belief that "your body is not a lemon" is evident in the birth stories told, and the research she shares serves to justify that stand. I credit this book for giving me the information I needed to make wise decisions during my pregnancy, and for inspiring me throughout labor. This book is a treasure,and the information within essential for women to know! It is also beautifully written and enjoyable to read.
  
  
• from c-section to VBAC home birth
  By A4QWJAHBH68VQ on 2006-03-09
  This book helped me change my life.
  
  After the necessary c-section birth of my son 5 years ago (I had pre-eclampsia), our new insurance company labled me as "high risk" and refused me maternity coverage. Since my husband and I wanted more children, I started considering a home birth with a midwife as a viable alternative. Needless to say my first birth experience put me emotionally on guard about my body's capability.
  
  As I was researching the safety of VABCs (vaginal birth after cesarean) and home-births, I came across Gaskin's 1970s book, Spiritual Midwifery. Its language was amusingly "hippy-ish," but the inclusion of positive birth stories was refreshing and inspiring. After reading most of it, I went in search of similar, more updated books.
  
  I found Ina May's Guide to Childbirth at a mainstream bookstore (being suprised at the lack of variety of birth experience offered on the shelf - is she the only person writing about homebirth nowadays?) Buying and reading this book new was one of the best emotional investments I have ever made in my life.
  
  The experience and knowledge I gained reading this book is similar to many of the sentiments expressed in these other reviews. It really gave me courage to welcome and joyfully (if a little nervously) anticipate the birth of my daughter in March of 2005.
  
  As for my labor, I would not call the sensations of the contractions "pain," I would call them "very heavy pressure." I credit this perspective to this book. Ina May (and her clients) helped me put contractions, transition, etc., into perspective. For example: Yes, I felt contractions every two minutes lasting about two minutes. No, it wasn't comfortable, and I had to concentrate and breathe through them with my eyes closed, hanging on to a door jamb. After two minutes the pressure went away for a while, during which I could laugh at my husband's jokes. Nature is pretty smart, giving women short "rest periods," as this book tells (reminds) us!
  
  Reading about other women's experiences of physical sensations during their labors gave me a range of ideas as to what to expect, so as my own birth story was unfolding, it wasn't so scary or mysterious.
  
  I am so grateful for the VBAC home-birth experience I had - thanks in many ways to this book's writer and contributors - I was beaming for days afterward! It was the hardest, most challenging thing I've ever done (notice I did NOT say "painful" or "scary"), and I was so proud of the outcome. My husband is still in awe of the power of my body!
  
  An armload of gratitude to Ina May and her colleagues, the work they do, and the brave women who seek her out and share their experiences. I look forward someday to the home birth of my third child, knowing I am as strong and capable as the women who share their stories and wisdom in this book.
  
  
• obstetrician loves it!
  By A2WN00MUCSNKEI on 2003-07-05
  Reading "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" is like cracking an ancient code etched in my DNA. As Ina May's words unfold, they bring to modern consciousness information that is essential and visionary, articulating and applying the ancient wisdom of childbirth in the language and culture of the present time. In this information age, this book is creating a "new" birth culture. Like "Spiritual Midwifery" in its time, "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" is a pioneer and an instant classic, a significant and inspiring milestone in the evolution of human culture. This book is intelligent and lovely. I plan to order it by the case and give one to each of my prenatal ladies. (I am an obstetrician/gynecologist.)
  
  
• A good reference book
  By A1P8NY1B17FXJ7 on 2005-04-09
  The birth stories are good and A LOT. Does this book really feel "hippies"? Yes. So, it's a little hard for me to relate. Everyone seems to give birth naked and some of the method used in the birth stories are quite uncomfortable for me to read. What I like about the book is that from reading the stories, they help me to be more realistic about what may or may not happen. No matter how much preparation or exercise you do to prepare the birth, things may not go your way. This really helps me not to put too much pressure on myself and put things into perspective.
  
  
• It really works
  By A2EJRVH28USVRD on 2005-12-09
  My husband and I opted for a natural birth the second time around partly due to the negative affects epidural and episiotomy had on my and our son's bodies. What a fantastic experience! Thanks in part to Gaskin, we were able to go into labor calmly and even with a little excitement. There is a wonderful way to birth your baby. Read up, practice and become prepared, then trust your body to do it's job.
  
  
• A must read for every expecting mother
  By A2Y4E5XY5ZFDXG on 2005-12-15
  Ina May's extensive experience as a midwife will leave you feeling that birth is a completely natural event that every woman is capable of going through. A COMPLETE CONTRAST to the more mainstream bestsellers, such as Your Pregnancy Week by Week and What to Expect When Your Expecting, which made me feel like a pregnant women's body is going to fail her at any moment!
  
  
• Awesome and profoundly affecting
  By A160009SLYVR2N on 2003-07-16
  At 31 weeks pregnant, I read the book straight through in 24 hours. I was already getting nervous about aspects of the hospital birth -- we are doing it in a hospital with a nurse-midwife and a doula attending -- but this book did something the others didn't: informed and reassured at the same time. I can't put a finger on exactly what it is -- besides the obvious, which is that Ms. Gaskin is incredibly expert, well-informed and also caring -- but it's THE book to read when you are thinking of having a child. I may have even chosen homebirth if I'd read it earlier, and I was raised, like a lot of people, to believe that technology and doctors could do no wrong. Read it, read it, read it!
  
  
• Courageous and Empowering Book!
  By on 2004-05-21
  The warmth, intelligence and humor of Ina May Gaskin really come through in this book, as does her concern with safe and supportive surroundings for all women during birthing. Ina May and her fellow midwives at The Farm are responsible for major research demonstrating the safety of home birth and birthing-center births.

  I value this book primarily for giving me a first-person perspective of labor and delivery, in the words of both midwives and birthing women (and their partners). I also felt that the exploration of aspects of birth not usually talked about was great--orgasmic birth, use of nipple and clitoral stimulation to help with labor and delivery, careful pushing and breathing and laboring positions to prevent perineal tears, the pelvic press to help with shoulder distocia, etc. These are topics you won't find in any depth in "What to Expect," etc!

  The underlying assumption in this book is that women can give birth naturally if they are prepared, supported and surrounded by fearless and knowledgable labor attendants. Ina May tells us that our bodies can do this, that we have reserves of body and mind that our indutrialized Western culture has discounted, and that we can each reclaim the feminine power of birth.
  
  

• A Cure for Fear
  By A3QAAPHOVQ8LWI on 2005-03-15
  I would recommend this book (and do!) to any girlfriend who is pregnant and wondering what to expect from labor and delivery.
  
  I was planning on a natural childbirth and was concerned about the pain I would face, and how I would be able to deal with it. I read this book from beginning to end and found the positive birth stories incredibly uplifting, empowering, and inspiring. I remembered some of the strategies the women used and applied them during my own labor, and they worked! I especially just kept thinking back to the fact that these women made it through--and made birthing a wonderful experience--and that experience was available to me, as well.
  
  Is this book a tad hippie-dippy? Ok, a wee bit (but you should read Ina May's earlier book _Spiritual Midwifery_ if you think this has a lot of Peace & Love goin' on at The Farm). But overlook those aspects of the book that don't connect with your personal birthing philosophy and read it for the positive birthing stories--so opposite from the horror stories we see on Discovery Health Channel and hear from well-meaning friends and family!
  
  
• A paradigm shift in American birth expectations
  By A1FMWLZ9YY91XI on 2005-10-27
  Anyone, anywhere who is expecting a child can benefit from this excellent book. But Americans, who generally have a warped view of childbirth as a horrifying, drug-induced bloody trauma that requires women to submit as patients, are in for a real surprise as they are introduced to a gentler, more empowering way of birthing.
  
  I sought out this book midway in my pregnancy, dissatisfied with the care I had been receiving from my OB, whose rushed, impersonal methods limited my involvement in what was happening to me. Likewise, family, friends and the media had done much over the years to shape my preconceptions of birth as "something to get through."
  
  The first half of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth consists of positive, first-person stories from women who gave birth at The Farm in Tennessee. These stories alone helped to reshape my belief that birth can not only be an enriching experience, but one in which the woman and her partner are active participants in a natural process. Hospital gowns, internal fetal monitors, epidurals and forceps are replaced by an experienced team of midwives who skillfully, intuitively and naturally help a woman's body do what it was born to do.
  
  In the second half of this book, Ina May draws upon more than 30 years' experience as a midwife to gently educate the reader about a woman's awesome ability to give birth without exessive medical intervention. It is an invitation to trust one's body, to rethink destructive stereotypes and ultimately, to shed the fear and anxiety so often associated with childbirth. It helped to change both my husband's mind and my own regarding our course of prenatal care. Though the book is revolutionary from a societal standpoint, it seemed oddly familiar as I realized its content helped strenghthen what I and many other women intuitively know about our innate capabilities to bear children. Highly recommended.
  
  
• Great read for any pregnant woman - not just those considering natural childbirth
  By A2FK7S7NDOHFLO on 2005-12-15
  I'm guessing the vast majority of women who buy this book are doing so because they have already decided to try natural childbirth. However, I think even women who are sure they want pain medication would find the labor and childbirth stories in the book very inspiring. Since most of what we hear about childbirth makes it sound scary and unbearably painful, it was a revelation to me that a lot of women found it not only tolerable and empowering but even pleasurable! Clearly Ina May is pro-natural birth, but she doesn't lecture and she gives credit to modern medicine where credit is due. I think anyone giving birth for the first time will take solace in such a radically different point of view of the experience.
  
  
• A must for every mom-to-be
  By A3OUL9EA9XEIGD on 2006-01-03
  Finding myself unexpectantly pregnant, I was terrified of labor and delivery. I was scared of what everyone always said was overwhelming pain, and of the hospital process itself. Every hospital experience I have had in the past (due to my mother's battle with illness) has been overwhelmingly negative.
  
  However, after reading this book I feel much more confident about the birth process. I know what I want and what I don't want, I have articulated my birthing preferences to my midwives (who will convey it to the hospital staff). I feel ready and almost excited about the process. Thanks to Ina May's book, I now feel that this is a challenge that not only can I handle, but a challenge in which I can take joy. I cannot express how much this book has calmed my fears. I highly recommend this book to any mom and/or dad to be.
  
  EPILOUGE: Giving birth was the most exhilerating experience of my life (although I will admit that it hurt and wasn't the most fun I've ever had). I kept the stories from and principles in Ina May's book in mind and it really helped. I was also able to keep in mind that chldbirth is a natural process and nothing to be scared of. I did wind up getting an epidural after 24 hours of labor (total time: 33 hours) and can still confidently recommend this book to women who plan to have pain relieving drugs because the I was still able to keep Ina May's principles in mind and also because it truly did relieve my fear of childbirth.
  
  I highly, highly, highly recommend this book.
  
  

• Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

• Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation
• The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth
• Spiritual Midwifery
• HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method: A natural approach to a safe, easier, more comfortable birthing (3rd Edition)
• Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way: Revised Edition