Gentle Birth Choices
by Barbara Harper
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Book Summary Information
Author: Barbara HarperPhotographer: Suzanne Arms
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-08-09
ISBN: 1594770670
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Healing Arts Press
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Book Reviews of Gentle Birth Choices
Book Review: Great book about reclaiming birth
Summary: 5 Stars
When I was pregnant, I read many books, wanting to explore the many options that I had. I ultimately decided on birthing in a hospital, but with a doula and a midwife. While I knew that both would work to assist me in a natural birth, I still felt unsure of whether or not *I* could handle it. Often, pregnant women are told horror stories of the pain, of how most women are "screaming" for an epidural, of what can go wrong in labor. Very rarely are gentle, beautiful birthing stories told.
For me, this is where this book comes in to play. I did not read this book looking for knowledge and factual information on birth, I'd already gleaned that from several other books. I read this book wondering if a gentle birth was truly attainable.
I read this book a few weeks before my due date. After finishing it, I truly felt at peace with my body and with my decision to pursue a natural birth. Sure, I still had my doubts, but after reading about all the women who had NCB in many different settings, I felt strongly that I could do it. And a few weeks later, I DID. Once labor began, I probably forgot everything I read, but what I didn't forget was the sense that I was just one of many women who embarked on a journey toward a gentle birth, and that if other women could do it, SO COULD I. My memories of my son's birth are gentle and peaceful, most of it spent in the water with my midwife holding my hands and my doula massaging me through contractions. My only regret is not having my husband read this book, too, as I think he was more nervous than I was. The accompanying DVD is also something I found immensly helpful. Neither my husband nor I had ever seen birth, but this DVD gave us an idea of what to expect. While it helped to calm me, it really helped my husband when I was actually in labor because he knew that what was happening was normal and natural.
Should this be the only book you read while pregnant? NO! But then, I don't think there is any one book that really covers every little piece of information about pregnancy. Do I think this is a book that should be read by every pregnant woman? Yes, I do. Perhaps if more women read this book, pregnant women would no longer be treated to horror stories about birth, and instead, would know that, in most cases, it can be a gentle, loving process.
Summary of Gentle Birth Choices
Birth as every woman would like it to be? Recommended by Lamaze International as one of the top ten books for pregnant women and their families
? Includes a 45-minute DVD of six live gentle births
? More than 32,000 copies sold of the original edition
New parents are faced with a myriad of choices about pregnancy, labor, and birth. In Gentle Birth Choices Barbara Harper, renowned childbirth advocate, nurse, former midwife, and mother of three, helps to clarify these choices and shows how to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience. She dispels medical myths and reimagines birth without fear, pain, or violence. Harper explains the numerous gentle birth choices available, including giving birth in an independent birth center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room; finding a primary caregiver who shares your philosophy of birth; and deciding how to best use current technologies. She also provides practical advice for couples wishing to explore the option of using a doula or water during labor and birth to avoid the unwanted effects of drugs and epidurals.
The Gentle Birth Choices DVD blends interviews with midwives and physicians and six actual births that illustrate the options of water birth, home birth, and vaginal birth after a prior Cesarean section. The DVD clearly reveals the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of women exercising gentle birth choices. It is a powerful instructional tool, not only for expectant parents, but also for midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors.
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