Spiritual Midwifery

Rating:
Summary: hippie terminology, but excellent information
Review: When I first read this book, I must admit I was put off by the hippie language, and the way they referred to contractions as "rushes", which are an interesting sensation that requires all of your attention. I thought, who are they trying to kid? Despite my initial reaction, I have grown to love this book. If you can ignore the groovy hippie language (if it bothers you), this is a super book, chock full of consise information for both pregnant families and midwives. The language is plain, no "medicalese", and the information is sound. The book was written about The Farm, an intentional community started in Tennessee in the 1970's. When the women of the Farm started having babies, some women became midwives to serve them. Learning from experience and some helpful doctors and texts, they have had excellent results with maternal and infant health. Their statistics are better than any hospital I know of, as far as maternal and perinatal mortality. The book is half birth stories, and half information for parents and midwives. I recommend it for both consumers and midwives.

Rating:
Summary: hippie terminology, but excellent information
Review: When I first read this book, I must admit I was put off by the hippie language, and the way they referred to contractions as "rushes", which are an interesting sensation that requires all of your attention. I thought, who are they trying to kid? Despite my initial reaction, I have grown to love this book. If you can ignore the groovy hippie language (if it bothers you), this is a super book, chock full of consise information for both pregnant families and midwives. The language is plain, no "medicalese", and the information is sound. The book was written about The Farm, an intentional community started in Tennessee in the 1970's. When the women of the Farm started having babies, some women became midwives to serve them. Learning from experience and some helpful doctors and texts, they have had excellent results with maternal and infant health. Their statistics are better than any hospital I know of, as far as maternal and perinatal mortality. The book is half birth stories, and half information for parents and midwives. I recommend it for both consumers and midwives.

Rating:
Summary: For anyone considering homebirth, this book is a must!
Review: Whether having your baby at home or in a hospital, this book is of tremendous value. Ina May is the woman! She wrote this book in the 70's on a hippie commune so the language reflects that time and place. I laughed at her reference to contractions as rushes during my first pregnancy until I started actually having contractions. Feeling them as "rushes" instead of contractions helped me to manage the energy and pain. I realized the psychology behind her terminology. In reading this book, I felt empowered to have my babies without drugs - knowing my body would know what to do. I am endlessly grateful to Ina May for this classic book!!

Rating:
Summary: A must read for all expectant mothers
Review: Yes, the birth stories in this book ARE real. Real women birthing real babies. Listening to their stories can help prepare you for birth whether this is your first child or your tenth.

One of the things I appreciate most about this book is that it discusses in detail aspects of childbirth that no medically-oriented, mainstream childbirth manual will touch, e.g. what it's like when your baby dies. Play-by-play descriptions.
Children with birth defects. These are things I want to know about.

If you are one of those women who doesn't want to hear about any pain, plans on checking yourself into the hospital at the first contraction, and putting your doctor in charge, then you REALLY need to read this book! I especially recommend this book to women who don't know many other women who have birthed a child naturally, because you're not going to get this information anywhere else. If you only hear stories from the point of view of women who are drugged, you're not getting the whole story.