What you need to know to have the best birth experience for you.
Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation's leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention.
Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, this invaluable resource includes:· Reducing the pain of labor without drugs--and the miraculous roles touch and massage play
· What really happens during labor
· Orgasmic birth--making birth pleasurable
· Episiotomy--is it really necessary?
· Common methods of inducing labor--and which to avoid at all costs
· Tips for maximizing your chances of an unmedicated labor and birth
· How to avoid postpartum bleeding--and depression
· The risks of anesthesia and cesareans--what your doctor
doesn't necessarily tell you
· The best ways to work with doctors and/or birth care providers
· How to create a safe, comfortable environment for
birth in any setting, including a hospital
· And much more
Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth takes the fear out of childbirth by restoring women's faith in their own natural power to give birth with more ease, less pain, and less medical intervention.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

Enlightening and useful--a must-read:

I rarely review anything, but this book inspired me. Although I had heard about it many times, I initially resisted reading it because I was worried it would be preachy and/or only applicable to people planning a birth with midwives. While I will still have a hospital birth with an OB, I learned numerous highly useful things from this book. Ina May is a very experienced and intuitive midwife, and the book is based on her experiences as well as a lot of research.
First, the book emphasizes that we women... more info

Quite the page turner:

I really liked this book. If you are planning for or contemplating a natural birth this is a must read.

Excellent review of midwifery and invaluable for pregnant women:

Ina May's book begins with the stories of tens of women who have laboured at the Farm. It shows, in real women's words, the power of the human body and the natural nature of childbirth.
She then goes on to describe the principles of midwifery, calling upon scientific evidence to support her claims. I like this book because it is not 'hippie', but rather uses science to support the view that natural childbirth is best for both mother and child.

The Most Useful Book I Read During My Pregnancy:

After reading this book 3 times during my 2007 pregnancy (and taking Lamaze classes), I looked forward to labor and delivery with excitement, rather than fear. I felt confident in my body's ability to deliver my baby safely and naturally without being numbed by drugs or sliced open by a surgeon. This book not only helped me avoid an epidural, but it gave me the confidence to wait it out when I was a few days overdue and my doctor suggested that I be induced. (Of course I would have agreed if it had been... more info

Accessories:

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

Binding: Health and Beauty
Published: 2004-08-09

Features:

Braun thermometer is used by more pediatricians and mothers than any other infrared brand
The safest and most accurate method of taking your child's temperature
The small and soft speculum makes it ideal for infants
Disposable lens filters virtually eliminate the risk of transferring germs