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1st out of 74 books
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65 voters
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
What you need to know to have the best birth experience for you.
Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation’s leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model o...more
Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation’s leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model o...more
Paperback, Updated Edition, 348 pages
Published
March 4th 2003
by Bantam
(first published January 1st 2003)
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Jun 15, 2012
Kristen H.
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Kristen by:
one of my patients
Shelves:
neveractuallyfinished,
parenting
this is a really good book that a patient recommended to me when I told her I was REALLY WORRIED about actually giving birth. I was so scared/freaked-out about the whole labor and delivery thing. she said she felt the same way and had read this book & it made her realize that childbirth is what our bodies are MEANT to do & it made her feel so much better. she also warned me "a lot of it needs to be taken with a grain of salt" and some of it was a little out there (like the orgasmic deliv...more
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Jul 14, 2007
Sharon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants a new way of looking at pregnancy and childbirth
Shelves:
parenting,
childbirth
This book made me think about pregnancy and childbirth in a whole new way. The author is a midwife and one of the founders of The Farm commune. She talks about creating a culture where women aren't afraid to give birth, and consequently don't experience labor as a painful, negative experience. The book has interviews with over a hundred women who tell their birth stories, many of which are exhilarating.
That said, it's important to take the book with a large grain of salt, especially for those g...more
That said, it's important to take the book with a large grain of salt, especially for those g...more
Ina May Gaskin has got to be the wisest woman alive. I try to soak in everything she says because it all makes perfect sense, and it's all so empowering. I think a major complaint about this book is that it repeats some things from other books she's written. It's true, but the stuff she repeats bears repeating. There are women (like me) who need to hear these things as often as possible.
In addition to being informative and enjoyable, this book also saved me from completely losing my mind after...more
In addition to being informative and enjoyable, this book also saved me from completely losing my mind after...more
5 likes · like · see review
I swiped this from Frances at the recommendation of her sister-in-law. The first half of the book is real-life stories of women who had home births or births with midwifes and the second half of the book contains the more scientific studies of Ina May Gaskin.
The book was beautifully printed and really organized well. There were lovely pictures of births and babies and midwifes-very retro and dated,but cool.
What I liked-the honesty of the women's accounts of their births. They were so open and re...more
The book was beautifully printed and really organized well. There were lovely pictures of births and babies and midwifes-very retro and dated,but cool.
What I liked-the honesty of the women's accounts of their births. They were so open and re...more
The first half of this book I felt was filler and outdated, the content could have been halved. It consisted of birth stories and after reading a few they all sounded the same. I ended up skimming the rest. These stories are all from the 1970s so I felt like I was reading a history book since I am so far removed from that age group.
The second half of the book was really helpful with information on what to expect during childbirth, what your options are, and techniques to help you during childbi...more
The second half of the book was really helpful with information on what to expect during childbirth, what your options are, and techniques to help you during childbi...more
1 like · like · see review
So, as far as useful information goes, this book pretty much said the same thing as The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, except without the same amount of research backing it up. Still helpful, but not especially new. Plus, she used the terms "Much more likely" or "much less likely" a lot, instead of giving the actual statistics as Goer's book did.
Another downside of this book was that it was a little too "Rah, rah, rah, women's bodies can do anything!!" for my taste. I guess that's no...more
Another downside of this book was that it was a little too "Rah, rah, rah, women's bodies can do anything!!" for my taste. I guess that's no...more
4 likes · like · see review
A lot of information on the professional merits of midwifery, so I admit skipping some chapters for the time being to learn content more directly related my partner's pregnancy. I will continue to read the birth stories, though I only needed a dozen of them or so before I wanted to hear what she actually had to say (this may partially be because I am a male reader who's brain learns slightly differrent that the target audience). I will read them all before my first child arrives. I believe this...more
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Don't worry, this isn't an announcement. A friend from work is passionate about midwifery and has been talking to me about her experience having her children at home, and she referred me to Ina May's books to learn more. Ina May is the nation's most famous midwife. She lives on a hippie commune in Tennessee and has been helping all of the women in the commune to give birth naturally since it was established in 1971. She's a bit too hippie-ish for my taste, and it had some photos in it that I did...more
1 like · like · see review
A refreshing and compassionate look at childbirth as a natural, powerful process and how cool the female body is.
I agree with others about reading Ina May's half of the book before reading all the birth narratives at the beginning. I'm glad they are included but I thought they were more effective in the context of her experience and research.
I agree with others about reading Ina May's half of the book before reading all the birth narratives at the beginning. I'm glad they are included but I thought they were more effective in the context of her experience and research.
I just had my monthly midwife appointment and she lent me this awesome book. It's got everything, including a section on orgasmic birth. I find it refreshing to read something so real that attempts to turn our stereotypical hospital birth routine upside-down.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part is a compilation of birth stories from lots and lots of women; many will make you cry with joy. The second part reflects how Ina May's Farm community achieves such low caesarean & interv...more
The book is divided into two parts. The first part is a compilation of birth stories from lots and lots of women; many will make you cry with joy. The second part reflects how Ina May's Farm community achieves such low caesarean & interv...more
Dec 03, 2008
tope
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Pregnant folks and their partners, couples planning to have kids in the near future
The birth stories in this book give a realistic but nevertheless inspiring and encouraging perspective on what natural birth can be like. I found this book more accessible than Ina May's first book on childbirth, _Spiritual Midwifery_, which is one of those books you can tell was written by a communal living hippie in the 70s (liberal use of "far out," "telepathic," "psychedelic," etc.). The _Guide_ includes many more stories than the earlier book from women who were not part of the The Farm (th...more
As far as I'm concerned, this is a must read for any one dedicated to the idea of having a natural childbirth experience (men--read it too so you can support your lady's decision & cheer her on!). You really do need to mentally prepare and Ina Mae is wonderful at providing both information and supporting statistics to encourage women and make you think about the choices you have; and the real life stories from the mothers she's helped truly do turn into helpful tools so you can say "i can do...more
Don't be scared away by the hippy-dippiness of this book. I'm glad I wasn't. I read this book with a caveat: read the second section first, then the first section. It made so much sense, I'm not sure why the book wasn't organized that way in the first place.
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is skewed toward natural childbirth and can get a little culty, especially all the stories about The Farm, but I found the information in the second part of the book really helpful even when planning for a hospit...more
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is skewed toward natural childbirth and can get a little culty, especially all the stories about The Farm, but I found the information in the second part of the book really helpful even when planning for a hospit...more
4 likes · like · see review
Ina May Gaskin may be the most respected midwife out there. When you compare her birth statistics to most hospitals it's pretty incredible. The woman's doing lots of things right, mostly by giving mothers time, helping them trust in their bodies, and relying on years of experience (both her own and that of other midwives) with natural birth.
The first half of the book is filled with real women's positive birth stories, selected on purpose to counteract the fear surrounding birth in our culture (p...more
The first half of the book is filled with real women's positive birth stories, selected on purpose to counteract the fear surrounding birth in our culture (p...more
Really liked this one. The first big chunk consists of birth stories, which I found to be extremely reassuring. They were all so positive about our abilities to give birth without drugs and they made birth seem such a natural part of life instead of something terrible and scary. It was empowering without being over the top peppy and cheery--the women seemed very real. I read this several months ago and I still remember how I felt reading the birth stories and they still give me inspiration as my...more
I have so many conflicting thoughts about this book. This is the fourth book that I've read about childbirth. On the one hand, I have found it to be the most helpful in preparing me for childbirth. On the other hand, there is an obvious bias. While I agreed with much of what the author wrote, there were several parts that really bugged me.
The book starts off with a bunch of birth stories. I was excited to read about birth in a positive light. However, there were several factors that made the sto...more
The book starts off with a bunch of birth stories. I was excited to read about birth in a positive light. However, there were several factors that made the sto...more
1 like · like · see review
You can have a baby without medical intervention - your body is perfectly capable of that.
That is the key message of this book and well worth reading just for that.
Our family practitioner recommended we read this book for precisely that point - so that my partner could have confidence in her body and the process.
My criticism is that she presents the current medical view in an out of date and unfriendly light. Current medical practice appears to be exactly what the author would want it to be. I e...more
That is the key message of this book and well worth reading just for that.
Our family practitioner recommended we read this book for precisely that point - so that my partner could have confidence in her body and the process.
My criticism is that she presents the current medical view in an out of date and unfriendly light. Current medical practice appears to be exactly what the author would want it to be. I e...more
I would definitely recommend this book for both those considering natural birth and those who plan to have a medicated hospital birth. Either person can benefit from reading this. The best thing about this book is the first half containing all of the birth stories. Some of them are a little weird/cheesy, especially those that take place in the 70's. There is definitely a sort of "hippie" tone to many of them. However, all of the stories were very inspiring and showed the beautiful side of childb...more
This book could change your life. Seriously. At least if you are an average American/Canadian woman who has been raised to believe that childbirth is a dangerous procedure that requires specialists to be present to save your life and your baby's life.
This book introduced me to a completely different childbirthing culture that I had previously been completely ignorant of, and I found it fascinating and empowering. It has changed my entire perception of delivery to discover that there are many peo...more
This book introduced me to a completely different childbirthing culture that I had previously been completely ignorant of, and I found it fascinating and empowering. It has changed my entire perception of delivery to discover that there are many peo...more
If you can get past the fact that this woman lives in a "village" and has a pretty hippie/granola approach to life in general, there's some useful information to be found here.
I preferred this book over the Bradley method because it gave quite a few useful techniques to try during labor other than just lying perfectly still and trying to relax while your husband rubs your back. Most of her experience is anecdotal, so I'm not sure how much faith I place in some of her observations about women sta...more
I preferred this book over the Bradley method because it gave quite a few useful techniques to try during labor other than just lying perfectly still and trying to relax while your husband rubs your back. Most of her experience is anecdotal, so I'm not sure how much faith I place in some of her observations about women sta...more
I read this book years before I was even thinking about having a baby, simply out of curiosity. It changed my view of what it meant to give birth. It just made sense. It is so logical that women have been bearing children for centuries with other, experienced women nearby to help, and in a much more nurturing environment--it's amazing what a woman's body can do! I fully recognize that giving birth hurts and is not always/ever a rosy, orgasmic experience, but it also doesn't have to be a terrifyi...more
Mar 11, 2012
Wendy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone hoping for a natural childbirth
Recommended to Wendy by:
Prenatal yoga instructor
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I had heard of Ina May before and knew that she was a famous midwife and this book was also recommended to me by my fabulous prenatal yoga instructor. Although I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the book, I knew that there would be some ideas that probably wouldn't mesh well with what I wanted or had planned for childbirth. I was right, but I can't tell you how immensely grateful I am that I read this book anyways.
A preface about me: When I becam...more
A preface about me: When I becam...more
4 likes · like · see review
This is the holy grail for natural childbirth.* I had read and heard so much about Ina May Gaskin by the time this book was finally available at the library that I felt like some weird superfan. After finishing the book today, I fully embrace my superfandom. I admit it: I'm a Gaskin groupie.
The one thing I would change is to flip the order of Part I and Part II. Part I is over 100 pages of real women's labor and birth stories, most of which took place at The Farm (the TN commune that Gaskin and...more
The one thing I would change is to flip the order of Part I and Part II. Part I is over 100 pages of real women's labor and birth stories, most of which took place at The Farm (the TN commune that Gaskin and...more
The first half of the book is filled with positive (and maybe a little weird) birth stories. It is good to read birth stories that aren't just about "how terrible" it all is. I sort of got tired of reading the birth stories (some were a bit strange for me) and I skipped to the 2nd half. I have been reading a lot of "natural birth" books and info lately and this one was well put together. I especially like reading about the history of childbirth. So many things/ideas made sense to me. I liked tha...more
Does liking this book make me a hippie? Probably. But it may say more about our culture than me if I'm branded as a hippie for wanting a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). I don't think I'm terribly radical, but if you check with a couple of doctors in the Baltimore area, they might say otherwise. And that’s a pretty sad comment on certain geographical regions of our country.
It can be a bit lonely – searching for VBAC/natural childbirth stories, even among my group of what I consider progres...more
It can be a bit lonely – searching for VBAC/natural childbirth stories, even among my group of what I consider progres...more
1 like · like · see review
I really liked how this book made me feel empowered about the process of giving birth. As I am pregnant for the first time, I have been trying to educate myself about the process of giving birth because I feel that the more knowledge I have, the better prepared I will be. This book is unique among the birth help books that I have read in that the first part of the book (roughly a third, perhaps more of the total) is birth experiences as written by women, and not the author. Ina May Gaskin does n...more
In a way this is just an updated version of Spiritual Midwifery. The first part of the book contains a number of birth stories; however, where Midwifery's second part was primarily a source book for midwives, the second part of Childbirth is more an outline of differences between the midwife approach and the obstetric approach.
I found chapter 3, Part Two, "The Pain/Pleasure Riddle" most interesting. Particularly enjoyed a story shared from Dr. Grantly Dick-Read's book Childbirth Without Fear:
"a...more
I found chapter 3, Part Two, "The Pain/Pleasure Riddle" most interesting. Particularly enjoyed a story shared from Dr. Grantly Dick-Read's book Childbirth Without Fear:
"a...more
Well, I am pregnant! About 3 months along and this was the first (and probably one of the very few) books I picked up that goes through the whole experience. Ina May Gaskin is one of the women who put midwifery back on the map in America--in large part because of the statistics she was able to generate at her midwife practice located on The Farm, a commune she runs with her husband. I liked this book a lot. The first half of the book is birth stories, all different types of experiences are cover...more
This book is considered by many to be the gold standard for people who want to approach childbirth as a natural life event. Ina May is credited with starting a movement toward trusting women's bodies and empowering women to educate themselves about the birth process--not just blindly putting their health and the health of their child in the hands of the medical system. I enjoyed this book because Ina May is experienced and revered in the eyes of families looking to give birth naturally and with...more
Oct 25, 2009
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in natural childbirth
Recommended to Jennifer by:
my midwife
The midwife lent me a whole stack of books (and is always pushing me to take more), but so far the only one I've read cover-to-cover is this one. And I'm wishing I'd read this before I had Jefferson.
Roughly the first half of this book is birth stories. Almost all of them are midwife-assisted births at The Farm, a village/commune in Tennessee, mostly just in homes without a lot of special equipment. Very few of the births had to be transported to the hospital, though those are represented as well...more
Roughly the first half of this book is birth stories. Almost all of them are midwife-assisted births at The Farm, a village/commune in Tennessee, mostly just in homes without a lot of special equipment. Very few of the births had to be transported to the hospital, though those are represented as well...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| inspiring! | 2 | 15 | Dec 11, 2007 05:40pm |
Ina May Gaskin, MA, CPM, is founder and director of the Farm Midwifery Center, located near Summertown, Tennessee. Founded in 1971, by 1996, the Farm Midwifery Center had handled more than 2200 births, with remarkably good outcomes. Ms. Gaskin herself has attended more than 1200 births. She is author of Spiritual Midwifery, now in its fourth edition. For twenty-two years she published Birth Gazett...more
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“Remember this, for it is as true and true gets: Your body is not a lemon. You are not a machine. The Creator is not a careless mechanic. Human female bodies have the same potential to give birth well as aardvarks, lions, rhinoceri, elephants, moose, and water buffalo. Even if it has not been your habit throughout your life so far, I recommend that you learn to think positively about your body.”
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64 people liked it
“It is important to keep in mind that our bodies must work pretty well, or their wouldn't be so many humans on the planet.”
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19 people liked it
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