Is guilt-free, drug-free, pain free birth possible? Whether your goal is comfort or empowerment, this book is your guide to better birth.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"...I highly recommend this book for all my patients, all women contemplating pregnancy, and all obstetrical medical providers." -- Lorne R. Campbell Sr., M.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Family Medicine, State University of NY Buffalo Scholl of Medicine
"...It is a must read!" -- Marie F. Mongan, Founder-HypnoBirthing(R) Institute
"...You will have a new outlook on life and birth when you are done with this book." -- Dee Nipper, Producer and Host of The Real Side of Birth Radio Show and San Diego Birth Planners
"If everyone were to read this book...(birth)would no longer be feared. It would be anticipated with joy..." -- Lynette Prentice, A.A.H.C.C. Birth Instructor and mother of three
"...It is a must read!" -- Marie F. Mongan, Founder-HypnoBirthing(R) Institute
"...You will have a new outlook on life and birth when you are done with this book." -- Dee Nipper, Producer and Host of The Real Side of Birth Radio Show and San Diego Birth Planners
"If everyone were to read this book...(birth)would no longer be feared. It would be anticipated with joy..." -- Lynette Prentice, A.A.H.C.C. Birth Instructor and mother of three
From the Publisher
Thousands of women are having fairytale births. If you'd like to be Cinderella, you have to know what they know and do what they do.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Leigh
Amazon Verified Purchase
There are many well-written, persuasive books on how to have a great birth. This is sadly not even close. What you have here is a rambling, punctuationally challenged, poorly written, typo-ridden excuse for a book. There is one excellent point made (thus 2 stars given), which I will summarize here to save you the trouble of reading this book: If you are pregnant and you want to be one of the ones talking about how great your birth was, do what the people who rave about their births do: hire a good midwife, take Hypnobirthing classes, and have a homebirth. If you want to be one of the women with a horror story to tell, do what the women who tell horror stories do: hire an ob (surgeon), take no classes or only the hospital-offered ones, and go to the hospital. There. That is the ONLY thing worth reading from this book, and I've given it to you fast and free. Now go on to read a really excellent book about birth, like something from Henci Goer.
22 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By M. Cain
I am pregnant and want a home birth using hypnosis, both of which this author is very enthusiastic about. I was looking forward to a positive, informative book about the wonders and benefits of natural birth, and instead was treated to the longest rambling rant I've ever had the displeasure of reading. I'll admit, I only made it to page 178 before I gave up. The entire first section was this stream of consciousness explosion of raving against OBs, parents who smoke, women who work after their children are born, and this imaginary and yet (in her opinion) large portion of women who schedule unnecessary C-sections so they can plan the day their baby will be born.
The problem isn't that what she says is untrue, it's just that she says is in such a bitter, angry judgmental way. For example, on page 149 there is a section called Skillful Midwifery. I thought, "Finally, a break in the invective for a calm, peaceful positive section on midwives and the many benefits they offer." Well, that was less than a page long. Then she spent 2 pages setting up a scenario with a mother-to-be who smokes and lies about it to the nmidwife and also lies about seeing a traditional OB, and when the midwife drops her a as a client she ends up delivering in a hospital with major complications. Then, the doctors in the community ostracize the midwife, refusing to give her any medical care when she is in need of it. It's just a paranoid, self-serving horrible story, and such a disappointment when I wanted to read something nice for a change.
The author is just so snippy and superior. The book starts out not with a wonderful peaceful explanation of a good birthing experience, but with dictionary definitions of the words like "biased" and "judgmental" (and I mean actual copied dictionary definitions, like we never graduated from gradeschool) and a lengthy explanation of why she isn't any of those things. Defensive much?!? I'm clearly not the first person to think this way about her. She calls women who prefer hospital births "sad" (page 169) - I mean really, I learned not to call people names in kindergarden. She is pulling people onto the guilt train, making them feel inferior if they aren't like her and ridiculing others. It was just so unpleasant to read.
There are so many positive birth books out there that say the same things but in a nice, non-insulting way, please read one of them instead! Try Birth without violence by Frederick Leboyer. And also, try the HypnoBabies self-hypnosis course, it takes a wonderful, gentle and peaceful approach to childbirth education.
PS. On a more picky note, she repeats herself constantly. For example, she has quotes in boxes off to the side, and quotes the same traditional Iriquois nation saying 3 times (possibly more, as I said I didn't finish the book). There are typos and grammatical errors as well. She needs a good editor.
The problem isn't that what she says is untrue, it's just that she says is in such a bitter, angry judgmental way. For example, on page 149 there is a section called Skillful Midwifery. I thought, "Finally, a break in the invective for a calm, peaceful positive section on midwives and the many benefits they offer." Well, that was less than a page long. Then she spent 2 pages setting up a scenario with a mother-to-be who smokes and lies about it to the nmidwife and also lies about seeing a traditional OB, and when the midwife drops her a as a client she ends up delivering in a hospital with major complications. Then, the doctors in the community ostracize the midwife, refusing to give her any medical care when she is in need of it. It's just a paranoid, self-serving horrible story, and such a disappointment when I wanted to read something nice for a change.
The author is just so snippy and superior. The book starts out not with a wonderful peaceful explanation of a good birthing experience, but with dictionary definitions of the words like "biased" and "judgmental" (and I mean actual copied dictionary definitions, like we never graduated from gradeschool) and a lengthy explanation of why she isn't any of those things. Defensive much?!? I'm clearly not the first person to think this way about her. She calls women who prefer hospital births "sad" (page 169) - I mean really, I learned not to call people names in kindergarden. She is pulling people onto the guilt train, making them feel inferior if they aren't like her and ridiculing others. It was just so unpleasant to read.
There are so many positive birth books out there that say the same things but in a nice, non-insulting way, please read one of them instead! Try Birth without violence by Frederick Leboyer. And also, try the HypnoBabies self-hypnosis course, it takes a wonderful, gentle and peaceful approach to childbirth education.
PS. On a more picky note, she repeats herself constantly. For example, she has quotes in boxes off to the side, and quotes the same traditional Iriquois nation saying 3 times (possibly more, as I said I didn't finish the book). There are typos and grammatical errors as well. She needs a good editor.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A little overwrought, sort of elementary if you're already a convert
October 3, 2005
If you are someone just coming to the idea that natural childbirth is best, its an important work (thus the 4 stars).
I appreciated the intentions of this book, but it was not my bag stylistically. I already think natural/home childbirth is probably ideal (haven't done it yet)--and that a woman's intentions and psychology play a central role, so a lot of this book was kind of elementary to me. I didn't need the effusive justifications and hand-holding to get past the OB paradigm. This may be nitpicking, but it did get in my way: I am also a voracious high-level reader and thought the writing could have used more polish.
I appreciated the intentions of this book, but it was not my bag stylistically. I already think natural/home childbirth is probably ideal (haven't done it yet)--and that a woman's intentions and psychology play a central role, so a lot of this book was kind of elementary to me. I didn't need the effusive justifications and hand-holding to get past the OB paradigm. This may be nitpicking, but it did get in my way: I am also a voracious high-level reader and thought the writing could have used more polish.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everyone needs to read this!!
Changing birth for the better in America starts with an understanding of why birth is perceived the way it is today. Read it. Share it. Learn from it.
Published 5 months ago by Valerie R Stow
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mother's Intention
In good shape. Few markings! I've read several pages and the information is outstanding in empowering women to really consider how they prepare for their births as it changes who... Read more
Published 17 months ago by hypnoqueen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Have read this many, many times over
Wildner makes explicit in her beginning chapters the differences between honesty and judgement. She also uses this guide as a tool for women to ask themselves why they see certain... Read more
Published on February 5, 2007 by Clara E. Coppola
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rather Judgemental
As a daughter of a doula, and someone who tried to have a home birth and then had to have an emergency transport, I am very open to home birth and think in many cases it is the... Read more
Published on November 7, 2006 by Angela C. Castillo
5.0 out of 5 stars
FANTASTIC!
This is as hard core, honest and straight forward as it comes! The writer tells it like it is, doesn't cut corners or omit for the sake of politically correct. Read more
Published on March 4, 2006 by Elle L
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Have!
As a doula and childbirth educator I HIGHLY recommend this book to pregnant women and anyone involved in pregnancy and chilbirth. Read more
Published on July 27, 2005 by JayCooke
2.0 out of 5 stars
Angry judgmental words
The tone of the book starts off seemingly angry, cynical and sarcastic. For these reasons I may not be inclined to recommend this book to anyone who is not one hundred percent... Read more
Published on June 19, 2005 by Branwen Crowe
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best book for understanding your birth choices.
This book is unlike any other book about birth. A guided journey of self-discovery leading to the best birth possible. Read more
Published on November 16, 2004 by Sondee Belson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Have for Pregnant Moms
This is my favorite book to give as a shower gift. I love it so much that I've already given several as gifts to family and friends. Read more
Published on December 1, 2003 by Sheri L. Menelli
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mother's Intention: How Belief Shapes Birth
I loved this book! It's a must read for any pregnant woman or anyone thinking of becoming pregnant and contemplating a "traditional" birth. Read more
Published on September 26, 2003 by Debbie Catz, M.S.W., HypnoBirthing Educator
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