Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful book! Highly recommended
Review: I must admit, my first thought upon hearing that Lynn Griesemer was writing a book about unassisted birth was, "What more is there to say?" (I had also written a book on the subject). I soon learned there was a lot more to say! Lynn's book is full of interesting insights, tips, observations, suggestions, and stories about this most intimate "act of love." I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning not only how to take their own birth into their hands, but their own life as well.
Rating:
Summary: Unassisted Homebirth a bold, truthful book
Review: Lynn Griesemer's UNASSISTED HOMEBIRTH is a refreshingly honest and empowering book. This is wonderful, bold stuff that deserves wide attention. Yes, we can reclaim our lives and that begins with parents birthing their children without people who make their living in the technological childbirth industry. I highly recommend expectant couples to take to heart the truthful message and information in this important book."
Rating: 
Summary: Unassisted Homebirth is an excellent resource.
Review: Lynn Griesemer's Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love is a good resource for anyone determined to have a DIY birth (Do-it-Yourself birth). Additionally, labor support doulas, childbirth educators, and midwives can find useful information between the covers. While, of course, Griesemer's position is pro-homebirth, she fairly and consistently advises readers why they may not be candidates for unassisted homebirth. However, even though she discusses both sides, the book is clearly written for those who have already decided to give birth at home without a midwife or medical caregiver present. Griesemer makes some excellent points about the values of unassisted homebirth: empowerment, woman- and partner-centered (husband-centered) birth, and the effectiveness of labor support. The author also provides a few pages on labor doulas. She explains that some DIYs prefer to have someone other than their partner for support in attendance. In her view, the most logical choice would be a labor doula. Griesemer makes a good case for labor doulas pointing out how effective they are in reducing length of labor. I especially enjoyed the questions and answers throughout the book. Griesemer sent out questionnaires to families that experienced unassisted homebirths. Their answers ranged from the practical to the metaphysical-both of which are quite enlightening. My favorite section of this book appealed to my romantic side and I feel it is noteworthy. Griesemer's strongest reason for affirming and promoting homebirths is one of unity and love. She states, "Both partners conceived the child together and it seems logical they should both embrace the birth, the beginning of their parenting journey together. Traditional birth experiences pull a couple apart rather than strengthen their unity." Birth and sex are intimate experiences, both with similarities. Griesemer asks, if sex is intimate and private, shouldn't birth be?
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: Mrs. Lynne Griesemer, in her book Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love, discusses how husbands and wives can be drawn closer together through the homebirth experience. She gives some helpful practical applications for preparing for a homebirth, but in no way insists that homebirths are the "only way to go." Mrs. Griesemer encourages her readers to take serious thought concerning unassisted homebirths and urges them to seek the counsel of others. For, whether concerning unassisted homebirths or any decision in life, we must take responsibility for the choices we make. Mrs. Griesemer has done an excellent job of producing helpful information for homebirths--unassisted or not. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about unassisted homebirths. Her true accounts of homebirth stories reveal insights into creating your own unique homebirth experience.
Rating:
Summary: Stands up for truth and empowering women
Review: Not many doctors consider the emotional side of birth. But this author and a few others do. If a woman is healthy emotionally, she will be safer during labor physically because our emotions have such a profound effect on our body before, during and long after labor. The information in this book is priceless even if you do not agree with all the aspects of it. One of her main goals is to encourage the reader to get out of the passenger seat and take the wheel. Educating yourself is the only way to protect yourself in a world that encourages us to trust soley in the arm of the flesh-VERY DANGEROUS! We need to open our eyes. Her desire is for you to get out there and do some research. When you let some one else steer your wheel, you are putting yourself and in this case your baby, in harms way. They have nothing to lose and you have everything to lose.
Rating:
Summary: Stands up for truth and empowering women
Review: Not many doctors consider the emotional side of birth. But this author and a few others do. If a woman is healthy emotionally, she will be safer during labor physically because our emotions have such a profound effect on our body before, during and long after labor. The information in this book is priceless even if you do not agree with all the aspects of it. One of her main goals is to encourage the reader to get out of the passenger seat and take the wheel. Educating yourself is the only way to protect yourself in a world that encourages us to trust soley in the arm of the flesh-VERY DANGEROUS! We need to open our eyes. Her desire is for you to get out there and do some research. When you let some one else steer your wheel, you are putting yourself and in this case your baby, in harms way. They have nothing to lose and you have everything to lose.
Rating:
Summary: I liked the book and enjoyed reading it...
Review: This author had a very strong bias due to living in a state without a strong midwife system. All the points she made against midwifes (based on anecdotal evidence) were never backed up like most of the points in her book. A lot of her points all stem from the fact that there were only 3 available midwives for her birth (one who was to be out of town during her due date, one who was too far away, and one who she had a personality conflict with.) The remainder of her anecdotes focused on ONE midwife who had never attended a birth where the mother was in a particular position.
Rating: 
Summary: I really tried to like this book but...
Review: This author had a very strong bias due to living in a state without a strong midwife system. All the points she made against midwifes (based on anecdotal evidence) were never backed up like most of the points in her book. A lot of her points all stem from the fact that there were only 3 available midwives for her birth (one who was to be out of town during her due date, one who was too far away, and one who she had a personality conflict with.) The remainder of her anecdotes focused on ONE midwife who had never attended a birth where the mother was in a particular position.
Rating:
Summary: A book deeply rooted in reality about birth
Review: This book is a definite must-read for any woman that is thinking of conceiving a child or who is already pregnant. This book is not "on the fringe", despite its slightly shocking title. ;) It is a book for all women (and the men who love them) about how to go about getting a birth that is satisfying for the couple, as well as ensuring the most safety for mother and baby. It is a real book that tells the truth about what you're really gaining, and missing, when you leave the OB and the midwife knocking at your door. One thing I really appreciated was the chapter devoted to men's experiences of birth. This is a topic not covered in many other books, and definitely not in this kind of detail. Every woman knows that it's one thing to talk to a woman about birth, and a total other thing to talk to a man about what they want. It is their baby too, and this book is written for the couple. I will be buying this book for all my pregnant friends to read!
Rating: 
Summary: Great, but not for everyone
Review: This book is a valuable resource for anyone who wishes to be an educated, nonconforming individual. That said, it also convinced me NOT to have an unassisted childbirth for my first pregnancy, as I am more interested in the bottom line--having a healthy child--than I am in having sex with my partner during birth. Perhaps we will consider a UC for our second, but this book convinced me that the benefits of UC are mostly emotional and not physical. The book is a good, interesting read, and would make a great addition to a library of childbirth books that all follow the same cattle-prod lines of doctors, epidurals, episiotomies and bossy hospital staff. It is great for helping couples realize that there are other options. It is great for the nonconformist and the educated person, even if she ends up not following its advice. And it's good in that there is lots of information for fathers, not just mothers. Unfortunately, it is not without some drawbacks. The author doesn't do a very good job of masking her bias towards a Christian (Catholic?) perspective. There is a lot of reference to Jesus Christ in the anecdotes, which is fine for some people, but if you're not Christian you probably won't find it valuable. The weirdest parts of the book are the sections on society: the author lumps "teenage pregnancy, out of wedlock babies, abortion, surrogate parenting, fertility drugs, in vitro fertilization, pornography, prostitution, adultery, and sexually transmitted diseases" together with "cohabitation, homosexuality, cross-dressing and unions between partners of an age difference wide enough to be a parent-child situation" all together as "deviant behavior"! There is also the subtle idea that it is "selfish" to plan to have three or fewer children. Overall, I would say this book is worth reading, especially if you haven't read anything about unassisted childbirth before, but it shouldn't be the only childbirth book you read. Happy learning!
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