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Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected - Warning
Review: Beware if you are not into chants, spells and things of this sort, this is not the book for you. I was disapointed and bothered by the contents of this book. I do enjoy reading and learning about midwifery and birth traditions, I had both of my children with midwives attending. But I would not reccomend this book - read this exert "In most traditional societies, if the baby is to be killed it must either not be allowed to breathe or be killed very soon after birth. Once the baby has become a legitimate human being, though having lived for a certian period after birth or being named, then killing becomes impossible. The question seems to me to be one of defination, and the way in which we define 'human' is rather different to the way in which it is defined in other places. The widespread use of pre-natal testing in western societies to identifify and abort deformed babies seems to me very similar to the killing of a deformed newborn baby. Why is the later anymore repungent than the former?" page 120 I hope this is helpful to those who are not looking for a book of this sort. The mom who wants a natural child birth would much more enjoy "The Birth Book" By Sears. -Sarah
Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected - Warning
Review: Beware if you are not into chants, spells and things of this sort, this is not the book for you. I was disapointed and bothered by the contents of this book. I do enjoy reading and learning about midwifery and birth traditions, I had both of my children with midwives attending. But I would not reccomend this book - read this exert "In most traditional societies, if the baby is to be killed it must either not be allowed to breathe or be killed very soon after birth. Once the baby has become a legitimate human being, though having lived for a certian period after birth or being named, then killing becomes impossible. The question seems to me to be one of defination, and the way in which we define 'human' is rather different to the way in which it is defined in other places. The widespread use of pre-natal testing in western societies to identifify and abort deformed babies seems to me very similar to the killing of a deformed newborn baby. Why is the later anymore repungent than the former?" page 120 I hope this is helpful to those who are not looking for a book of this sort. The mom who wants a natural child birth would much more enjoy "The Birth Book" By Sears. -Sarah
Rating: 
Summary: First time moms should read this book!
Review: The book includes traditions about conception, pregancy, labor and birth and even how the husband can help. Did you ever wonder how we got a "baby shower"? Well in some places in the world the pregnant mother will be bathed with the foods she is craving.I enjoyed reading about other people's belilefs and methods of childbirth. This book tells of religious, cultural, superstitions and beliefs about childbirth. The Author gives you a view into the whole world. Most people aren't born in a hospital. This book can help ease some of your fears of the childbirth experience and give you confidence in not having a lot of intervention. People without technology have thier own way of expalining things. Some of them are even rather humorous. You may even realize how many superstitions we still cling to today. I read this book to my whole family while I was pregnant and we picked some of the ideas to use for our baby's birth. It was very enjoyable reading even for my husband.
Rating:
Summary: First time moms should read this book!
Review: The book includes traditions about conception, pregancy, labor and birth and even how the husband can help. Did you ever wonder how we got a "baby shower"? Well in some places in the world the pregnant mother will be bathed with the foods she is craving.I enjoyed reading about other people's belilefs and methods of childbirth. This book tells of religious, cultural, superstitions and beliefs about childbirth. The Author gives you a view into the whole world. Most people aren't born in a hospital. This book can help ease some of your fears of the childbirth experience and give you confidence in not having a lot of intervention. People without technology have thier own way of expalining things. Some of them are even rather humorous. You may even realize how many superstitions we still cling to today. I read this book to my whole family while I was pregnant and we picked some of the ideas to use for our baby's birth. It was very enjoyable reading even for my husband.
Rating:
Summary: First time moms should read this book!
Review: The book includes traditions about conception, pregancy, labor and birth and even how the husband can help. Did you ever wonder how we got a "baby shower"? Well in some places in the world the pregnant mother will be bathed with the foods she is craving.I enjoyed reading about other people's belilefs and methods of childbirth. This book tells of religious, cultural, superstitions and beliefs about childbirth. The Author gives you a view into the whole world. Most people aren't born in a hospital. This book can help ease some of your fears of the childbirth experience and give you confidence in not having a lot of intervention. People without technology have thier own way of expalining things. Some of them are even rather humorous. You may even realize how many superstitions we still cling to today. I read this book to my whole family while I was pregnant and we picked some of the ideas to use for our baby's birth. It was very enjoyable reading even for my husband.
Rating: 
Summary: Choppy writing- like the author skimmed available literature
Review: This might be a good "beginner" book for exploring cross cultural birth traditons, but it doesnt' have much depth to it. Frequently I felt that the author had observed a few interactions with midwives in Malaysia, read accounts of traditions elsehwere, and tried to put it together as a comprehensive account of birthing. She tried to speak with more authority than I believe she had.An astute reader might be able to get some tips from this book on how to visualise an easier birth- thinking of openness when seeing a doorway and window might indeed help a woman open faster for a birth. Undoing knots might help her concentrate on opening her mind and cervix for her birth. But most of the other traditions weren't explored in any detail. Far too many were left at one person's explanation of a tradition or "treatment" but the author made no attempt to delve into the original reasons these were thought to have worked. The segue from the cross cultural discussion to modern, Western birthing protocols were abrupt and contrived. The author appeared to want to discuss the flaws of Western hospital birthing, wanted to present the alternatives as done throughout history, but the transitions were not well done. I agree that there are many problems in Western birthing protocols and attitudes, but I don't think the comparisons drawn here were the most effective ways to do that. I highly recommend Diana Korte's "A Good Birth, A Safe Birth" for a good, critical look at hospital birthing and the hazards inherent in our medical model of birth.
Rating:
Summary: Choppy writing- like the author skimmed available literature
Review: This might be a good "beginner" book for exploring cross cultural birth traditons, but it doesnt' have much depth to it. Frequently I felt that the author had observed a few interactions with midwives in Malaysia, read accounts of traditions elsehwere, and tried to put it together as a comprehensive account of birthing. She tried to speak with more authority than I believe she had. An astute reader might be able to get some tips from this book on how to visualise an easier birth- thinking of openness when seeing a doorway and window might indeed help a woman open faster for a birth. Undoing knots might help her concentrate on opening her mind and cervix for her birth. But most of the other traditions weren't explored in any detail. Far too many were left at one person's explanation of a tradition or "treatment" but the author made no attempt to delve into the original reasons these were thought to have worked. The segue from the cross cultural discussion to modern, Western birthing protocols were abrupt and contrived. The author appeared to want to discuss the flaws of Western hospital birthing, wanted to present the alternatives as done throughout history, but the transitions were not well done. I agree that there are many problems in Western birthing protocols and attitudes, but I don't think the comparisons drawn here were the most effective ways to do that. I highly recommend Diana Korte's "A Good Birth, A Safe Birth" for a good, critical look at hospital birthing and the hazards inherent in our medical model of birth.
Rating:
Summary: Choppy writing- like the author skimmed available literature
Review: This might be a good "beginner" book for exploring cross cultural birth traditons, but it doesnt' have much depth to it. Frequently I felt that the author had observed a few interactions with midwives in Malaysia, read accounts of traditions elsehwere, and tried to put it together as a comprehensive account of birthing. She tried to speak with more authority than I believe she had. An astute reader might be able to get some tips from this book on how to visualise an easier birth- thinking of openness when seeing a doorway and window might indeed help a woman open faster for a birth. Undoing knots might help her concentrate on opening her mind and cervix for her birth. But most of the other traditions weren't explored in any detail. Far too many were left at one person's explanation of a tradition or "treatment" but the author made no attempt to delve into the original reasons these were thought to have worked. The segue from the cross cultural discussion to modern, Western birthing protocols were abrupt and contrived. The author appeared to want to discuss the flaws of Western hospital birthing, wanted to present the alternatives as done throughout history, but the transitions were not well done. I agree that there are many problems in Western birthing protocols and attitudes, but I don't think the comparisons drawn here were the most effective ways to do that. I highly recommend Diana Korte's "A Good Birth, A Safe Birth" for a good, critical look at hospital birthing and the hazards inherent in our medical model of birth.
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