Customer Reviews

Active Birth : The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally, Revised Edition (Non)

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of all the many books I read when preparing for the birth of my first child, this was my favorite. I used the exercises every night and they made a real difference in the ease of my 6 hour delivery. The focus is on physical preparation for labor through easy yoga postures, along with deep breathing and relaxation. The exercises are presented in an easy-to-use sequence, with clear pictures. The remaining text covers issues of pregnancy and birth with a focus on the the physicality of the entire process, espousing the importance of being ACTIVE throughout the process of labor (the antithesis of the traditional medical practice in which women are encouraged to labor from a supine position, despite the fact that this position is the hardest for both mother and baby and does not take advantage of the way our anatomy is designed to work.) The author encourages women to follow our bodies' instincts to discover the best way to move through labor, and illustrates the many different positions and postures that women have found to be comfortable to adopt and that help facilitate labor. The exercises prepare the reader to be comfortable in the positions she may choose in labor, strengthening the muscles involved in squatting, pushing, etc. It includes good information on home birth and waterbirth. It is a succinct and very empowering book. I recommend it to all mothers-to-be and their loved ones.

If I could recommend one book for my clients (I'm a doula), it would be this one. For most of us in the field, the information isn't new (upright positions are best; being able to center yourself and relax are extremely important; moving around is a vital coping mechanism..), but for many pregnant women and their partners, this information will be new and invaluable. The yoga exercises are practical and simple, and I found the how-to section for partners (for the "dangling" positions) fabulous... a lot of other books suggest a supported squat, but they don't tell the partner HOW to support the squat safely.. this book does. It is also very confidence-inspiring, realistic, and affirming. If you are pregnant, BUY THIS BOOK! It may change your whole outlook and perception of pregnancy and childbirth. It ought to be required reading!

I am a childbirth educator and birth attendant living in Australia.I have been helping moms and their partners for nearly 20 years to be informed and confident in their native capacity to give birth normally, without all the unecessary medical intervention that is unfortunately occuring these days.There are heaps of books on birth to buy ,but still I am convinced that if a pregnant mother can only get ONE book-get this one.It is informative and very empowering and the photos in the new edition are fine and the prenatal exercises are great. The chapter on labour is good for dads to read too.It is a book for folks who would prefer a natural birth and the author is well aware of the consequences of routine medical interventions. Working as a midwife I see what goes on when women are not fully informed when they make choices about birth (more complications, more epidurals and alot more fear.)Read this book to see what options there really are available for birthing women. THEN make your choices(of birth place and caregiver).There are some other really good books around too. I am in the process of creating a website and will include these titles too, as well as info on relaxation tapes I have created for pregnant women. Meanwhile, please know that Janet Balaskas has great passion and integrity in her work to teach and empower birthing women. Any of her books are great.I have worked and trained with many people but the time I spent in UK with Janet so many years ago continues to inform my work now, and I continue to recieve fantastic feedback from the moms, dads, partners and midwives who I now teach and work with in Australia.If you are pregnant and wanting to hear and develope a positive attitude about birth (rather than the scary portrayal on popular media),you need to buy the right books and talk to the right people. Find an independent midwife in your area and have a chat. Talk to women who have a positive attitude about their birth experiences. Read this book and practice relaxation skills for birth and beyond.I hope this little book review and these suggestions are helpful.Giving birth is one of the most amazing experiences in a woman's life - a real gift..Enjoy the passion and the challenge and the opportunity to grow.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I bought it a few years ago as a labor and delivery nurse as an aide to me to help my patients through labor and delivery. It helped me so much changed my whole phylosophy of the way I thought about labor. Well, last month I was able to put the techniques and ideas into practice for myself when I gave birth to my first child with ease the way I wanted... absolutely naturally!!! I used the thoughts and ideas and suggestions offered in this book throughout labor. It tells you what to expect in a non threatening way and offers testimonials from people who have been there and can tell you what THEY thought labor was like. It helps take the fear out of having a baby and believe me when I say fear is the laboring mothers enemy. I have read several books on the subject and have found NO other that can touch what this book offers. I read this book at least 10 times and highlighted important parts and I used it to teach my husband how to coach me through the toughest parts and no fooling there are tough parts for me it was after 7 to 8 centimeters dilated when I transitioned. This book even tells you how you might feel at this hardest part of labor and it is pretty accurate to the way I felt and that way looking back I realise that when I wanted to jump off a bridge for about an hour until I was able to push, this is ok and nothing to feel bad about. The only thing that I found unhelpful to me was the Yoga portions, it show many positions and is very nice to read but it is very difficult to do Yoga from a book , I suggest that you take a class or get a video. But it does offer you some position suggestions taht are helpful to open your pelvis and that will aide in flexibility. It also discusses second stage labor and the different options on positioning and also miscelaneous topics such as breech presentation , c-sections, and breastfeeding basics. So buy this book and prepare yourself and remember you CAN do it you are strong and having a natural labor is very empowering and the best thing for your baby. But , remember if the pain is too much and you get intervention in labor do NOT feel guilty. Try your best and never feel like a failure the best outcome is a healty baby and a healty Mom. Good luck and enjoy your new addition.

This book is exactly what the title describes. It is about giving birth naturally and "actively."
What I like about this book is that it did not lean towards birthing in a hospital as oppossed to home birthing, or prefer a doctor over a mid-wife. Instead, it gave neutral and clear facts about medications and birthing procedures.
I was frightened about childbirth before reading this book. Now I am looking forward to the experience! I feel very prepared mentally and emotionally, because I know exactly what to expect. This book took me through the birthing process step by step, eliminating my fears!
This book has a section of helpful excersises as well, which are yoga based, and great for stretching those muscles that will be used during labor!
Although the book touches on breast-feeding, it does not cover it extensively.
The book also touches on water birthing, with an entire chapter dedicated to it. I found that chapter a bit outdated, but the information was still very useful and helpful.
This is an excellent book for those wanting to take control of their birthing process/experience, and learn more about how a woman's body is designed to open up to give birth.
There are some pictures of women giving birth, that are not pretty but helpful to get a better idea of positions. There are also many diagrams that do the same thing.
I would recommend this book to anyone experiencing a first-time pregnancy or anyone planning on giving natural birth. It was extremely helpful, interesting, informative and mind-easing.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Can't say enough about it! We bought a copy for my midwife. I really didn't use the stretching part too much, but the body positions and ways to deliver, I read 30 times, highlighted and marked pages and re-read! My mom photocopied and enlarged the drawings of the positions I wanted to use and taped them to the wall so we'd remember during the delivery! I'd had 3 babies naturally, but doing my fourth one at home with an awesome midwife and my family and THIS book, was the best experience ever! I'd buy it for every pregnant woman I know could afford to!

Of all the books on childbirth I've read (and there are quite a few), this one is my absolute favorite. How I wish I'd known some of this information before my first and second births! I might have been a lot more comfortable and the births might have gone a lot more smoothly if I had only known more about the actual physiology of birth and which positions are most helpful in labour.

Ah, well, this time, I'm ready, and a lot of it is due to this book! I cannot recommend this book enough. It's absolutely wonderful.

I was induced, but with the information and techniques I learned from this book, I was able to still have an unmedicated birth. I was able to keep my induction from turning into a C-section, kept myself relatively comfortable, and birthed my child within a few minutes of pushing.
My sister-in-law was in much better shape going into her pregnancy, and she couldn't believe that I was able to do the things I did without running out of energy or strength. I didn't even begin these techniques until I was a month away from my delivery!!!

I wasn't very happy with my first child's birth and felt like I had very little control over my health care. My 2nd pregnancy I used this book and I felt very empowered to make decisions about the way I wanted to have the baby. The breathing recommended in the book is yoga-based and I found it gave me more control during labor. I've decided to give a copy to every pregnant friend in the hopes that they'll have a better birthing experience because of it.

What I love about this book is that there is not one photo of a mom birthing on her tailbone anywhere in the book!! Every photo is a great example of a mom laboring or birthing in one of the many other positions available to mothers! What a wonderful way to erase the hollywood image of a mother in lithotomy position for labor and birth. Photos make birthing in alternative positions much easier to imagine, and show it being done! Photos include waterbirth and breech birth. There are also a lot of great illustrations of the bony pelvis and muscle groups in various positions showing how to make the most of maternal position for labor and birth. Preparation for birth is highlighted in the book, and there is a section on yoga positions for pregnancy. This is a much more useful book than many of the mainstream Pregnancy prep books out there. Worth it for your library if only for the great photos of standing, squatting, and kneeling birth!