Customer Reviews

Adventures in Natural Childbirth: Tales from Women on the Joys, Fears, Pleasures, and Pains of Giving Birth Naturally

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was a joy to read. The stories in it are touching and very real. There are no real undertones of how "you should birth" but rather real tales of women , their families and what they went through. It includes homebirth ad hosptal birth and is very empowering for any mom to be.

This is a great book for anyone who is curious about what birth is really like, and can boost the confidence of women to believe in their own capacity to birth. It also is a good reminder for everyone to stay flexible, because you never know what birth will bring! Highly recommended by this childbirth educator and doula. :)

I'm 23 weeks pregnant and this book was a huge help in helping me make my final birthing plans. It offers many different situations and stories, while still being enpowering and enlightening. If you're considering natural birth, this is definetly a must read for you. Enjoy!!

This is basically a book full of birth stories, mostly unmedicated births. It includes stories about birthing at home with a midwife, birthing with a doula, birthing unassisted, and birthing in a hospital. It also includes stories about VBACs. I LOVE this book. I think one of the best ways to prepare for natural childbirth is to read real stories about it.

I believe in the power of narrative, particularly for those of us pregnant women who are bombarded by unwanted horror stories. This book is the perfect antidote. My husband gave it to me soon after we got our BFP. It contains 39 women's birth stories. All of the women wanted a natural childbirth going in -- not all of them got what they wanted, which was valuable to read in and of itself. The book contains good information about choosing caregivers (you may want to steal some of the questions to ask when interviewing potential caregivers). It organizes the stories by which caregiver the women used -- OBs, midwives, doulas (OK, doulas aren't usually the primary caregiver, and here they are in addition to OBs, but giving them a separate section hightlights their value), and a small final section on unassisted childbirth. Some of the stories are a play-by-play, some a little more atmospheric. If you are planning a natural birth and you want some encouragement, you want to read this book!! Or if you are in search of a gift for a pregnant woman who wants a natural birth, this is an overwhelming vote of confidence -- my husband got it for me as a congratulatory gift.

I had never really thought about natural birth until I stumbled upon this book in a used bookstore (several years before getting pregnant). Once I read it, my eyes were totally opened! I realized, for the first time, that childbirth could be an exciting, wonderful thing--not something to be feared and endured. Throughout my pregnancy I re-read the book several times for inspiration, and read the other books out there as well (I also love Active Birth, Birthing from Within, Gentle Birth Choices, and Spiritual Midwifery). This book is still my favorite. Today I'm ordering a copy for a pregnant friend because mine is falling apart from being read so many times!

Oh, and for the record: I did have a successful (and wonderful) drug-free birth in a hospital, and I can't wait to do it again!

This book opened my eyes to how the birthing process can work with the mother's body rather than against. This is my second child and I didn't read anything with the last. I enjoyed learning about other women's expierence with birthing in other atmosphere's rather than the hospital. It was a great book that I couldn't put down right away. The book went into detail about the midwives and doctors and what the differences can make. I recommend this book for women who want to learn more about birthing naturally.

I really liked the diversity of stories in this book. They weren't all perfect as planned but offered a realistic and optimistic look at natural childbirth. I appreciated the different types of mom's. Single moms, different backgrounds, first timers and old pros. I have enjoyed reading the stories as I lead up to my own birth experience. I would recommend it to anyone considering natural childbirth.

I love this book! It is an eclectic mix of chapters written by women with different areas of expertise, but together it is a book to encourage any woman that natural birth is an adventure worth taking. Hang in to read some of the later chapters which I think are the best.

Our homebirth midwife loaned us a copy of this book and with it's wisdom I was able to overcome the inhibitions I had about birthing naturally. I now give this book to all of my expectant mother friends. Our daughter was born at home and our twins born naturally in a hospital setting, thanks in part to these women sharing their stories. I don't think I'll ever comprehend this society's romance with interfering medically in childbirth. Sigh.