4.47/5
Author: Ina May Gaskin
Publication Date: Mar 4, 2003
Formats: PDF,Paperback,Kindle
Rating: 4.47/5 out of 18835
Publisher: Bantam
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Feb 07, 2008
this is a really good book that a patient recommended to me when I told her I was REALLY WORRIED about actually giving birth. I was so scared/freaked-out about the whole labor and delivery thing. she said she felt the same way and had read this book & it made her realize that childbirth is what our bodies are MEANT to do & it made her feel so much better. she also warned me "a lot of it needs to be taken with a grain of salt" and some of it was a little out there (like the orgasmic this is a really good book that a patient recommended to me when I told her I was REALLY WORRIED about actually giving birth. I was so scared/freaked-out about the whole labor and delivery thing. she said she felt the same way and had read this book & it made her realize that childbirth is what our bodies are MEANT to do & it made her feel so much better. she also warned me "a lot of it needs to be taken with a grain of salt" and some of it was a little out there (like the orgasmic delivery experiences)... I have to agree since I lean more towards an OBGYN rather than a midwife or doula, but I LOVED this book & it made me want to go to the birthing center the author runs.Sep 26, 2014
This is an essential read if you're pregnant and filled not just with fetus but with a fundamental doubt, as I was, that you're physically or mentally capable of pushing it out at the end. If you're skeptical that you're going to be able to move a small person from one of your internal organs to the world via your vaginal opening, Ina May will clear all that up for you. The birth stories in this book, and Gaskin's explanations of the process, gave me a total confidence in my ability to do this This is an essential read if you're pregnant and filled not just with fetus but with a fundamental doubt, as I was, that you're physically or mentally capable of pushing it out at the end. If you're skeptical that you're going to be able to move a small person from one of your internal organs to the world via your vaginal opening, Ina May will clear all that up for you. The birth stories in this book, and Gaskin's explanations of the process, gave me a total confidence in my ability to do this crazy-sounding thing. By the time I was done, I no longer saw childbirth as a terrifying and improbable medical event akin to removing a highly delicate ship from a design-flawed bottle; instead, I was convinced that childbirth is an awesome natural process, something I was built to do and totally capable of accomplishing.Jan 15, 2009
I just had my monthly midwife appointment and she lent me this awesome book. It's got everything, including a section on orgasmic birth. I find it refreshing to read something so real that attempts to turn our stereotypical hospital birth routine upside-down.Mar 11, 2013
Don't be scared away by the hippy-dippiness of this book. I'm glad I wasn't. I read this book with a caveat: read the second section first, then the first section. It made so much sense, I'm not sure why the book wasn't organized that way in the first place.Aug 08, 2009
My daughter's birth was amazing. Labor was not painful-- it was too big for that. More like getting hit by a tsunami, over and over. The whole intense experience was deeply invigorating and actually GAVE me the energy I needed to cope with the first couple of difficult weeks with a new baby.Apr 22, 2018
Invaluable education and resource for the childbirthing experience. A must read.Jul 16, 2008
So, as far as useful information goes, this book pretty much said the same thing as The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, except without the same amount of research backing it up. Still helpful, but not especially new. Plus, she used the terms "Much more likely" or "much less likely" a lot, instead of giving the actual statistics as Goer's book did.Apr 22, 2014
Motherhood is Not a Competition: Why Pressure Moms to Strive for the "Perfect" Natural Childbirth (and make them feel guilty if that isn't in the cards)? Now that my youngest (and probably last, alas) son is a year old, I feel like I have enough distance to be able to write this review. My wife and I have two boys: she carried and birthed the oldest; I carried and birthed the youngest. My wife went first for several reasons, not least of which was that I had have a real and irrational fear of Motherhood is Not a Competition: Why Pressure Moms to Strive for the "Perfect" Natural Childbirth (and make them feel guilty if that isn't in the cards)? Now that my youngest (and probably last, alas) son is a year old, I feel like I have enough distance to be able to write this review. My wife and I have two boys: she carried and birthed the oldest; I carried and birthed the youngest. My wife went first for several reasons, not least of which was that I had have a real and irrational fear of childbirth. The hope was that Pelly's birth experience would be smooth, and having observed it, I'd feel better when my turn came around. Knowledge is power, right?Jan 08, 2009
If you really, really, really want a natural childbirth in a birthing center or at home this is a good book for you. Personally, I will be giving birth in a hospital. This book uses scare tactics to decrease medical intervention. While I agree that it is best to have an uncomplicated, natural vaginal birth, it doesn't always happen that way. Going into it with that specific plan is great, but I think women need to realize it doesn't always work out this way. I plan to go without pain meds for as If you really, really, really want a natural childbirth in a birthing center or at home this is a good book for you. Personally, I will be giving birth in a hospital. This book uses scare tactics to decrease medical intervention. While I agree that it is best to have an uncomplicated, natural vaginal birth, it doesn't always happen that way. Going into it with that specific plan is great, but I think women need to realize it doesn't always work out this way. I plan to go without pain meds for as long as I can but if labor goes on too long, or gets to be too much, or if I have to be induced (which is looking likely) I am open to the meds. Obviously all we all want is the best outcome for mom and baby. I really liked "The Best Birth" better, I felt it grooved w/ my philosophy more. This book does give some good information about helping labor progress and some of what she says makes sense to me. I generally don't like anything that is too biased strongly in one direction or another though. And when it comes to giving birth, I don't know if you can know what to truly expect until you are in the situation. ...moreDec 21, 2013
I felt about this book the same way I do about that $&?!@%# Moosewood Cookbook -- I really ought to love this. (And if one more person tells me how great the Moosewood Cookbook is, I will heave a bag of whole grain flour at her.) I come back to the issue of goodness of fit -- just like one looks for an OB who's a good fit, one looks for a birthing book that's a good fit. Despite what I expected, this isn't really me. I read this over a couple of days. The first day I spent crying because I I felt about this book the same way I do about that $&?!@%# Moosewood Cookbook -- I really ought to love this. (And if one more person tells me how great the Moosewood Cookbook is, I will heave a bag of whole grain flour at her.) I come back to the issue of goodness of fit -- just like one looks for an OB who's a good fit, one looks for a birthing book that's a good fit. Despite what I expected, this isn't really me. I read this over a couple of days. The first day I spent crying because I didn't want to have my baby at a drum circle. The second day, I made up a drinking game -- drink every time there's a picture of a guy with a big 70s mustache. I should reread now that I'm in a position to play.Jan 24, 2016
Dec 19, 2015
I only read the middle section of this book, not the birth stories. I appreciated the positive attitude toward the body and the amazing things it can do if you just let it. However, I think it's a bit out of date, especially in terms of what the hospital will and won't allow (but we'll see).Jan 04, 2019
Everyone who steered me to this book did so because of the "empowering birth stories." This is all well and good, I guess, if you are planning an all-natural home birth, but far from true for hospital births. The science cited here, along with hospital procedures generally, is pretty outdated, which works nicely for the book's preferred method of persuasion: scare tactics. There's very much an overarching mixed message of "we totally don't judge women who choose hospital birth, but oh golly, Everyone who steered me to this book did so because of the "empowering birth stories." This is all well and good, I guess, if you are planning an all-natural home birth, but far from true for hospital births. The science cited here, along with hospital procedures generally, is pretty outdated, which works nicely for the book's preferred method of persuasion: scare tactics. There's very much an overarching mixed message of "we totally don't judge women who choose hospital birth, but oh golly, those poor dears are gullible victims of this unfeeling death machine called modern healthcare." "Hate the sin, not the sinner" sort of thinly-veiled shaming that I don't care for from any ideology. ...moreNov 15, 2012
I have so many conflicting thoughts about this book. This is the fourth book that I've read about childbirth. On the one hand, I have found it to be the most helpful in preparing me for childbirth. On the other hand, there is an obvious bias. While I agreed with much of what the author wrote, there were several parts that really bugged me.Jan 07, 2013
The first half of this book I felt was filler and outdated, the content could have been halved. It consisted of birth stories and after reading a few they all sounded the same. I ended up skimming the rest. These stories are all from the 1970s so I felt like I was reading a history book since I am so far removed from that age group.Jul 03, 2008
A lot of information on the professional merits of midwifery, so I admit skipping some chapters for the time being to learn content more directly related my partner's pregnancy. I will continue to read the birth stories, though I only needed a dozen of them or so before I wanted to hear what she actually had to say (this may partially be because I am a male reader who's brain learns slightly differrent that the target audience). I will read them all before my first child arrives. I believe this A lot of information on the professional merits of midwifery, so I admit skipping some chapters for the time being to learn content more directly related my partner's pregnancy. I will continue to read the birth stories, though I only needed a dozen of them or so before I wanted to hear what she actually had to say (this may partially be because I am a male reader who's brain learns slightly differrent that the target audience). I will read them all before my first child arrives. I believe this book is encouraging and empowering as it assists a woman in trusting her body to perform the task it was biologically made for- childbirth. Her direct teaching and the stories will help me technically assist my partner, though she doesn't teach about pregnancy and childbirth as much as she provides research, opinion, experience, and statistics to argue that the common medical model for childbirth is poorly developed. As with any discussion about a debatable topic, the experts are not likely to be very open-minded, but she impressed me with her logical and tempered, if not unaggresive, presentation. Select peices are extremely helpful and informative as well as empowering, so I would consider this a must read for the expecting parent who truly wants a well-balanced perspective in order to make informed decisions. ...moreJan 13, 2014
Disclaimer, I did not read this book in its entirety.Mar 11, 2012
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I had heard of Ina May before and knew that she was a famous midwife and this book was also recommended to me by my fabulous prenatal yoga instructor. Although I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the book, I knew that there would be some ideas that probably wouldn't mesh well with what I wanted or had planned for childbirth. I was right, but I can't tell you how immensely grateful I am that I read this book anyways.Jul 08, 2012
Re-read December 2014:May 28, 2013
This has got to be one of the best educational books I've read--especially when you consider the mass misconception it overturns. I am coming from a medical background as a nurse working all over the hospital and I was amazed at everything I didn't know--at everything about childbirth that most obstetrical doctors don't even know and refuse to acknowledge. No matter what comes of my next pregnancy and delivery, this book has already changed my entire experience and beliefs.Jan 29, 2013
Reading in preparation for my second child. So I already know all the basics of birthing, really just wanted a refresher on what to expect during labor and help me manage pain better.Aug 08, 2009
When I was only 7 weeks pregnant with my first child I knew if I wanted to have a natural childbirth I would need to learn as much as I could about the process so I could build my confidence and also become an advocate for myself and my baby. This is the first book I picked up, and the main message I took from it was how to trust- trust in the abilities of your body and trust that a midwife can care for a pregnant woman in a very special and unique way. This book gave me the confidence to really When I was only 7 weeks pregnant with my first child I knew if I wanted to have a natural childbirth I would need to learn as much as I could about the process so I could build my confidence and also become an advocate for myself and my baby. This is the first book I picked up, and the main message I took from it was how to trust- trust in the abilities of your body and trust that a midwife can care for a pregnant woman in a very special and unique way. This book gave me the confidence to really eschew the traditional OB/GYN/Hospital route, especially all of the fear mongering and worry it so often brings. Ina May's vast experience and stories are confidence-building. Her statistics speak for themselves, as does her common-sense rationale for so many parts of pregnancy and delivery (i.e. the forgotten powers of the vaginal sphincter, motion during childbirth, eating during childbirth, no separation of momma and baby after birth). I decided soon after reading this that I would do everything in my power to have a natural childbirth. We found a birth center located two hours from my home which I drove to every month/two weeks/week until my daughter was born there in the care of my husband, midwife and one nursing assistant. What an intimate and lovely way to bring a child into the world. It is still possible and this book can help you achieve it. ...moreJul 26, 2012
I am currently pregnant with #3. My first I had to have by c-section due to placenta previa. I wanted a natural birth with the second, and I had a successful VBAC with my doctor's encouragement, but needed pitocin because my water broke and 24 hours later I was still not in labor. The unnatural contractions caused me to give up after 12 hours on pitocin and get the epidural. I borrowed this book from the library in hopes of getting some good tips and support. Instead I got over the top birth I am currently pregnant with #3. My first I had to have by c-section due to placenta previa. I wanted a natural birth with the second, and I had a successful VBAC with my doctor's encouragement, but needed pitocin because my water broke and 24 hours later I was still not in labor. The unnatural contractions caused me to give up after 12 hours on pitocin and get the epidural. I borrowed this book from the library in hopes of getting some good tips and support. Instead I got over the top birth stories with women stripping down naked with each other to feel the laboring woman's contractions, and husbands sucking on their wives nipples in the delivery room to stimulate labor. These stories are meant to empower women to know their bodies can get through labor naturally, but they just didn't do it for me. The second half of the book had some great tips, but also seemed to demonize modern medicine and obstetricians. I feel like I'm a pretty open-minded person and believe everyone is entitled to give birth how they see fit, and for some people (including myself) that means to give birth in a hospital with a ob. Overall, the book just didn't accomplish for me what I had hoped, which was basically some coping mechanisms to get through natural labor. ...moreAug 25, 2016
A must-read if you are pregnant or ever planning to be, especially in the United States. Meticulously researched, beautifully written, and refreshingly "graphic." A fair warning though: you may get angry at the ignorance that seems to pervade the drug-obsessed, machine-dependent, medical model of birth, and you may become frightened at the prospect of giving birth in a hospital. This is not her intention, however, and reading this book cover to cover will give you the insight and understanding A must-read if you are pregnant or ever planning to be, especially in the United States. Meticulously researched, beautifully written, and refreshingly "graphic." A fair warning though: you may get angry at the ignorance that seems to pervade the drug-obsessed, machine-dependent, medical model of birth, and you may become frightened at the prospect of giving birth in a hospital. This is not her intention, however, and reading this book cover to cover will give you the insight and understanding you need to beat any of the odds that the medical model unfairly pits against you. My advice: read it all the way through, no matter what. The bliss of ignorance in this case could really do you harm. ...moreAug 01, 2019
This book is completely against your typical hospital delivery and too natural for my taste. I am not anti-natural home births but I plan on having an MD present in a hospital setting for my own delivery.Take your time and choose the perfect book.
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